Jesus Calms Another Storm
Scripture: Matthew 14:31-33; Mark 6:51-52; John 6:21
We ended the previous lesson with Peter sinking into the water as he walked from the boat to Jesus and he cries out saying, “Lord, save me.” Mt 14:31 “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”’ In response to Peter’s cry, Jesus reaches out to him and takes hold of him and helps him back to the boat and asking him why his faith wavered.
To help Peter and the remaining disciples with their faith, Jesus again demonstrates his power: Mt 14:32 “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.” In the previous section, Jesus demonstrated his power by creating enough food to feed 5,000 men besides the women and children; possibly 20,000 people. The people were impressed and saw Jesus as the Prophet who was to come and wanted to make him their king. There was no record made about how the disciples reacted.
When Jesus calmed the storm Mt 14:33 “those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”’ The people who were fed wanted to make Jesus king, but the only fitting response was to worship him as the Son of God, which the disciples did. But did they truly believe? This is the only time in Matthew that the disciples used this full title to address Jesus; a possible indication that they didn’t believe.
Matthew reported that the disciples worshipped, but Mark says only that they were Mk 6:51 “utterly astounded.” This leaves the impression that their worship was not truly from a heart of understanding, but a simple expression of being utterly astounded. Mark explains by saying: Mk 6:52 “they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”
Mark goes back to the feeding of the 5,000 but let’s go back even further to the time when Jesus was asleep in the boat and a great storm came upon them. The disciples went to him Mk 4:39 “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Their lack of faith resulted in fear in the face of the storm. In the feeding of the 5,000, their lack of faith resulted in not seeing Jesus as one who could supply the food. For some reason, the hearts of the disciples were hardened after the feeding of the 5,000, and so in the midst of this storm their lack of faith and harden hearts results in the disciple seeing Jesus as a ghost that might harm him along with the storm. Matthew reports that the disciples worshipped, but considering what Mark adds, leaves us with the feeling that the disciples may still not really understand.
John adds one more demonstration of power by reporting: Jn 6:21 “[The disciples] were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” John says nothing about worship, but only that they were glad to have Jesus in the boat. Once Jesus gets into the boat, the wind ceased and “immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” Not only did Jesus calm the storm, but he transports them immediately to their destination. We read the same thing in Psalm 107: “28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.”
Conclusion
What is your faith journey like? Is it like the disciples where trials produce fear or are you growing in your faith, becoming more like Jesus, as you encounter trials? In our western culture we tend to treat trials as something that disrupts our comfort and is to be overcome as quickly as possible. Doing so disrupts God’s plan to grow your faith, expand your endurance, and make you more like Jesus. You may seek comfort instead of spiritual growth and come to deeply regret it when you stand before Jesus.
Anchor My Faith 
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