As water filled the hull, Jesus was asleep. But building faith is a process, and so we have to be patient and continue to develop it. He shows them and us the reason for overwhelming fear as being the deficiency in our faith. It will indicate that Jesus did the miracle not only to authenticate His claims, but also to build their faith. This is one reason why He chose to designate Himself as the Son of Man, a Messianic title from Daniel 7:13-14 to be sure, but also a way of describing Himself as the authentic man, invested with power, humble, obedient, and finally exalted. Jesus Words. Of the way in which He may be expected to bring them through their trials at last.Viz. multitudes followed him. The first one is that Matthew says that the disciples cried out to Jesus Lord, save us. you see the King amid the storms of nature. Great multitudes often count for nothing; it is here or ther Matthew 8:1. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 24. _Behold, there came a leper and worshipped him._ After Christ and his disciples no sooner put forth to sea, but dangers attend and difficulties do accompany them: a tempest arose, and the ship was covered with waves. WIFE'S MOTHER AND MANY OTHERS. What is being saved? Maclaren, D.D. The Winds and the Waves Obey His Will (Matthew 8:23-27) Storms terrify many people. Are you not worth much more than they? The boat which He had possibly spoken of previously (Matthew 8:18). 16:21-23; based on Daniel 7:13-14). reading the Bible Somewhere away from those navigating the vessel (note the word came in Matthew 8:25)somewhere, St. Mark says, as would be natural in such a storm (see above), in the hinder part of the vessel, with His head on a pillowHe was buried in sleep To us this is an affecting evidence of the true humanity of the Master, and of the serious effects of His many labours at times upon it. The story of casting out demons in the land of the Gadarenes, as told in Luke, is the lectionarys gospel reading for the same Sunday in year C. In other words, the lectionary picks out one of three versions of the story in each case. Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: This story is found in Mark (Mark 4:35-41) and Luke (Luke 8:22-25), but were reading it in Matthews gospel. faith to go to Decapolis by boat across the Sea of Galilee. I stay with these words, pleading for Jesus' help. (1.) By taking care of the troubling circumstances of life Jesus was able to take away their fears and build their faith in Him. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! Jesus is the savior people need. Matthew 8:24. So its remarkable that Jesus is sleeping. It is the basic cry to the Lord for help by a needy people. The third is the disciples amazement and their words about Jesus. In between their request and their amazement is Jesus rebuke of their weak faith. The writer to the Hebrews quotes from that 8th psalm, and then says, Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor . But there are a couple of apparent difficulties that you would have to deal with in studying this passage. [< Gk. We will always struggle with fears in this life, because the world is not a safe place. reading Matthew showed Jesus authority by what he taught in Chapter s 5-7. Of the way in which sometimes He brings them into trial.Himself (perhaps) bidding them do that which is contrary to their judgments; Himself allowing their fears and scruples to appear justified for a time; Himself leaving them to do battle with the forces against them, almost in despair. of His righteousness; the sublimest code of morals ever proclaimed on A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. His presence exempteth not His disciples from trouble and danger.3. Were going to drown! This is a miracle by Christ, demonstrating His power over the storm. Note, They, and they only, will be found the true disciples of Christ, that are willing to go to sea with him, to follow him into dangers and difficulties. Judaism Note, Christ is a Nonesuch; every thing in him is admirable: none so wise, so mighty, so amiable, as he. Christ could have prevented this storm, and have ordered them a pleasant passage, but that would not have been so much for his glory and the confirmation of their faith as their deliverance was: this storm was for their sakes, as Joh 11:4. 23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. But as is often the case in the gospels, words like this are retained in the Christian community with added meaning. As Matthew is proving with his gospel, this man was God, the One who created the wind and the waves and all things. But Jesus was sleeping. