MATTHEW 8: 23-27 [THE MESSIAH REVEALED SERIES]
STILLING THE STORM
[Psalm 89: 1-9]
The story of the “Stilling of the Storm” begins the second set of three miracle stories (8:23–27, 28–34; 9:1–6). Matthew has completed his transition from three miracles of healing [demonstrating Jesus’ authority over sin, disease, and demons,] to three miracles of power; first over nature, then over evil spirits and last over sin and its consequences. This second group of miracles in chapters 8 and 9 reveals Christ as the Prince of Peace in three areas: the natural world, the supernatural world and the moral world. He stills the tempest, casts out demons and forgives sin, thus quieting nature, spirit and conscience.
All three synoptic Gospels (Mk 4:35-41; Lk. 8:22-25) record this Stilling the Storm. Jesus had just rebuked the impetuous scribe and the half-hearted disciple, now He rebukes the storms of nature and His fearful crew.
The disciples here become more aware of the awesome power and authority of their Lord. Evidently even when they awaken Him they did not expect to see Jesus’ unparalleled display of power over nature. He exercises such authority over nature in the midst of fear and uncertainty (CIT).
I. Setting Sail, 23.
II. Sudden Storm, 24-25.
III. Sovereign Stilling, 26-27.
After deciding who was ready and willing to follow Jesus to the other side, Jesus closest disciples follow Him into the boat in verse 23. “When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.”
Having filtered out the curious and uncommitted from among His disciples by clarifying the price they would pay, Jesus got into the fishing boat made ready according to His previous instructions (8:18). Jesus’ leadership is seen in Him getting in the boat first and His disciples commitment is seen in their willingness to follow Jesus no matter the cost. His disciples were not merely the twelve. Mark mentions (4:36) that other boats followed along also.
They followed Jesus not knowing what to expect except the opportunity to hear His Word, witness His work, and enjoy His companionship. They did not know what the future held, but were going to learn who holds the future.
II. A SUDDEN STORM, 24-25.
Crossing to the other side with Jesus was not going to be easy sailing as we learn in verse 24. “And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.”
The Sea of Galilee is an unusual body of water. The pear-shaped lake is small - eight miles wide and 13 miles from North to South but it is 150 feet deep and is 680 feet below sea level. Water gushing down from the mountain plateau including 9,200 ft. Mt. Herman, cut deep ravines. These ravines act like great funnels drawing violent wind down from the heights onto the lake without warning. Behold, indicates the suddenness of this storm.
All day long there had not been a breath of air. The sultry heat was like that of a furnace steaming the air up. A cool breeze then toward evening is pulled off the mountains into the vacuum created by the super heated air vacating the surface. Faster and faster the displacement takes place until it becomes a gale shooting down the ravines and rushing across the lake. The whipping turbulence catches up the water and waves begin to mount up. White- headed waves crash against the small boat then the wild whistling blast forms billows that as our text says covered the boat with waves. Suddenly storms could stir the water into violent 20 foot waves.
[Waves, which in recent times have been recorded at higher than twenty-five feet. As you surfers know, waves are measured from the back, so we’re talking about a face of perhaps forty feet.]
The intensity of the wind stirred the sea until the whole boat shook as if experiencing an earthquake. The Greek word used here translated great storm is seismus megas where our English words seismograph, a machine for measuring earthquakes, and seismology, the study of earthquakes, are derived.
It was a great seaquake. The severity of the storm is seen even in veteran seamen such as Peter, Andrew, James, and John who demonstrated by their frantic bailing out of water a fear as if they were about to die (8:25). One can only imagine the terror these men experienced as the boat was tossed on and trashed by the waves, taking on volumes of water and began to sink (Mk 4:37, Lk. 8:23).
[As the boat is covered (imperfect tense) with the waves] even the professional seamen panicked, yet our Lord lay undisturbed in sleep on a cushion at the rear of the boat (Mk. 4:38). How can He rest [“kept on sleeping” (imperfect)] while the fishing craft is pitching and rocking like a toy and tossed like a stick by a raging nature? His calm slumber is contrasted with the rage of the storm and the alarm of crew. These verses speak volumes as to the humanity and divinity of Jesus.
