And He was asleep in the back of the boat on a cushion. And they woke Him and said, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
This verse at the same time reveals Christ’s humanity and the disciples’ weakness. He was asleep on the cushion. This shows His real human weariness after ministry. Yet that very restful sleep becomes the occasion for the disciples’ fear. In their eyes it seems that the Lord does not care about their condition. The question “Do You not care?” is very familiar to the believer’s heart in a time of trial. When the waves rise and the sky seems silent, a person may think that God is indifferent. But in reality Jesus’ sleep was not a sign of powerlessness, but of peaceful authority. He was not terrified by what made the disciples tremble. This verse exposes human hearts: in the moment of trial, often their greatest problem is not the outward danger, but the doubt of whether the Lord truly cares for them.