If you read the Gospels then you have read about the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is no small lake, therefore it is a hoping place for commercial fisherman such as Peter, James, John and Andrew. The sea is 690 feet below sea level. Mount Hermon to the North rises to 9200 feet. Between May and October strong winds come down the slopes and throughout the canyons, to sweep across the sea. This causes violently unpredictable and often sudden storms. So when we read the stories of Jesus and His Apostles on the sea, we need to take into account just how serious a storm can be on this particular body of water.
Reading in Matthew 8.23-27 we discover such a case.
Verse 23 said, “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him”. Mark points out in chapter 4 that there were other little ships as well. Putting Matthew Mark and Luke together, we find they were traveling from West to East against the cross winds of this pop-up storm.
In verse 24 Matthew says, “…behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves…” Mark added that the ship was now “full”. They were listing and shoveling water at this point. They were in a bad way!
At this point we see something amazing. Jesus’ deity and humanity at once. He is about to demonstrate His power over the natural world; but here we read in verse 24, “…but he was asleep”. This is His humanity. He was tired from all of the ministry. His physical body was weary and slept hard enough that the ship movement didn’t wake Him. Luke 8 said he fell asleep “…as they sailed…”. I’ve been on flights so early or over night, that as soon as I was buckled I was out, not to wake up until we landed. His body is as ours…exhausted.
The situation is dire. In Luke 8.23 it says, “…they were in jeopardy.” Matthew here says, “…save us, we perish.” They were convinced they were all going to die. Interesting though that they asked Jesus…“save us.” They knew He could, but would He? In Mark 4.38 it reads, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” So it is not just could He, but would He? At this point they are not questioning His ability as much as His willingness to get involved. The greek words for “great storm of wind” is a word that can be translated ‘whirlwind’ or ‘hurricane-like’. This is something major. These are fisherman who fish on this sea, but this is a big storm.
Note this though— When someone is that hard asleep, and therefore is unaware of what’s happening; why would you question that person’s desire to help? Did they think that He was aware and just didn’t care? I wonder if we do that? Because Jesus is aware of everything and knows so eternally before it happened. Why question His ability? Why question His compassion? Sounds like emotion takes over and clouds our ability to reason at that point. I bet you couldn’t have convinced them at that particular moment though… much like believers today.
His response in Matthew 8 is our point today— “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” In Mark 4 it says, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” In Luke 8 it reads, “Where is your faith?”
First lets look at the phrase— “O ye of little faith”
Jesus often rebuked His disciples for not having or demonstrating faith.
“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 6.30). In our text, Matthew 8.26, it continues with— “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” In Matthew 14.31— “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” In Matthew 16.8— “Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?”
In Mark, Jesus flat out said it was so “little” that it was— “no faith”. Is that possible? Apparently! So much so, that Luke’s rendering says— “Where…” is it? Vanished, evaporated, so small that it is unrecognizable… because of a storm. Because of a pop-up circumstance that they couldn’t handle, they forsook faith in the moment.
Now, to be fair, they were going to die. BUT… isn’t that the point?! This man just healed, cast out demons, etc. Why would you doubt Him in this? I wonder if we do that? Does He have the power? Yes! Will He do it? Enter in… faith, trust, belief, doubt, despair, human reasoning, speculation…the whole package! Will He involve Himself in my situation? Do I ask Him or seek Him? Do I chose to blame and accuse Him? Nothing is too crazy, His own disciples had little faith and accused Him of not caring.
I would like to point out a Cause and Effect. He said in Matthew and Mark— “why are ye fearful”; then He said, “ye have little, or no, faith”. I think there is a direct correlation. The fearful reaction caused an evaporation of their faith. They just experienced a building of faith in a day full of miracles. Now, there is a situation that caused enough fear to suck all that faith out. Isn’t that the case with us? We are on a high… see God do some amazing things… then all of a sudden… gone! Is He not the same God who saved you? Is He not the same God who brought revival, and can do it again? Is He not able? Your answer is faith-based or faithless-based… probably depending on your circumstance.
Jesus is making it clear here, that our faith does not stand on speculation, but Him! After-all He is— “…Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12.2). Kind-of makes you wonder if “O ye of little faith” is a question or a declarative statement? It’s rendering in the scripture has it as a question, but it is imperative in tense in the Greek. Makes sense to me at least. In Mark it said, “How is it” that you don’t have faith, instead of ‘where’ and ‘why’ that Matthew and Luke have. “How”…is a good question!
Remember that these guys were fairly new. They were ‘baby’ Christians, so to speak. Which is no excuse… Jesus is rebuking them still (note to self). Thinking about that though, I was reminded of the sower and seed parable. In one of those situations Jesus said— “And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended” (Mark 4.17). These men haven’t had a lot of time to grow down some roots. So this one circumstance immediately knocked them off course; or “offended” them.
Something to think about believer… If one thing can rock your faith that easy, maybe you aren’t as grown as you think and need some more discipleship. I would sacrifice some of my spare time and spare cash and dig a little deeper with a spiritually developing older brother, if I were you.
Now the text shifts…
We see Jesus’ deity in action! Matthew 8.26 says,“Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm”. Mark 4 says, “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Luke 8 says, “…Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.” “Peace be still” is something the greeks in the first century used as— ‘to muzzle’. He shut it down and He shut it up. It didn’t happen gradually. One second there is a hurricane-like wind storm; the next there is peace and calm.
Magnificent isn’t it? To watch God be God and blow us away with His power. The disciples said they were shocked by the fact that “even the seas obey Him”. That’s because He “spoke” to it, it says. WOW.
I bet if you and I were there we would have the same reaction they did— “But the men marvelled” (Matthew); “And they feared exceedingly” (Mark); “…And they being afraid wondered…” (Luke). Their faith is evaporated one second and fired up the next. We are truly fickle and frail, aren’t we?
They just experienced a prophetic revealing, and convincing proof of His deity. Deity— that He IS God!. [Psalm 29.3; 65.7; 89.9; 93.4; 107.29]
I must point out that they said, “What manner of man is this” in Mark and Luke. Good question. What manner of man is this?
When you read the Gospels, when you think of Jesus, when you pray— Do you come away with a sense of wonder and awe? Do you come to Him knowing that you are spiritually before the very throne of God Almighty? Do you feel like you could just joke a little or do you feel undone and filleted like a fish? Does His presence make you feel bare and open. Or not.
He demonstrated His unlimited power over the natural world and simply spoke to end it all… just as He created it.
We must stand, or more like fall on our faces before the One and Only! We are weak and easily distracted. He is AWESOME. We are situational, He is SOVEREIGN.
Did you notice the reaction of those guys? Mark 4.41— “And they feared exceedingly…” Luke 8.25— “And they being afraid wondered…” The only thing more terrifying than having a hurricane outside of your boat is having the God of the universe in your boat! That kind of fear is an ‘awe-struck’ and ‘surprised by glory’ kind of a fear. It is that chill you get when someone has scared you as you walked around a dark corner.
I love it! It’s just Jesus being Jesus. It’s just Jesus doing His thing. Does He still amaze you?
This is something that should shake you to your core and take you to the mat! If it doesn’t, then I have to ask… “Where is your faith?”