Both Psalm 29 and Luke 8:22-25 culminate in worship, but in Luke it is not the storm itself that generates worship, but Jesus’ power to save from destructive, demonic forces — here the waters stirred up by a sudden, violent “whirlwind” or hurricane. The story draws upon deeper, older images. At creation, God brings order from the primordial waters by separating light from darkness, sky from earth, dry land from oceans and waters. Later God saves Noah and the other creatures from the flood. Then God provides a passageway through waters as the people flee their Egyptian slave lords. When Jesus wakes up and calms the storm for his disciples, it seems a much smaller miracle, but it carries with it all those earlier stories and memories. Jesus’ word frees from bondage, carries us through the flood, and inaugurates a new creation.

Echoing Job 28, Jesus is leading his disciples through the stormy sea on a journey toward what Paul would call the wisdom of the cross. Jesus falls asleep, leaving the disciples to their own resources. The sea and the storm test their faith and resilience, but they lack both wisdom and trust in his presence and power with them. Neither they nor we can discover this kind of wisdom until we follow him all the way through his conquest not merely of wind and sea, but of death itself.