To Be Fishers of Men, You Must Grow In Faith

Matthew 8:23-27

A dark and stormy night, but I lay still in bed. I could hear the wind howl, slamming into the window. My fear increased in hearing the noise of the giant trees surrounding us. My imagination created vivid scenarios of a tree limb or a whole tree snapping, falling onto the house. But there was nothing I could do. If I went outside, I could not stop a tree from falling; I could not catch it. My only recourse was to pray, trusting Jesus to protect my house and family.

Our passage in Matthew 8:23-27 has a dark and stormy night. But instead of being in a home, the disciples are in a boat. They are terrified but in their fear, they turn to Jesus. The amazing part of this story isn’t the calming of the storm, though that is an event I would love to experience.

Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, the author helps us see the greatness of Jesus. He is the King. He has such authority, that at His word, He can calm a storm (8:23-27), cast out demons (8:28-34), forgive sin and heal a paralytic (9:1-8). If the winds and the waves obey His voice, how much more should I?

#1.  The Storm Hits (v. 23-24a)

Jesus gets into a boat, and so the disciples follow Him. They are doing what they should do. Even if following Jesus will lead them right into a storm.

This boat is not a huge boat, certainly not line today’s ocean liner. It’s set up like a row boat, but with a place in the middle for a mast and a sail. The Sea of Galilee is not a huge sea; more like a lake. But because of the cliffs at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, storms can come without warning. Which is what happened in Matthew 8. It’s so great a storm that it is described as a great shaking. The boat is shaking from the storm, the boat is filling up with water, and the waves were reaching higher than the boat.

#2. The Response of Jesus and His Disciples (v. 24b-25)

But Matthew turns our attention first to Jesus. As scary and fearful as this storm is, we see Jesus doing something unexpected: He is sound asleep! How can this be? For one, even though Jesus is the Son of God, He is fully human. And He is tired. He is exhausted from the long day.

But the disciples are wide awake in fear. Even the veteran fisherman of the Sea of Galilee: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They’ve done all they can, and they are realizing that this storm could easily kill them. But they do one thing right: they turn in desperation to Jesus. Save us! Imagine the urgency and desperation int heir voices. “Save us for we are dying!”

#3.  Jesus Speaks to the Disciples and the Storm (v. 26)

I am astonished at what Jesus does when He first wakes up. We would see the storm as the first priority. But no. The first thing Jesus does is to speak to His disciples, “Why are you afraid?” and He describes them as being of little faith. Whie it was good that they turned to Jesus in their fear, what Jesus is most concerned about is that they grow in faith. Even a great storm is no match for the greatness of Jesus.

So, Jesus speaks directly to the winds and the sea. I like to imagine that He spoke with a calm, soft voice, “Peace, be still!” (see Mark 4:39). And just like that, in an instant, the storm is gone and the sea is perfectly calm. How amazing! From these very high waves of the sea to a flat sea. The howl of the wind goes eerily silent.

Jesus was never concerned about this storm. His concern was to teach His disciples to have faith in Him, even when their lives were threatened.

#3.  The Amazement of the Disciples (v. 27)

The disciples are amazed; they marvel. Their mouths drop in astonishment. They try to wrap their minds around what they just experienced. They thought they knew Jesus, but they can only ask themselves a question, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and seas obey Him?”

Even though they had been with Jesus and heard His teaching and seen His miracles, none of the disciples expected this. They didn’t quite believe in the power and authority of Jesus; that He is the Son of God with power over creation.

Conclusion

How do you respond to difficult situations? When panic and anxiety seem to cover your soul like the waves covered the boat?

Do you believe that Jesus is powerful enough to rescue you from any difficulty?

In His death on the cross and resurrection, Jesus took on your greatest problem: your sin before the Holy God who created you. When you believe in Jesus, He gives you both the forgiveness of sins and the eternal life of God. Have you turned to Jesus Christ to be rescued from your sin? Have you trusted in Him as your Lord and Savior?

While Jesus can rescue from any storm you face, it doesn’t mean He will make it all instantly calm and perfect. You have a choice to make in those storms. Will you turn to Him? Will you trust in Jesus?

Put your faith in Jesus and watch Him work. Stand amazed that even the winds and seas obey Him. Trust Jesus at all times as you follow Him!