Where the Ouch Comes In

             Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

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. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27)

The first point of interest this morning is that when the disciples got scared, they went to Jesus. Hurrah! How many of us get upset about something and try to solve it ourselves, seek social or governmental intervention, or otherwise look to someone or something other than God?  They had enough faith in Him to get them that far.

Jesus chastised them for their lack of faith. What lack of faith? They turned to Him, didn’t they? Yes, but they didn’t take the next step of logic: if He was/is so capable of doing something that they woke Him, did it not follow that He was not awake and doing something because they weren’t in danger? If He’s able and He’s not exercising that ability, could it be that there’s no need?  ‘

Except, there was a need. When He woke, he chided them for their lack of faith. There was something they should have been doing. There was a step they were missing. It wasn’t in their outward response but in their inward reaction. They should have been taking that next step of logic. If we are able, we should be exercising that next step of faith, whatever it is.

Finally, He solved their problem. As the song goes, “sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms His child.” But His goal isn’t to teach us to live in fright, calling to Him constantly for help every time things aren’t the way we like them. His goal is for us to grow up in our understanding of Him and our faith in Him. Yes, we should turn to Him when we’re afraid, but we shouldn’t be afraid when there’s no danger.  And that’s where the ouch comes in.