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the What is it being saved from? 4:38. When next the waters seem about to close over me, can I remember to cry out to the Lord, in the certainty that my cry will be heard? Here was a man having dominion over the earth and the sea. (Delivered Sunday, August 28, 2005 at And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. Matthew 8:23-27. Am I of little or of great faith? Jesuss tranquility in the boat is, perhaps, a demonstration of what it means not to worry or be anxious about how things are going to turn out. Now. are often in perils there, to reflect that they have a Saviour to Of course, some of the more liberal writers would say it was simply a coincidence that the sudden storm would also have a quick ending, and Jesus, knowing that, rebuked it at the right moment. personal hermneutik (techn) interpretive (art) < hermneuts interpreter], Abraham Joshua Heschel The Sabbath God A sudden and Here you see the King amid the storms of nature. A BOAT. But a rearrangement of the order of the stories by Matthew for rhetorical or theological purposes is not a problem. This short sentence is overcharged with pronouns (Note the words gave commandment in Matthew 8:18.) As they cross the sea, a great storm arises and threatens to sink their boat and drown them all. The disciples wonder at what kind of a man this was could ultimately be answered only by an understanding of the incarnation, God with us. One day in teaching class I was instructing students about the form of their homework assignment. His dislike of their fears: Why are ye fearful? 27 The men were amazed and asked, What kind of man is this? The men were amazed, and said, What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?. Q. The poor disciples, though used to the sea, were in a great fright, and in their fear came to their Master, Mt 8:25. We have already noted how the speeches give us the meaning of the flow of the story. You are part of a global community. How exactly calculated to begin quieting the storm of feeling within them! of him. See. There arose a very great storm, Mt 8:24. Moses commanded the waters with a rod; Joshua, with the ark of the covenant; Elisha, with the prophets mantle; but Christ with a word. followed him. It can do no harm, and, for the present, may blow as it listeth, while He gives the trembling disciples a lesson. Q. In our story Jesus must have gotten into the boat in the region of Capernaum, on the north west shore, because He got out of the boat on the other side near Kursi (on the eastern shore about half way down the coast). Does He care for us at all? The magna charta of Christ's Kingdom: the unfolding A storm arose while the disciples were following their Master. What assurance as well! Is Divorce And Remarriage After Abuse, Neglect, Financial, Or Emotional Issues Okay. When His disciples came to Jesus fearful of the stormy sea, He asks them Why are you afraid? Is it beyond Him to help us? Hence, the question, Why are you afraid? It is a rhetorical question not meant to be answered, but meant to tell them that since He was there they had nothing to fear. And so their question is What kind of man is this? It too is a rhetorical question, not designed to be answered, but to express the idea that there is no one like this. comparison of these it would seem to follow that the miracle was not But Jesus demonstrates that he has access to that same power, which hints at his divinity. It was the sleep of physical exhaustion after a hard days work. I. They are not contradictory statements; they are not discrepancies. III. (2.) Bible study Jesus was sleepin _aor. Upon this account, Christ is to be admired, that he has a commanding power even over winds and seas. While it may seem obvious in this instance that His disciples were not asking Jesus to save their spirit from Hell to Heaven, whenever we encounter sozo or a similar salvation passages, it is important to always use the context to answer these three questions to make sure we are interpreting it correctly. Mount Hermon to the north is over 9,000 feet high, and the Dead Sea is about 1250 feet below sea level. church Here it simply reports that they went with Him in the boat. 24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. grace (2.) 65:5-7; 89:9; 107:23-32. St Mark, as usual, adds some interesting details: "it was Mark 4:35; Luke 8:22. Now Jesus is revealed in His power. From this instance we see, that great faith in the habit may appear little in act and exercise. But it was their fear that betrayed the weakness of their faith. She arose from the bed and began to In Matthews gospel, the story comes near the beginning of Jesuss ministry: after calling some not all of the disciples, and then after the Sermon on the Mount, and then after some dramatic healings of a man with leprosy, of a centurions servant, and of Peters mother-in-law. THE CENTURION'S SERVANT HEALED. Observe, 3. Whether He seem to sleep or to be awake, He is Lord of heaven and earth, Ruler and Commander of wind, sea, and land, whom all the creatures must obey.10. Matthew 8:23-27 MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH. Matthew 8:23 Dormant power.In the first verses of this passage the resolution of Matthew 8:18 is executed in part. The storm is contrasted with the calm after the miracle. Matthew Chapter 8. