Hello! It’s good to be with you! Let’s look at today’s scripture reading!
Matthew 8 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
So Jesus was caught sleeping on the job – at least from the disciples’ perspective. We can all probably share the feeling to some extent. Those times can be tough on faith – when our world seems to be coming apart at the seams and God seems, well, asleep – inattentive – distant – unconcerned.
This is one of the four times in the gospel of Matthew that Jesus refers to His disciples having “little faith”. Here Jesus identifies fear as the “faith shrinker”! Fear is consuming them for apparently justifiable reasons, a life threatening storm, but Jesus asks “Why?”
He has a way of challenging our “assumptions”, our “givens” about life! We all would agree that the disciples had a “right” to be afraid. Jesus disagrees! He says there is another option. Fear may be natural, normal, the given, but according to Jesus not the only option with Him in the picture. Jesus, just because He is Who He is brings a new way for our hearts to live life – a life of faith with less fear, much less! He goes on to show the disciples that His Presence changes everything by calming the storm.
I think that Jesus is really challenging my assumption (I’m probably not the only one-it’s a human thing!) that fear is a given in this life. Jesus is challenging me to believe that His Presence in my life and world, although not in my control, brings great security and deals a death knell to debilitating fear! I believe this “life of real faith” is how He is training His disciples to live- how He is training me to live!
Fear is not the “given” – even when the storm is raging and God is sleeping! His Presence changes everything!
So is Jesus saying to me that because He “is” – because He simply “is” I get to live a much less fear-full life? Perhaps a fear-less life?
Awesome!
delton
Please share your thoughts – would love to hear!