STILLING THE STORMS.
When Jesus was very tired from teaching the people and healing the sick
He used to cross the lake and go up among the rocks of Gadara, a wild
region where there were few villages. After the last long day of
teaching by the shore Jesus needed rest, but neither at Peter's house,
nor any where on that side of the Lake could He get away from the
crowds that followed Him to hear Him, or to be healed by Him.
In the evening, when the people came back to Him, He took the large
fishing-boat with His disciples, and set out for the other side.
Several beside His disciples wished to go with Him. A scribe wished to
follow Him, but Jesus told him that He had no home, no place to lay his
head, though the foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests.
Perhaps Jesus saw that the scribe was not ready to leave all and follow
Him. Another wished to go, but thought he ought first to bury his
father, but Jesus said to him,
"Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." This He said of the
Jews who were spiritually dead.
After they had gone far out upon the Lake a great wind storm rose. It
came sweeping down upon them from the hills, rattling the ropes and
swelling the sails so that they had to bring them down and fasten them,
and then take the oars. Every part of the little ship was covered with
spray from the rising waves, and the disciples began to feel afraid.
[Illustration: Jesus sleeping during the storm]
Where was Jesus? He was asleep. They had brought a cushion for His
head, and He had fallen asleep in the stern of the ship. As a wave
fell upon them and they were in danger of sinking they woke Jesus
saying,
"Master, Master, we perish!"
Then He rose and spoke to the winds and waters, and the storm ceased,
and there was a great calm.
The fishermen had never seen anything so wonderful as this, and they
looked at each other, almost more afraid of Jesus than they had been of
the storm.
"What manner of man is this," they said, "that even the wind and the
sea obey Him!"
Jesus also wondered, and said,
"Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"
As soon as they had landed in Gadara a strange man came out of the rock
tombs to meet them. He was naked and wounded, for he was always
wandering in the mountains and among the tombs, crying and cutting
himself. Jesus was sorry for him for He knew that it was the evil
spirits within him that made him so unhappy. The poor man tried to
worship Jesus, and the evil spirits only cried out the more, begging to
be let alone.
When Jesus asked "What is thy name," he answered, "My name is Legion,
for we are many."
Jesus made the poor man free by commanding the evil spirits to come out
of him. They entered into a herd of swine near by, and the frightened
creatures ran down a steep place into the lake and were drowned. The
men who kept them were afraid and ran away, telling all whom they met
of the thing that had happened. Some people came to see for
themselves, and they found the wild man of the tombs clothed and
quietly sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to His word. They were
afraid of Jesus and begged Him to go away. They did not understand
that He wished to bless and not to harm them.
As He went back to the ship the man who had been cured of his insanity
begged to go with Him, but Jesus told him to go instead to his friends
at home and tell them what the Lord had done for him.
The next morning the people of Decapolis heard a strange story from the
wild man of the tombs, but was now a reasoning man again.
And so Jesus stilled the storm of wind on the Lake and the storm of
evil in a soul.