Matthew 8:23-27
Chapter 8
23
Calming a Storm
Jesus stepped into the boat, and his disciples followed him.24
Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, causing waves to crash over the boat. But Jesus was asleep.
25
The disciples woke him up and cried:
“LORD save us! We are lost!”
26
But Jesus answered:
“Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?”
Then he stood up, rebuked the wind and sea, and it became completely calm.
27
The disciples were amazed. They asked:
“What kind of man is he? Even the winds and the sea obey him.”
Commentaries
Calming a Storm.
The evangelist states that when Jesus got into the boat, “the disciples followed him” (23), meaning they began to share his fate. But without faith and trust, following him weakens in extreme situations where loyalty to the kingdom of God might even require risking one’s life. Jesus criticizes his disciples’ lack of faith at the very moment of trial, when “the waves were covering the boat” (24), and not after calm has been restored. The one who was sleeping during the storm rises and reveals himself as Lord of the sea.