A man boarded a flight during a thunderstorm. As the plane ascended, turbulence rocked the cabin. Passengers gripped their armrests. Some gasp. Some pray. But one small child sits calmly, drawing pictures and smiling.
A flight attendant walks by and says, “Sweetheart, aren’t you scared?”
The child smiles and says, “No. My dad’s the pilot.”
When the storms hit our lives, it makes all the difference who’s in control. The winds can sometimes shake us, but they never shake Jesus. (Source: Unknown)
You and I need to respond to every storm in life that we face with faith in Jesus’ presence, power, and peace…and not with fear.
Context: The disciples have seen the Lord heal the leper, heal the centurion’s servant from a distance, heal Peter’s mother-in-law, confront the covetous disciple, and confront the procrastinating disciple. The disciples have been witnesses to the presence, power, and peace of Jesus! Jesus is now in need of rest. It is at this point in the biblical narrative that Jesus and His disciples get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. This gets them away from the recent press of the crowds and Jesus takes a nap. However, during the Lord’s nap, a massive storm descends on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus continues His well deserved nap.
Presence, Power, & Peace (8:23-27)
The next five verses in Mathew 8 (vv. 23-27) are overwhelmingly dramatic and traumatic. The disciples and Jesus get in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is clearly exhausted, because he is found sleeping through the craziest storm of the year! It is more helpful if we slow down for a moment to understand some of the background to this passage of scripture. Check out these 4 observations:
Jewish Worldview. Jewish culture would view the sea with mystery and danger. They saw the sea as full of unknowns and representing uncontrollable forces. In many ways, they were threatened by the sea. So, when Jesus calms the sea, He reveals His divine authority over total mayhem! Such authority over chaos is only attributed to God (Ps. 89:9, “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.”)
Divine Identity. Look at Matt. 8:26-27, “…but the men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this?!” Did you note the disciples’ shock at this event? Jesus was able to command nature into submission with only three words! While Matthew and Luke only record that Jesus rebuked the winds and waves, Mark 4:39 tells us that Jesus called out “Peace! Be Still!” This no doubt challenged the disciples’ expectations of the Messiah. He had power over nature!
Faith Challenged. This is a scene that everyone of us can relate to! Fear, desperation, and questioning God’s interest in their needs are all present in the disciples. Jesus challenges the others in the boat with, “Why are you afraid?” This simple question challenges their personal faith and the depth of their understanding of who He is. Think about it for a second. The Bible says the ship was covered by the waves (8:24), the men are drenched, and the wind is strong. With that convicting question from Jesus, at that very traumatic moment in time, one conclusion is written in bold ink:
Genuine faith continues on in chaos.
Costly Commitment. The Lord had just explained the sacrifice connected to following Him in Matt. 8:19-22 to two different men for all to hear. He was calling them to leave everything behind! Then this storm is the very next life experience they all have! This life-threatening storm that the disciples experienced clearly illustrates that following Jesus does not guarantee safety and comfort. The gold nugget of truth here is that the disciple must trust Jesus even when life seems to fall into complete mayhem!
Sometimes it is tempting to view scripture from a distance and consider yourself from an outsider view, like the onlooking crowds earlier in the chapter. The jarring truth is, if you have accepted the invitation to have a relationship with Jesus Christ through His saving grace, then you are one of the disciples in this story! You are the one in the boat with Jesus! You are the one serving 1,000’s of people food from a little boy’s lunch! Please get this…you are not the crowds being served, but you are among those serving others. As the disciples, the followers of Jesus, we need to ask 4 things from the perspective of one in the thick of serving others (ministry):
1. Am I afraid?
Are you living in a position of fear or are you calling on Jesus in faith?
2. Am I trusting His authority?
Are you amazed at the Lord’s authority over creation or are you doubting it?
3. Am I living in a state of anxiety?
Are you living life as an anxious person or do you experience true peace?
4. Am I seeing Jesus as He is?
What do your reactions to the storms of life reveal about your view of Jesus?
Imagine a traveler crossing a deep canyon on a narrow rope bridge. The wind howls, the ropes creak, and the drop below is dizzying. Halfway across, fear overtakes him…he freezes, panics, and considers turning back. But then he hears a voice from the far side: “Keep coming! The bridge may sway, but it's been tested. It held me, and it will hold you.”
He takes a shaky step forward. Then another. The bridge doesn’t get more stable, but his confidence grows—not because the wind stops, but because he chooses to trust the one who has already crossed.
In the storms of life, Jesus never promises the wind will stop right away. But He has already gone before us. He’s in the boat. He’s on the bridge. And He’s calling us forward. Place your faith in the presence, power, and peace of Jesus!