He was exhausted having ministered to the very edge of His human strength, so characteristic of His life of complete service. His constant ministering from compassion and power drained His body, mind, emotions, and spirit and He was tired, apparently fatigued. His deep slumber was also a sign of a calm conscience, a pure heart, and total confidence in His Father. He slept through the storm like a baby being rocked by nature’s tempest.
In verse 25 the disciples, fearful of imminent death, awakened Jesus. “And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”
The disciples frantically went to Him and pled for deliverance from imminent death by drowning (14:30). [ Again, the force of this storm must have been significantly strong since it terrified even the four disciples who were commercial fishermen, used to the weather on the Sea of Galilee (4:18–22).] Matthew records that they awakened Him with the words “Save [aorist] us at once Lord, we are perishing” [present tense]. They were genuinely terrified and desperate. The broken abruptness of their appeal reveals the urgency of the case and two observations should be stated. First they were panicked because they feared impending death. This suggests a lack of understanding of their mission in life and God’s ability to protect them till they accomplished that mission. Second they realized in some way that Jesus has power to help. Save us are words of faith and we are perishing - words of fear, a strange combination. Yet it is often because of fear that we are driven to seek the One who can help.
They knew who to go to, yet they had no real faith in what He could do in such a desperate situation, at least He could help them pitch water. They put little trust in Jesus’ presence not realizing that God in His providence would not let Jesus perish before His time. Though they may not have sufficient faith that Jesus could do anything against this storm, they were aware of their helplessness and may have at least been learning to depend on Him - a key ingredient of faith.
You too may look at life’s storms and are not sure He will or can do anything. Learn a lesson from these disciples who were willing to go to the other side with Jesus. Trust Him, go to Him, admit the situation is out of your control, and ask for His saving help. He controls both the storms of nature and the storms of a troubled heart. Jesus’ has power not only to calm this storm but also the power to calm whatever problems, no matter how out of control, we face. Jesus is willing to help, if only we ask Him. We should never discount His power no matter the severity of the trial.
III. SOVEREIGN STILLING, 26-27.
In verse 26 we find that Jesus rebukes his fearful disciples before He rebukes the storm. “He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.”
Jesus took two actions when awakened. Instead of immediately responding to their plea for deliverance from the storm, as would be expected, Jesus first [tote - temporal adverb of time] rebuked the disciples, then He rebuked the sea. The disciples’ fears were stimulated by circumstances beyond their control. Doubtlessly the circumstance was some excuse, for fear pushes out reason, but their faith had to be strengthened by this lesson so He rebuked them for their lack of faith.
The disciples had a little faith meaning they had confidence in Him until they experienced things that according to their knowledge of the sea would surely bring death. Faith contends with problems beyond our control by engaging God’s power. They judged Jesus on the basis of their immediate circumstances and needs rather than upon the power and authority already seen in Him. They failed to realize that Jesus’ power was greater than this newly encountered threat and danger. Their faith was also little with regard to His love and care for them. They judged His concern based on the comfort and apparent safety of their circumstances. The less safe and comfortable their immediate circumstances the weaker their faith. The most critical need of Jesus’ disciples is the strength and quality of their faith, which is directly proportionate to the depth and accuracy of their perception of Jesus, the object of their faith. [Also see Mark 6:30;14:31;16:8.]
So Jesus chides them, He called them cowards or fearful and challenges them to return to faith in Him and grow in it. He doesn’t fault their fear but that their fear covered their faith. The lamp of faith is smoking and the wick needs to be trimmed. The spark of faith is dim and He blows on it so that it might flame up. Christ’s harsh tones to us are always meant for good results. He wants our faith in Him to gain control over our panicked spirits. Christ now yields to His disciples cry from imperfect faith, for if He did not, what would become of any of us?
Then Jesus stood up in a boat being tossed around and flooded by the waves and rebuked, literally commanded, the winds and the sea. Mark records the words of command as “Hush be still,” literally be silent, be muzzled!” The personal nature of the verb rebuked suggests that He treats the violent forces of nature as demonic (Job 30:11).