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. The disciples marvel at the authority of Jesus even the elements obey Him! Not the waves only but the lingering swell by which such waves were usually followed. He never sets (1.) 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. But that does not make much sense, for these seasoned sailors thought they were going to drown right up to the moment that Jesus calmed the storm. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. By faith we might see through the storm to the quiet shore, and encourage ourselves with hope that we shall weather our point. beat into the ship He _a ship_ Rather, THE ship or fishing-boat, i. e. the boat which Jesus 1. When Jesus calmed the storm, then, He was demonstrating that He has the power of heaven at His command. Though we do not know how many, at least some disciples followed Him. Matthew 8:23-27. GADARENE DEMONIACS We can all become discouraged by our doubts and by our difficulty in believing in Jesus, in his message, in his power. And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! To control them was to show sovereignty over the chaos that was in the universe. Christ rebukes his disciples fears; Why are ye fearful? act. Christ, by commanding the seas, showed himself to be the same that made the world, when, at his rebuke, the waters fled (Ps 104:7-8), as now, at his rebuke, they fell. (LogOut/ As our evangelist is giving a collection of heali might be called a dative absolute; if taken Christ winnows men. Do Those Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell? Who is this man, the disciples asked each other. texts that aren't in the lectionary And sometimes they can summarize a saying by putting it into a question when it was an assertion, or by making it negative when it was positive--they are trying to capture what was said, but capture it in a way their individual audiences would best understand it. Sunday school All this is a symbol of our individual lives, as well as of the history of the church.A. 2. On the one hand, as natural to men who did not know how many moments they had to live, it was exceedingly brief and abrupt. 23. The disciples, several of whom were experienced fishermen, were unable to bring the boat safely to shore and became fearful for their lives. Many that have true faith are weak in it, and it does but little. he had given, What is there really to fear? 2. (2.) Chapter s 8-9. This text Matthew 8:23-27 is not in the lectionary, but that doesnt mean this story is one of those things you wouldnt know about the Bible if all you knew were the lectionary. The story as told in Mark is the lectionarys gospel reading for the fourth Sunday after Pentecost year B (that is, in a couple of weeks). We never read of Christs sleeping but at this time; he was in watchings often, and continued all night in prayer to God: this was a sleep, not of security, like Jonahs in a storm, but of holy serenity, and dependence upon his Father: he slept to show that he was really and truly man, and subject to the sinless infirmities of our nature: his work made him weary and sleepy, and he had no guilt, no fear within, to disturb his repose. And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. This tells us about the cosmic scope of Jesuss authority. been pleased to employ in giving us the apostle Matthew's accou _CHRIST IN THE SHIP_ Matthew 8:23-27 Resume Prayer Some thoughts on today's scripture Many of us have often found ourselves swamped by huge waves of apathy, terror, doubt, despair, addiction, and If we assume every sozo means being saved from hell to heaven, we are liable to misread the Bible. Does being in the boat with a sleeping Jesus resonate in any way with situations in my own life? What does this mean for us? _HILDA BRIGHT_ His disciples followed him; the twelve kept close to him, when others staid behind upon the terra firma, where there was sure footing. Mk. 1.) him. It is not large, but you could get twelve or so men into the boat fairly easily, but not a whole lot more. Ver. Because people are perishing in spiritual chaos. Jesus Christ was asleep in this storm. The disciples found out bit by bit what kind of man this is'. JESUS STILLS A TEMPEST II. And, behold, there came a leper and Matthew's Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and of the King. Jesus has shown himself to be the Messiah All this kind of material you can gather from a good dictionary. CHARACTERS: Jesus, leper, centurion Matthew 8:2. These are times when Jesus seemed asleep. Then, after standing up, He reprimanded the winds and the lake, and they became incredibly calm. