23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
Matthew 8:23-27
Few things cause us to fear like power outside of our control.
A tornado heading our direction.
A government leader making significant changes that directly impact us.
The driver speeding up behind us.
Our children (even our adult children) making decisions that we disagree with.
The only thing that can give us comfort of power outside our control is something even more powerful outside of us or inside of us.
And so it seems like Jesus answers his question in his words to us today. See the sequence.
Question- “Why are you afraid?”
Answer- “You have so little faith!”
Fear is a great servant, but a terrible master.
Fear serves us by indicating danger: that’s a snake- run.
Fear serves us by revealing what we treasure: “I was so afraid when I couldn’t find you.”
But when we make fear-based decisions (which is immensely easy to do), then we listening to the SHOUTING OF FEAR over the whisper of God.
What Jesus is inviting those disciples in the boat to do is to choose to trust Him over reacting to the power outside of our control that hits the chord of fear.
Of course, the amazing thing about Jesus is that Jesus is the greatest power outside of our control. The Mark version (Mark 4) of this story hits a little differently,
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
He asks them about their fear AFTER he calms the storm. Because the disciples were afraid during the storm of drowning and after the storm of Jesus. The greatest power outside of our control is not the weather, but Jesus.
When the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord, then it is an awe-inducing and humbling thing that should serve to remind us of the power that God has, but we also need to remember the goodness that God has. We fear what God’s capacity, but we have faith in God’s character.
This is part of why Jesus came to reveal God’s character that when we are in danger, he is working for our good. When we cry out to him, he answers us. When we die, there is resurrection.
Love,
Aaron
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