A Look at Matthew 8:23-27

The passage in Matthew that I chose for this study is the point when Matthew speaks of Jesus calming the storm that had come up and frightened the disciples. Some might argue that this isn’t necessarily a miracle as we perceive them in the Bible, because it didn’t have anything to do with someone getting healed. However, the simple fact that Jesus could calm the waves with his hand and voice certainly qualifies as a miracle in my book.

Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)
²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
²⁴ Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
²⁶ He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

As we look at this passage of Scripture, we see several Emotions expressed from the disciples. The first of these emotions was fear. Some of these men were fishermen, and had most likely been out on the sea when fierce and furious storms barreled across the water toward their ships. They may have seen men get tossed overboard. They may have seen ships broken apart by the buffeting waves that were considerably larger in a storm than normal, or ships sink due to taking on so much water that they could no longer stay afloat. These memories could have been the likely trigger for their fear and trepidation of sailing through a storm.

Some of these men were not fishermen, but were of what we might call a “white collar” profession, if there were such a thing back then. They may never have been on a boat in the midst of a storm, and there is a very likely chance that their fear at that moment was caused by the lack of experience on the sea during times like these. With these things in mind, we can clearly see the possibility of fear to set in during this storm.

There also seems to be an emotion of anger or frustration with them, because even as the storm is raging overhead, Jesus is sound asleep in the bowels of the ship. The storm has awakened everyone else on board the ship, with the exception of Jesus. This angers and frustrates them quite thoroughly, which we see in their tense demand for Jesus to save them from what they felt was certain death by drowning.

The first emotion that the text brings out to me from Jesus is one of calm. Everyone else is running scared and getting all worked up about the storm outside, and yet, Jesus is sleeping peacefully inside the ship. Did Jesus know that the storm was going to come up while they were on the sea? The text doesn’t give us a clear answer, but it seems to me that He might have had a clue, as He was the only one on the ship that was apparently unconcerned with the copious amounts of water coming from the sky.

The next emotion that I see in Jesus is one of anger and frustration with the disciples for their lack of faith. Instead of following His example of being calm, cool, and collected in the midst of the rolling waves, they choose to cower in fear and demand that Jesus do something to fix the situation. Jesus first rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith and fear of the situation, and then He rebukes the wind and waves into submission as well. It would seem that Jesus was angry at the entire situation, and not just the disciples or just the weather.

The disciples express yet another emotion in the process, which is fear combined with trepidation and wonder after Jesus rebukes the wind and waves. They stand there in complete and utter amazement at the fact that nature itself follows the commands of their rabbi, and wonder who He really is. It is this particular expressed emotion that intrigues me the most in this passage, because these men have been walking with Jesus for some time, and have seen Him perform all kinds of miracles. One would think that they’d have a sense of safety and satisfaction when Jesus calms the storm, but in fact, their emotional state is quite the opposite!

We see that, in spite of the lack of faith and abundance of fear that the disciples display in this situation, Jesus still chooses to give Assistance by calming the storm. This is not unlike our own lives, when we come to the Lord in the midst of crisis. We might be completely afraid or scared of the situation, and might feel as though the waves of life are about to come crashing down around us. For many of us, this is the only time we come to Jesus for assistance with the problems of life. Even with our lack of faith and fear, He is faithful and answers our cries with help and assistance.

There is also a Command to obey within this passage of Scripture. Jesus rebukes the wind and waves, and they calm down. Much in the same way, when we are in the midst of trial and tribulation, Jesus commands us to be calm and trust in Him. When we choose to do this in a real and authentic way, then we find that He calms the storm within us, which allows us to see the path to get through the issue we are dealing with. It is important that, when that command to calm comes, we obey it so that He might show us the way that He would have us go to work through whatever situation is causing our storm.

There is an Example here to avoid, and that is the example that the disciples portray during and after the storm. They were fearful, scared, unsure of what to do, unsure of who Jesus actually was, and lacked faith. The world tells us that there is no God. Satan desires for us to believe that lie just a little, so that he might infiltrate our faith and make it counterfeit. He wants us to run scared every time some new and possibly detrimental plot twist rises up within our lives. This is not what God desires for us, and we must be careful to remember that. God desires that we know who Jesus is in our lives, and that we trust in His character of grace, mercy, and faithfulness, so that we will not live in fear.

In order to do this, there needs to be a Confession to God of the fear and lack of faith that plagues us as sinful human beings. We need to acknowledge that there is indeed a sin issue within us that causes us to doubt the character of Jesus, and in turn, whether or not He will be faithful to calm the storms in our lives if we call upon Him. If we don’t confess this, we cannot get to the heart of the matter of our lack of faith, which causes us more distress and heartache in the long run. It is of utmost importance that we choose to face this head on and give our lack of faith to God, so that He might build faith within us.

