The churn of the culture reminds me of Rembrandt’s famous painting, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee.
It was the legendary painter’s only seascape, and it dramatically captures the moment right before Jesus calms the turbulent waters (Mark 4:35–40). It’s an exquisite piece of art for several reasons, and an appropriate one to point to at this time in our history.
If you were to examine the painting, you would notice there are fourteen people in the boat.
Have you ever noticed?
This is a curious thing, especially since Mark’s account reveals that Jesus and the twelve disciples are in the vessel.
Who is the fourteenth person?
Rembrandt painted himself in the boat—intended, I believe, to emphasize that we’re all in the boat together. We’re all being tossed about by the waves, constantly confronting the dangerous tide of the world’s sins and imperfections.
Yet, because Jesus is in the boat with us, we have nothing to fear, as long as we put our faith in Him.
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