11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” – Jonah 1:11
Fear is a dangerous drug. The crew was clearly afraid. Jonah has just announced his identity as a Hebrew prophet who is running from God. Now, the crew asks Jonah what must they do to stop the storm. This is odd isn’t it? Jonah was the reason for the storm. Tomorrow we will look more in depth at Jonah’s answer. But first, let’s examine the question of the crew. What made the crew think that Jonah was going to give an accurate answer?
There are many speculations, but the most logical speculation is fear. Usually when there is a problem, we do not ask the cause of the problem for the solution to the problem. We definitely will examine the cause to look for answers, but we will not rely on the cause to provide those answers. The sailors here are doing just that. Wasn’t Jonah the reason for the storm? Was it not his disobedience to God that put the crew in this position? Yet, they still ask him.
There is wisdom in this part of the story. When people are afraid for their life they will seek answers from anyone they can possibly find. As Christians living in an afraid world, we must be ready to give our answer to those that are afraid. Peter says it this way in 1st Peter 3:15, “15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. ”
Jonah was calm. Remember he was sleeping during this storm. Right now many are afraid. Your security in Christ provides you with a different level of peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding. While other’s fear, we find hope. This hope through Jesus is the answer we must be ready to give to those that are afraid.