December 21, 2008 (Matthew 8:18-27)

In re-reading a book by Craig Blomberg, Jesus and the Gospels, I was enlightened on today’s reading. Blomberg pointed out that the story of Jesus stilling the storm is often preached as a sort of promise: Come to Jesus and He will still all the storms of your life.
The problem, of course, is that nowhere does Jesus say that. In fact, He makes a point to say just the opposite elsewhere.

It’s easier to say “Jesus is God,” when we’re not in the boat with Him. Notice how this reading begins. Two different people come to Jesus and claim they want to follow Him. However, as He reveals what following Him will mean…what it will require (e.g., going homeless; leaving one’s father to be buried by someone else and suffering the family/communal shame that would follow such a decision), they drop out. Thus, as we arrive at verse 23, you would think that the only people in the boat with Jesus are those who were willing to make the sacrifices…who understood and accepted the risks. Yet as soon as the storm arises, they become fearful. Jesus rebukes them for having “so little faith!” (8:26) I think I would have laid it on a bit thicker: “Why did you even get into the boat if you weren’t going to trust Me?! Didn’t you hear what I told those two other guys back on the shore? Did you think I was kidding?!”

Most anyone who’s tried to follow God for very long can testify that simply being in the boat with Jesus DOES NOT calm all of life’s storms. Christian spouses sometimes cheat…children of Christians sometimes die…Christians are told the cancer is inoperable…etc. What, then, is the point of this story? I think its basic purpose is to make us face the question the apostles had to ask: “Who is this man?” (8:27) Any good Jew of the first century knew that only God could triumph over a storm. What we see in Jesus is a Man Who—on His own authority—told the wind and waves what to do. He didn’t pray to God to stop the storm. He ordered it so…and it happened.

It’s popular to say that this is about challenging us to a “radical faith.” I’m beginning to wonder, however, if that isn’t a terrible misnomer. The Bible does not speak of “radical faith,” only “faith.” It seems that faith, by its very nature, is radical. If we aren’t prepared to be a bit radical as well…then perhaps it is not faith that we have at all. As you go through this week, ask yourself: “Am I willing to get into the boat with Jesus and sail through the storm…or merely wave from the dock as He sails away?”

-- Justin

Brave by Nicole Nordeman