When Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount, he starts down to the lake. Along the way several events happen that point to the importance of trust, confidence, and faith:
-he performs several more healings, including curing Peter’s mother-in-law
-he talks about the basic characteristics for a true disciple
-a Roman captain, who is supposedly pagan, shows more faith in Jesus than all the people of Israel.
-a scribe trained in all the Old Testament tradition won’t put God at the center of his life.
Then great crowds begin to show up in the town looking for Jesus.
Great crowds began to form around Jesus due to the healings. He decides to take his disciples away from the sentiments of those crowds. They start their passage to the far side of the lake towards the territory that was not part of Israel. Most of the disciples were professional fishermen, tried and tested. They were familiar with the lake and boats. That was their life for many years. They knew about the sudden storms on the lake and how the wind could lift up big waves on the shallow lake. At the same time, they had spent several years with Jesus listening to his preaching, witnessed his miraculous deeds and healings, participated in his forgiving fellowship, and just heard the Sermon on the Mount. They had witnessed the wonderous deeds he did on the way down from the Mount and then in the midst of the crowds in the town.
They start their crossing to the pagan side of the lake and a storm breaks out on the lake and the fishmen know well those types of storms. Even though Jesus is right there in the boat with them, the disciples are still in the wrong boat. Spiritually their lives are still in the boats that are centered on their own personal skills and knowledge of fishing and storms: terror and fear fill them. This storm is beyond their powers, and they have no hope. They had not yet recognized who Jesus was nor had they come to have certain faith and confidence in his action in their lives (like the Roman captain). Jesus was asleep, resting in his confidence in God the Father’s action and protection.
In the end after experiencing Jesus saving power over the wind and water, it still seems that they have not arrived at a deep faith. They do not make a profession of faith. They are left with that question. It is up to each of us to answer that question in our own lives and to make public testimony.
“Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” …
“What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
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