This brings us to the point of Supplication, or asking God for something that we desire of His nature within ourselves. It is in asking God to heal us and protect us from our natural tendency to be fearful and lack faith that we find the answers to be confident in who Christ is and what He has and will continue to do in our lives. The act of supplication forces us to break down the walls of self and let God in. This can be a very hard thing to do, but once it happens, it gets easier to do it each time. Notice that we don’t do it just once! This is an ongoing process of continually asking God to break down the barriers of fear so that we might gain more of the strength in Christ that we need. The process is different for each of us. It might be a once per week thing for some, and a moment by moment event for others. The frequency with which you go to God in this manner isn’t necessarily the issue, but rather, the actual act of going to God on a regular basis. It is through this process that we can be less like the disciples on the boat, and more like the disciples after the day of Pentacost.

Finding and Developing My Strengths in Life and Ministry

Have you ever really wondered what your strengths are? I never really did, until I got into my classes through the Tabor College Adult Degree Completion program. I hadn't ever really thought about "strengths" per say, but rather, had continually "done things' that turned out well, and so figured that there must be something more to it. Part of my first class module was focused on finding strengths. To that end, we went through Strengths Quest by Donald Clifton and Edward Anderson. The finds were very intriguing!

There are certain things all of us do that seem to be second nature. These things just come naturally, and require little to no effort. Call them gifts, talents, or quirks if you wish, but each of us have certain strengths of character that I believe are built into us as God knits us together in our mother's womb. These strengths, when harnessed, have the ability to produce success in life, learning, and ministry. After taking the Strengths Quest test online (www.strengthsquest.com), I discovered that my top five strengths are as follows: 1. Strategic, 2. Communication, 3. Belief, 4. Developer, 5. Responsibility. These five strengths, when used together, create an opportunity to greatly increase my ability to succeed.

The first strength in my list is Strategic. According to the StrengthsQuest book, I am able to "sort through clutter to find the best route... This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity (67)". I've seen this particular strength in my life from many sources. I've always been good at critical analysis, and coming up with a rock solid plan that turns chaos into calm isn't hard for me to do. People have given me the reputation of one that "just gets it done", and that ability has served me well.

In ministry, this particular strength comes in very handy when revamping current ministry events and creating new ones. When working with so many volunteers, it can be challenging to focus everyone's attention on a particular issue. By harnessing this strength, I am able to clearly identify what needs to be done, delegate those responsibilities, and see it through to completion.

The second strength in my list is Communication. From an early age, I learned how to clearly communicate ideas and opinions. Public speaking or performing hasn't been an issue for me at any point in recent memory, and when I have the opportunity to speak, I am excited and challenged to make it something that will stick in people's minds for a long while. I want my word pictures to "pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act (Clifton/Anderson/Schreiner, 36)". As a minister, this strength is used on an almost daily basis, as I preach, teach, counsel, and shepherd my congregation. Communication is of utmost importance if I am to bring the Gospel to the masses in fresh, relevant, and relational ways.

The third strength in my list is Belief. My parents instilled a need to believe in something greater than myself from birth. They told me the stories of the Bible, showed me the wonders of God, and lived a lifestyle that exuded the essence of living as a Christ-follower. It is my belief in Jesus Christ that gives me the hope to face each day head-on, and that belief guides my thoughts, decisions, and actions each moment of each day. StrengthsQuest says that "When you live your life according to your deepest values and beliefs, you experience motivation, drive, and determination (34)". I find this to be absolutely true for me. It is in living my life for Jesus that I find the motivation to move forward in every aspect of life and ministry. My beliefs reach every corner of my being, and give me the desire to instill those beliefs in my children, my friends, and in those who walk through the doors of my church each week.

The fourth strength in my list is Developer. This is what I would call "shepherding" in ministry terms. This strength is what gives me the ability to see things in others, and the desire to bring it out of them. I was in bands for years, and it was always a joy to bring along players and watch their abilities grow. As a worship minister, it is part of my job to develop players and singers of all ages, so that they might work together for the glory of God and edification of the Body. The most important part of this development is not musical in nature; it is the spiritual aspect that is, in fact, the most essential. As StrengthsQuest says, "When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow (44)".

The fifth and final strength in my list is Responsibility. As I mentioned earlier, I'm the guy that gets labeled as one who "just gets it done". When I take something on, it is important to me that it get done correctly. I want it to be the absolute best it can be so that it can be as successful as possible! Unfortunately, I can be this way to a fault. StrengthsQuest says "With the responsibility you feel to the people who come to you and with the demands that each of them brings, you might feel overwhelmed and under pressure to perform (63)". In ministry, as someone with a strength in responsibility, it is very easy to take on too much and want it all to be too perfect. It's for God and His people, right? If so, then it HAS to be perfect! I must watch myself in this area constantly, or my strength of responsibility can become a weakness of taking on too much responsibility.

With these five strengths now being defined for me, I have the ability to harness each of them directly. It is my hope that this will make a positive impact on myself, my family, my congregation, and the world.