Art in Scripture: Peace! Be StillSample

Christ Asleep during the Tempest, c.1853
EUGÈNE DELACROIX
Christ Asleep during the Tempest, c.1853, Oil on canvas, 50.8 x 61 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929, 29.100.131, www.metmuseum.org

Opening Prayer:

O LORD, amid the storms of life, help us remember that You master the seas. As we reflect on the moments before Christ calmed a storm, may we recall times in our lives when we’ve given into fear rather than leaning on faith. May we resolve to step forward in faith first, today and each day after.

We know You created the earth and its tempests, and we know You have power over all. Though we can’t always see the break in the clouds, we ask that You guide us along the way. Lead us into calm waters with steadfast grace.

When we forget, Lord, please help us remember. Walk with us as we share the promise of Your peace. May we continue to seek that peace, and Your Kingdom, whatever winds may roar.

Thoughts for Reflection:

Have you ever experienced a frightening, uncertain, or harrowing event that left you reeling? During times of suffering, holding onto hope can seem impossible. Rather, we find ourselves tossed on a proverbial sea, engulfed in a raging storm with no end in sight.

Consumed by fear, we cry out for relief. The chaos within us reflects the tempest that surrounds us. In these moments, we forget the miracles God is capable of.

There are few passages in the Bible that better depict this juxtaposition of internal and outward conflict than Jesus’ calming of the sea. This story appears in three of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Although we may be familiar with Christ’s demonstration of power over the elements, we don’t often focus on the fear the apostles felt before the miracle. Eugène Delacroix’s painting, Christ Asleep during the Tempest, poignantly depicts those harrowing, desperate moments.

An Excerpt From The Visual Commentary On Scripture

Interior Tempest Commentary by Kelly Schumann

“In this dark, moody composition, the French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix uses colour and movement to suggest a psychological, interior tempest. There is as much drama within the boat as without,” writes commentator Kelly Schumann Andino in The Visual Commentary Of Scripture.

The disciples’ panic is on full display in every facet of the painting. “The disciples are in distress. None looks to Jesus for direction,” Schumann Andino notes. “[...] At centre, one bare-chested disciple looks outwards, as if towards the viewer, throwing his arms into the air, cloak billowing in the wind. Will the waves cast him overboard? Or will he find the anchor, as his right hand, searching, reaches back towards the Lord?”

In our pain and our waiting for an answer to prayer, we may be tempted to feel as though God doesn’t hear our cries. Schumann Andino says, “Emotionally, the painting invites the viewer into the distress of the disciples. ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ (Mark 4:38, ESV). There is no evidence of a miracle. The only calm is the face of the sleeping Saviour.”

Continued Reflection:

Recall a time in your life when all hope seemed lost, yet God provided a miracle when you least expected it. As you study Delacroix’s painting, reflect on Jesus’ peaceful rest in contrast to the disciples’ alarm. In these moments, they have no idea a miracle beyond their wildest imagination is about to unfold.