Yes, I would have awaken him. He is a friend, I would not want him harmed by the storm. I would most likely apologize to him as he woke up - knowing he was in a deep sleep (and obviously very tired to not naturally wake on his own), but quickly explain the danger surrounding the boat and that I would want him safe during the storm.

in the thick of a furious storm which king herod was raising (having already murdered james), a more mature peter sleeps like a baby while chained in jail to two guards and surrounded by a ton of others (guards). he wasn't pacing the floors in panic, wasn't writing a final letter to his wife (as far as we know), wasn't concentrating on a last meal. wasn't silently crying for help. something else was going on. could it be the same thing that was going on with Jesus, who also slept once during a storm? (absolute trust in the Father???)

I think I would've woken Him up. When there's a crisis and I'm running around trying to deal with it, I get annoyed at anyone who's not running around and trying to deal with it too. It seems to me like this is what the disciples were feeling. When you look at the comment "don't you care if we drown?!" it almost seems like they are thinking that perhaps Jesus isn't really sleeping -- like He's resting and letting them do all the work, but just laying there and not bothering to get up and help. Perhaps fluttering His eyes open once in a while and then just trying to drift back into oblivion. Of course, that's speculation, but I think it's possible -- He was sleeping, but woke up from the storm and the commotion and then just laid there trying to get some rest, waiting for them to ask for help or involve Him in some way? Waiting for Father God to tell Him to intervene?

Years ago on a multi-family houseboat vacation on Lake Powell (Colorado River), we experienced a most unusual and violent storm. We were in one of the "finger" waterways called the Escalente. High vertical cliffs which are amazingly beautiful are a nightmare with screaming, unpredictable winds during a storm. When it began in the late afternoon we lost towels, beach chairs, skis, life jackets, oars, and even a child was blown off one boat. As the storm continued through the night we were being blown into other boats as well as into the cliffs. Fearing damage to the boat we had our engines going to counteract the force of the wind. The men were constantly out trying to secure the taut, straining lines to boulders. Evey adult and child was awake with adrenalin pumping...except our six year old, Greg. He slept through the whole episode on the engine room floor. Stepping over him, we were careful not to wake him--we certainly didn't need one more terrified child to add to the mix.

This colored my thoughts as I considered your question. I most certainly would have awakened Jesus, "my curiously untraditional, spiritual teacher" and friend. There would have been no thought of my being out of line and certainly none of adding to the fear on the boat. I would have wanted him to join with us--to add his ablities and insight to those of our very frantic crew, especially since he had proven to be rich in spiritual insight and wise in every way. I would have been so grateful he was present.

I wrote this last month while considering the same passage - not quite the answer to your question, but...
V 38 – “don’t you care if we drown?” It’s interesting that the human reaction is attack the person – as soon as there was a problem, which was circumstantial (i.e. Jesus had not created the storm, that was force of nature). However, the disciples immediately attacked Jesus’ compassion, His character… “don’t you care?” Jesus did not enter into a debate with them, he dealt with the circumstance and solved the problem (calmed the storm), then He found a lesson for them and spoke to them about it (where is your faith?).

How often we as leaders are attacked, in fact I recall Moses went through the same thing. It is the human condition to want to blame someone, to attack. Perhaps in the past I was too quick to defend myself or others? Perhaps I was not able to look at the problem and solve it – then address the speakers? How can we do this better? How can I do this better?

here's something: Jesus for thirty years practiced listening to the voice of his Father; practiced obedient-responsiveness to the Holy Spirit. he's the teacher now. sleeping on the boat, he's at peace in the core of his being, in his spirit. he's learned who he is, why he is, and where he's going. nothing happens to him accidentally; everything is ordered by the Father. his spirit is calm, and so his mind and body, rightfully, follow what's in his spirit; he lays them down on a leather cushion and sleeps because in his spirit he's quiet. (but his spirit is aware. i don't think the spirit really needs sleep. have to be careful here, though.) the disciples are not calm in their spirits; at the core of their beings they are scared spit-less. they're just beginning to walk this walk of obedience. they're following Jesus at a certain level but aren't mature yet. the storm purposefully shakes their world; turns everything upside down. their minds (what you see is what you get!) and bodies (emotions and reasoning capacities) still govern their actions, while their spirits are inactive. they're terrified. like the storm---chaos rages in them.

they didn't really need to wake Jesus, what he was doing (sleeping) was already "shouting at them." this was teaching in the making. there was something to learn here. Jesus wasn't teaching an untried theory. he was showing his followers how to be. that it was right and possible to quietly trust during a violent threatening storm. (from now on you're children of an invisible Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, the Maker of everything.) he knew they'd fail. that was at least part of the lesson: what you see and feel, your minds and bodies aren't the barometers of God-reality. later on, possibly one of the questions might have been: "Master, how could you honestly sleep while we, who were "awake" were nearly killed!" (thus the lesson... he's the last Adam, the first of a new humanity! it's a new ball game for the disciples and for us.))

it's early morning, couldn't sleep. thought i'd send these thoughts while they're hot. there is mystery contained in the story. the Lord has the last word, of course. the mystery is contained (and solved) in Christ's person, our life-long love and lesson.

