Based on Mark 4:39-41

39 He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

The story of Jesus calming the storm has captured the imaginations of artists for centuries, including the most notable by Rembrandt. Almost all of them focus on the dramatic intensity of the storm with swirling clouds, crashing waves, panicked disciples, and sleeping Jesus. But this painting captures the awe of that miraculous and instantaneous peace.  

Stephen Gjertson is a contemporary “classical realist,” meaning he follows western traditions of French classicism and American realism. This is a style often marginalized by the contemporary art world as “been there done that.” But this style, with its smooth, clean surfaces and emphasis on compositional harmony and realistic representation, may be the best match to convey the power of this moment. The sea is completely smooth with no indication of the turbulence just a moment before. The powerful purple storm clouds immediately dissipate from the center outwards to reveal yellow sunlight pouring down from above, illuminating the shocked disciples and the commanding Christ. On the fringes in the distance the last lightning crackles. Though the scene is one of peace and calm, the complementary colors of purple and yellow and the backlighting of the figures, especially the main figure, Jesus, give this painting its intensity and almost eerie air of mystery allowing the viewer to feel what the disciples felt… fear and awe at the complete power their teacher just displayed. They didn’t realize yet who He was: God who created all and holds all in His hand. The wind and the sea just obeyed a word from His mouth just as a word from His mouth had brought them into being at the beginning of time.  

How often do we show the same lack of faith as the disciples? We are drowning in our circumstances or our own minds and we know Jesus is with us but it feels like He isn’t doing anything! The panic increases. We cry out for help. And then with a word, He calms the storm and our shock shows how little our faith is, as if we didn’t know who He was or realize the extent of His power over the things in our lives that we have no power over. Again and again, He rescues us in all sorts of ways and again and again, we marvel, as He deepens and broadens our faith and shows us more of who He is.

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