Gospel in Art: A storm so violent that the waves were breaking over the boat

The Ninth Wave, by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1889 © Russian State Museum, Saint Petersburg

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 2 July 2024
Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, 'Save us, Lord, we are going down!' And he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?' And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, 'Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.'

Reflection on the painting

Our painting is titled the Ninth Wave. The title refers to an old sailing expression referring to a wave of incredible size that comes after a succession of incrementally larger waves. The painting depicts a sea after a night storm and people facing death attempting to save themselves by clinging to debris from a wrecked ship. The debris, in the shape of the cross, appears to be a Christian metaphor for salvation from the earthly sin. The painting has warm tones, which reduce the sea's apparent menacing overtones and make more plausible a chance for the people to survive. This painting shows both the destructiveness and beauty of nature. Painted by Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky, it is a huge canvas, 221 cm x 332 cm. Hence standing in front of the painting, one can almost feel the breath of cold winds and taste the salty sea. All of Ivan's paintings were completed in his workshop, from memory. Aivazovsky had a phenomenal capacity to remember details of a scene: he would often go out on a boat, without pencil or paints, and just memorise what he saw.

Maybe you are familiar with the hymn by Margaret Rizza,'Calm Me, Lord.' Its soothing verse repeats, 'Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm; still me, Lord, keep me from harm. Let all the tumult within me cease, enfold me, Lord, in your peace.' From the earliest times, Christians have connected Jesus calming the storm in today's gospel reading with the risen Lord calming the storms in our lives. In today's gospel, the disciples faced a storm at sea, and that external storm triggered an internal one, filling them with fear. Their desperate plea to Jesus, "Save us, Lord, we are going down," reveals their anxiety. Similarly, we often encounter external storms - events beyond our control that stir up internal turmoil.

The Lord can calm any storm within us if we turn to him in trusting prayer, just as the disciples did in the boat. Our prayer, like theirs, might be a desperate cry from the depths: "Save us, Lord, we are going down." The gospel reading suggests that this is a prayer to which the Lord always responds. Our prayer of trust will open us to the Lord's steadying presence, enabling us to endure the storm until we find peace.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-8-23-27-2024/