As I've meditated on this passage in the past few months of my own storm I realized that I was frantically doing what any one would do in a storm...anything and everything I could think of! Hollywood wouldn't make a movie called, The Perfect Storm, where all the characters simply slept. I found myself intrigued by Jesus response and have kept asking, "What does he know about the Father that I don't know?" Finally, deep in my soul I realized that there are things out of my control and that any action I take has NO effect on the outcome. It sounds obvious but, until a storm hits one of your kids and fear causes you to forget that their choices are out of your control. I am learning to lay down beside Jesus and ask the Father to walk with my child. Someday, I hope to fall asleep!

What a great question. I felt impressed to respond with the thought that the person in the boat is my Pastor.
My first response is "of course I would wake Him up. He can help. He must know some kind of prayer that will calm this whole thing." Then, I had to be honest. I am more apt to be strong and say "Let the man sleep. He is tired and has been so busy helping others that we need to just let him rest. I can fingure this out on my own." He is not the first person I run to all the time. So often I run to myself first. "I should be able to handle this myself, I should be strong enough to figure this out without his help, and I don't see the need of stirring Him when I ought to be able, by now, to figure out the right thing to do." I think it's called 'Pride.'
I have learned over the years that I do, indeed, need the "wise" counsel that Psalms speaks of. I can't say that I have mastered the art of stirring a good friend in the moments that I really need them, I still like to think I can get this thing figured out by myself, but I have learned that with each storm, the quicker I went to someone for help, the quicker I got thorugh the storm and with minimal damage!

On a personal note- Alicia, I have enjoyed your teaching for many years now. Thank you for your honesty, your integrity, and your genuine love of the Lord. It is so refreshing.
Recently my family and I moved from Arizona (after 20+ years) to Missouri. Before I left my dear Girl friends blessed me with a going away gift- copies of your books, cd's, and a shirt, most signed by you. I have been so blessed this past year with such a special gift. These same ladies called me to inform me that you will be the speaker in September at the Women's Retreat in Prescott. I signed up immediatley.
I will be flying out to be refreshed in the Lord and to hear what He has to say through you! I am looking forward to getting to know Him a bit better and to hearing your whimsical stories as well. God bless and keep you and your family.

I would absolutely have gotten him up - He's the most important part of the friend group. In times of trouble, I always want my friend group - and I would never have let him go down with the ship. I think He did it to awaken their minds to new possibilities in the spiritual world - "God with us" is pretty amazing! But I also think He knew that,in their love for Him, they would wake him up to share their last moments, or to hope that He could pull a rabbit of some sort of His hat. So much more than a rabbit, eh?

I've thought on this survey question and in my heart and soul I know that if I were in a boat with Jesus and a fierce storm came howling and rattling the boat, I would not wake up Jesus. I thought of my mother who worked very hard in my younger years and there were times I wanted to talk or go some place with her, but I knew she was tired and was happier to know she was resting. It was my way to give something back to her. Had I walked with Jesus as the disciples did, and had I seen the miracles he performed and how he tirelessly preached an taught the multitudes, I would know that I could always turn to him, trust and be safe with him. Jesus said if you knew him, you knew his Father and vice versa. I would trust the winds and the waves with him present beside me, knowing he wouldn't allow anything to happen to me unless it was his Father's will. If I were in a boat with Jesus, I would rather sit and watch him as he is sleeping, to look upon his face and brow and wonder how he could suffer so much at the hands of the crowds. I would like to put a clean, dry wrap around his shoulders to give him some warmth and comfort. I think I would know - it was a special few moments that I could spend with my teacher, who must also be trusting in me.

I would remember and trust in his words!
We shouldn't forget, what He said to the disciples in first: "Let us go over to THE OTHER SIDE." (Mk 4:35). The destination was THE OTHER SIDE, because the work was unfinished. They fulfilled Father's plan.