Luke 8:22-25
We all know so well, especially this time of year, how tropical storms can grow into a hurricane. We watch the weather forecasts as they describe for days the growth and intensity of the storm until it draws ever closer. Then, they send out storm warnings and call for evacuations in areas as the storm approaches. But that wasn’t the case on the Sea of Galilee. Although the Sea of Galilee is only about 7 miles wide and 13 miles long, it lies nearly 700 feet below sea level. With the mountains and ravines that surround it storms can come quickly and violently and without warning. It was that scene that takes place in our text.
The days of Jesus had been busy days. He had been so busy and with so much happening that His family was
concerned about Him to the point that they sought to bring Him home, thinking He had pushed Himself too far. Yet, He continued on. At the end of a long day, He says to the disciples the words of our text in vs 22. They set sail, and being exhausted from the day’s events, Jesus went to the stern of the ship, lay down, and fell asleep. While they were crossing the storm suddenly came down from the mountains.
I. THE CRISIS. (vs 23)
I can almost imagine them setting sail as the sun began to set to start the trip across. It was probably a beautiful day, and all seemed calm as they were making their way across. Then, suddenly, everything changed. It has been said about the sea of Galilee that the sun could be shining one moment, and then suddenly, a storm could arise. That is how life can be for any of us. What I read causes me to think of the timing of the storm. It came when they were in the presence of Jesus and walking close to Him. Matthew
8:23-“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.” I understand when He allows storms to come when we’re walking at a distance, but they were following Him. Those words mean “going the same
way.”
It also came when they were obeying His commands, vs 22. They were doing His bidding and obeying
His word. But then I also think about the tempest of the storm. Our text calls it a storm of wind or a hurricane of wind; a whirlwind. Mark 4 calls it “a great storm of wind”; Matthew 8 says it was a “great tempest in the sea.” The word great is the Greek word “megas,” which is where we get our word mega. The word tempest is “seismos,” which speaks of an earthquake.
However we look at it, it was sudden and was so violent the ship was covered with the waves, and the waves
beat into the ship that it was full of water. We all understand, spiritually speaking, how quickly and how suddenly and how destructively storms can arise in our lives and threaten to swamp us. They were doing everything they could to stay afloat. I can almost see them in my mind, rowing as hard as they could. The sails being ripped to shreds like sheets of paper. They were exhausting all their strength and using every bit of their experience to try to weather this storm. This wasn’t the first time they had faced storms, but this was a bad one. Storms can come in varying degrees. This one was a great storm of wind with waves beating into the ship, and the ship was full. Ever feel like you’ve taken on about all the water you can stand? Sure, you do; we all do at times. Then, on top of all that, Jesus was asleep.
II. THE CRIES. (vs 24a)
Their situation was desperate. Luke says that they were in “jeopardy”, a word that means grave danger and
peril. I see them rowing hard. I can almost hear Peter, James, and John shouting out orders for the others. I can see them scooping out water, but the more they tossed out the more came in. Then, suddenly, thinking they were going down in desperation. Look at what they did:“And they came to him,” verse 24. They came to Him. They’ve seen Him work miracles and wonders and now they come to Him. Why had they not come to Him sooner? Possibly for one of a couple of reasons. First, maybe thought they could handle it. After all, they were seasoned seaman. They had faced storms before. So, possibly, they didn’t want to bother Jesus with it all.
Second, maybe they thought if He really cared, He would get up and help them. Maybe they thought that, apparently, He just didn’t realize how bad things were. It’s the same ideas we often have at times. In verse 24, it says they said to Him, “Master, master, we perish.” Matthew says they cried, “Lord, save us; we perish.” In Mark, their words are, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” All three records used the word “perish”, which means we’re not going to make it, if you don’t help all is lost. After trying all they could muster up to do, they came and cried out to Him. As Mark put it, “Carest thou not that we perish?”
Don’t ever think for an instant that He doesn’t understand or care where you are or going through. Commentator R. Kent Hughes put it like this—“God knows every wave that falls on us. He knows the rate of our hearts while the waves fall, the innermost thoughts in our minds, our emotions, even our dreams. In actuality, that tiny boat bearing Christ and His own was the object of the most minute heavenly attention.” Don’t ever feel He doesn’t know or that He doesn’t care what you’re going through. He understands betrayal; He understands loneliness; He understands emptiness; He understands pain; He understands weariness; He understands rejection; He understands disappointment; He understands frustration; He understands it all! Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
III. THE CALM. (vs 24b-25)
They came to Him, and it says that He arose, and He rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. Mark says
that He said, “Peace, be still”. Once again, all three gospel records say that there was a calm or a stillness that settled in. It was as if Jesus put His finger before His mouth and said, “Shhhh!” It’s as though a mighty hand brushed away the winds and pressed down the raging waves. There is nothing like it in our lives when He speaks peace to our hearts. The storm winds blow against us, and our minds and hearts seem to churn like the raging seas. But when He steps into our situation and speaks peace, everything changes.
Jesus then speaks to them, in verse 25, “Where is your faith?” These men had sat under His teaching and listened to the words that He taught that very day and before. They had witnessed Him performing miracle after miracle, revealing His power over sickness and demons, but now, when facing their storm, they missed the whole message of it all. They still didn’t get the truth that faith in Him calms our fears and causes trust in Him to grow stronger. David, the great warrior, and anointed king of Israel, himself faced times of fear, but he said in Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” When fear wants to come in and consume our hearts, faith in the Lord can calm our fears and give strength to just keep trusting the Lord. Listen to me, fear is engrained in human nature. We are naturally a people who fear. That’s why we lock our doors at night. That’s why when the Highway Patrol gets behind us on the highway, we pay attention to our speed and lane control. That’s why we go to the doctor when we get sick.
Aren’t you glad that Jesus took them where they were, weak faith and all? As the psalmist once said in
Psalm 103:14, “For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” So, we can load up those fears
that grip our hearts and bring them to Him. There’s a song from probably 25-30 years ago that has these words. “Often times I’ve wondered even in my darkest hour, would His faithful ear still hearken to my needs and my desires. Then I hear His voice so tender speaking softly in my ear. I kneel down and pray in my secret place, and I know He will hear. He is always near. When He speaks peace, the raging storm must die. New hope becomes new life when He whispers everything will be alright. When He speaks peace, the dark night slips away like the breaking of the day. When Jesus speaks peace.”
Why not come to Him and let Jesus speak peace to you today?
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