Matthew 8:26

Saturday, 22 March 2025

 

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26

 

“And He says to them, ‘Why you are timorous, little-faithed?’ Then having arisen, He reprimanded the winds and the sea. And it was great calm” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, the disciples woke up Jesus and implored Him to save them. Now, His response to them is given, “And He says to them, ‘Why you are timorous, little-faithed?’”

 

Notice how Jesus addresses the disciples first. They are terrified for their lives, thinking that their doom is at hand. However, Jesus addresses them before taking action. It was a way of alerting them to the fact He was more concerned about their learning than He was about what was going on around Him.

 

It was also a way of solidifying the moment in their minds because they would be more likely to remember what took place. His response is one that directly challenges their faith. They had seen Jesus’ miracles, several notable ones recorded just prior to stepping into the boat, and yet they didn’t understand the power of His capabilities.

 

In His statement is a new word, deilos. It is an adjective that, according to HELPS Word Studies, means dreadful, as in “a person who loses their ‘moral gumption (fortitude)’ that is needed to follow the Lord.”

 

One of the disciples had asked to bury his dead father. However, no other such note of hesitancy is recorded. They willingly followed Him. But when times got tough, they cried out, completely lacking the faith necessary to accept the situation.

 

Their only hope left was that Jesus could do something. Well, they were at least right about that because it next says, “Then having arisen, He admonished the winds and the sea.”

 

Here is another new word, epitimaó, generally translated as rebuke. Its meaning extends beyond that, though. It comes from epi, upon, and timaó, to prize or fix a value upon. By implication, it then means to honor or revere. At times, it is used to describe the thought of strictly warning someone.

 

Therefore, the word admonished is sufficient to signify the intent in any such situation. In this case, the winds and the sea were raging around them. Jesus admonished them openly, “And it was great calm.”

 

By the spoken word, just as in the case of the healing of the centurion’s son, the winds subsided, and the sea quit from raging. Where they lacked the necessary faith in Jesus’ ability – an ability they had just seen demonstrated – He was fully capable of accomplishing what was necessary for the situation at hand.

 

Life application: How often believers seem incapable of accepting the power and capability of the Lord. One thing is certain for each of us: we all will die. And yet, Christians often cling to this life as if it is the most important thing we possess. However, we have been told that what we have now is inconsequential in comparison to what lies ahead.

Instead of moaning about what our sicknesses may lead to, we should accept them as a part of the human condition and admit that whatever it is that is afflicting us may, happily, lead us to our next state, releasing us from the bonds of this corruptible existence.

 

This is not to say that we need to rejoice in the pains that accompany them. Being miserable, wracked with pain, incapacitated, and so forth is never enjoyable. But while in such a state, we should be all the more willing to anticipate freedom from it.

 

Let us not get so caught up in clinging to this life that we, in turn, lack faith in the promise of that which lies ahead. Being fearful for this life is shown to be a demonstration of just that, lacking faith. Remember this. There is a difference between not liking the current situation and being fearful of what it will lead to.

 

A good way to think of this is to remember that in good times or in bad, the Lord has your back. Trust this at all times.

 

Lord God, help us to be faithful people, accepting that You have us completely under Your care despite the trials and afflictions we may face. In the end, and no matter what situation we find ourselves in, we are Yours because of Jesus. Help us to have this thought deeply imbued in us at all times. Amen.