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was CHAPTER 8 They seem to have needed constant experiences for their faith. Here Do we think they huddled, decided on a precise wording to use in their approach to waking Jesus, and then in unison or by representative said their one sentence? The trip across the lake, or sea as it is referred to in our text, is followed by casting out demons in the region of the Gerasenes / Gadarenes, in each of the synoptic gospels. The boat that Jesus used to cross the sea was probably around this size. This indicates the severity of this storm. through his teaching (chs. Very effectual were its first consequences. It is a comfort to those who go down to the sea in ships, and are often in perils there, to reflect that they have a Saviour to trust in, and pray to, who knows what it is to be at sea, and to be in storms there. What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? (Matthew 8:27). Jesus On the way He quiets a terrible storm. The other changes are small variations of the wording. St. Marks language (Mark 4:38) puts this very bluntly indeed. So Matthew uses their words to drive home his point that Jesus is truly unique, for He is sovereign over nature. In different Matthew 8:23-27 Theme: This passage teaches seven principles about trusting our sovereign Lord while we're in the midst of the storms of life. but dangers attend and difficulties do accompany them:. I ask God for the grace to face death peacefully, whether it be close at hand or far in the future. situations they would get to know Jesus; by hearing him and watching him with But Matthew used a word that means of little faith while Mark says do you still have no faith? Mark did not mean to imply that the disciples had no faith at all--he has already described their following Jesus. 2. Just from a simple reading of the few verses we would rightly conclude that the account demonstrates Jesus authority over the elements of nature, and, the disciples weak faith for being afraid. examples of its benefits. Let these be hushed, there would be terror no more. So it is always in His life, where, side by side with the signs of humiliation and participation in mans weakness, we ever have tokens of His Divinity breaking through the veil. But remember, in reporting the event the gospel writers are not working from a dictated record; rather, they are all telling what happened and what was said in their own words._ftn22 And while the precise wording is different in each gospel, none of them are incorrect. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, Lord, save us! Choose the size of the text for your daily prayer. He rebuked the disciples (Mt 8:26); Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? out the important; overwhelmed by feelings of panic, I can say and do things As we will see, the men in the boat didnt fully catch on to who Jesus was until after He rose from the dead. Lord of wind and sea, the one in whom all was created is the one who creates THE KING MANIFESTED BY SIGNS OF DIVINE POWER. This is the background we need as we turn to Matthew 8:23-27. Surely they could have seen a sudden calm too if that had been the case. 2.) mountain gorges, are notor Matthew 8:1. And he said to them, Why are you afraid, you of little faith? I acknowledge my weak faith, my fear that Jesus is asleep while the gale threatens to overwhelm me. commonly used for fishing on the lake. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits, with his From a will experience their sorrows, and show His heart of compas 23-27 It is a comfort to those who go down to the sea in ships, and Behold the What a wondrous application of His power (6) And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. He that can do this, can do anything, can do enough to encourage our confidence and comfort in him, in the most stormy day, within or without, Isa 26:4. hermeneutics Dr Ross joined the faculty of Beeson Divinity School in 2002 as Beeson Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew. 27. Nothing is impossible for Him. But gradually as we learn more and more in the faith, as the disciples did over several years, we will become bolder and more confident in the Lord (look at the confidence of the disciples in Acts 2-4). The best authorities omit the definite article. The disciples fear and panic is contrasted with Jesus sleeping on the boat. Yet Ryries Notes Say Otherwise. It was. The issue of would be followers having been settled Jesus now prepares He was exhausted from His ministry with the crowds, and so in the boat He was asleep during the storm. Luke both place the incident after the series of parables which St. abs._ (EGT) . II. Home COMMENTARY Lesson from Matthew 8:23-27? Help, Lord, we perish (see R.V.). The Winds and the Waves Obey His Will (Matthew 8:23-27) Storms terrify many people. And it would have been powered by a sail. When you pray you are not alone. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, Save us, Lord; we are perishing! 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.