The result of His command is that the wind and sea became perfectly calm. Matthew’s statement simply says “great calmness came.” The result was complete and immediate. Not even an after swell disturbed the placid water when the gale instantaneously dropped. There had been a great storm and now there was great calm. Normally after the wind diminishes the billows will continue to surge and subside but here a supernatural calm comes over a previously out of control nature. Jesus demonstrates His absolute authority over the natural world. He proved Himself to be the Lord over nature reminiscent of God’s actions in the O.T (Pss 65:7; 89:8–9; 107:23–32; Isa 51:9–10; Jonah 1:1–16).
When we are in fear we should pray to God, but our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His Name should have understanding and confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the reliable ones. Too often our trust is in God up to a certain point, then we go back to the panic prayers of those who do not know God. We get to our wits’ end, showing that we do not have confidence in Him and His governing His world. He seems to be asleep, and we see nothing but breakers ahead.
“O ye of little faith!” What a sting must have shot through the disciples - ‘Missed it again!’ And what a sting will go through us when we suddenly realize that we might have produced overflowing joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in Him, no matter what was ahead.
There are stages in life when there is no storm, no crisis, when we are at our human best. It is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to trust Him, the crisis will reveal that we will go to the breaking point but do not break from our confidence in Him.
The disciples amazement at the supernatural character of Jesus is recorded in verse 27. “The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Their shock at going from being in an intense storm to suddenly being in the midst of total calm is hard for us who have not experienced nature’s fury or God’s calm to imagine. The effect is understandable. The men marveled [ethaumasan; 9:33]. As they began to contemplate what they had witnessed and realize in whose presence they were, the fear of the One whose power and authority was greater than the raging storm came over them [Mark 4:36–41]. [The thought of amazement recalls 7:28 and anticipates 9:8, 33; 12:23, 21:20. Jesus’ authority over nature produced the same result with the disciples as his authoritative teaching had with the crowd.]
Their question, “What kind of man is this?” is powerful. More of the nature and power of Jesus had abruptly grasped their minds as they marvel at the supernatural nature of the One whose rebuke was sufficient to bring nature into perfect peace. He is unique among all human beings
Much on the earth can be corrected. Mothers dry tears, repairmen fix damages, surgeons remove diseased tissues, yet the weather - who can control it? This is no mere man. Though He was fatigued and slept in exhaustion He rises and calms the wind and the seas. Certainly they had witnessed the miracles God worked through Him but now, a fog had cleared from their minds and they more clearly saw that it was the person - far more than His miracles- Who was extraordinary. Those men of little faith, who accompanied Jesus, fearfully began to realize that Jesus is far greater than they had previously assumed.
As we of little faith follow Jesus and see Him respond to our fearful requests we too should marvel and realize that He is more than we ever imagined. Yes, Jesus took the raging storm and used it as an opportunity to demonstrate His power and challenged them to strengthen their little faith. So He desires to do with every storm in our life if we will but turn to Him and ask for His solution to the fearful storm of life we are experiencing.
In CLOSING
Disciples must be focused on the power of Jesus, not the power of life’s “storms,” which sometimes threaten to overcome us. It may seem that Jesus is “asleep,” unaware of our difficulties, but He is able to handle the difficulties easily, as His disciples maintain their faith in Him. We must realize that Jesus, the object of our faith, is able to get us to “the other side of the lake.” [Comfort, Philip Wesley: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 11. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005. S. 131.]
Some day we will be done with the voyage to the other side of life and be done with the frequent storms we encounter on the seas of time and will make our harbor in the haven of rest.
Yet while we are here we need to get a greater understanding of this Man that leads us to the other side. For just as certain as it occurred then for those who called Him Lord and asked Him to save them from the storm so will He calm the storms of life for us, either the external one or the internal one. Sometimes He calms the storms and sometimes He calms us.
Though you may think Him heedless to the storms in your life. He is using them to test your faith. If you will cry out to Him in faith, even if it is faith mixed with fear, your Lord will come with peace in His wings and calm the storm either inside or outside, or both.
