Jesus comes to our most desperate moments the same way. He doesn’t start by overruling the forces of nature, but by telling us to look up, see the reality of His presence, and calm down. Of all the miracles, His presence is first and foremost. If we know that He is personally present with us in the middle of the storm, the stilling of the sea and the stopping of the winds are incidental. “Be of good cheer! . . . do not be afraid” (v. 50)—these are presumptuous words for anyone other than Jesus Christ