Matthew 8:26 NASB
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.
Study
In the former miracles love and mercy are prominent; in this one, power is.
Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Luke puts the question more strongly: “Where is your faith?” as though it had all drifted away under the pressure of their fears.
Yet the word “of little faith” was singularly appropriate.
They had not altogether lost their trust in Him, but they had not learnt the lesson of the centurion’s faith, and were only at ease when they heard His voice, and saw that He was watching over them.
Rebuked the winds and the sea.
This seems to have been almost, so to say, our Lord’s formula in working miracles.
The fever (Luke 4:39), the frenzy of the demoniac (Mark 9:25), the tempest, are all treated as if they were hostile and rebel forces that needed to be restrained.
Mark, with his usual vividness, gives the very words of the rebuke: “Peace, be still” literally, be dumb, be muzzled, as though the howling wind was a maniac to be gagged and bound.
There was a great calm.
As with the fever in Matthew 8:15, so here, the work was at once instantaneous and complete.
There was no after-swell such as is commonly seen for hours after a storm.
Illustration
Some years ago, an officer in the army, who was a pious man, was drafted abroad with his regiment.
He accordingly embarked, with his wife and children.
They had not been many days at sea when a violent storm arose, which threatened the destruction of the ship, and the loss of all their lives.
Consternation and terror prevailed among the crew and passengers; his wife also was greatly alarmed.
In the midst of all, he was perfectly calm and composed: his wife, observing this, began to upbraid him with want of affection to her and her children, urging, that if he was not concerned for his own safety, he ought to be for theirs.
He made no reply, but immediately left the cabin, to which he returned in a short time with his drawn sword in his hand, and with a stern countenance pointed it to her breast; but she, smiling, did not appear at all disconcerted or afraid.
“What!” said he, “are you not afraid when a drawn sword is at your breast?”
“No,” answered she, “not when I know that it is in the hand of one who loves me.”
“And would you have me,” replied he, “to be afraid of this storm and tempest, when I know it is in the hand of my heavenly Father, who loves me?”
Anecdote
One of the greatest of the old Romans was once overtaken by a storm at sea, and when the captain of the ship was full of terror, the conqueror said, “Why do you fear for the ship? Do you not know that it carries Caesar? “
Let us, as Christians, remember that the ship of this life in which we must cross the waves of this troublesome world, is the ship of the Church, and that it carries Jesus.
Do you have Jesus aboard?
Devotional
The disciples followed the Savior into the ship.
As has often happened on the Sea of Galilee, a violent storm suddenly arose. The high waves pounded the boat and smashed over it.
The peacefully sleeping Savior is awakened by the disciples.
To the fearing disciples the Savior saith, “Why are ye fearful, ye of little faith?”
Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was great silence.
What a terrible storms can there be on the sea of life.
What a high waves can crash against the life of God’s children.
Waves of setbacks.
Waves of hatred and enmity.
Satan can attack the soul like a terrible storm, and whisper to it:
▪︎ If you really had mercy, the Almighty would calm the storms.
▪︎ You have flattered yourself with a vain hope.
The Almighty, however, stands above the storms and the waves on the sea of life.
He stands above the storms in the heart of His child.
May our expectation always be from Him.
Who with a single word manages to calm the storm.
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