§ 8. Jesus' Ministry in Galilee Continued

In the previous episode of Matthew, when some volunteered and others were called to follow Him, one said he'd follow Jesus "wherever He goes" (8:19). This boat is the first place they go. Sometimes following the Lord is not the easy route! But we take comfort in the fact the Lord is right there beside us.

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Matthew uses a term for "storm" (σεισμός) that properly refers to shaking as in an earthquake. The use of this particular word places Jesus in stark contrast to the mythological gods of the region. (The Greek god, Poseidon, in particular was supposed to have ruled earthquakes as well as the waves of the sea.)

The power of Jesus to calm the sea is far greater than any false god's supposed ability to agitate it.

This contrast will lead to the question in verse 27 of Matthew's account, "What is the nature of this One?"

Jesus is clearly not gripped by fear and worry. Jesus was understandably tired from all the teaching He had been doing over the last several days.

Ecclesiastes 5:12

Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

Why did they wake Him? Because He had done miracles? But, then, why marvel when He responds by doing a miracle? What were they hoping He would do?

The reasoning goes something like this:

• You've witnessed miracles at the hands of Jesus.
• Jesus called you (or you volunteered) to follow Him.
• He led you here.
• Why would you think here is death?

Would God let His Son be lost at sea? Not even Jonah was lost at sea, although all certainly appeared lost (Jonah 1:17; 2:10)! Abraham believed God's purpose could not be thwarted by death.

Hebrews 11:17–19

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

The underlying Greek reveals that Matthew is drawing a contrast between the Lord Himself and the mere mortals traveling with Him. The word here translated "Of what sort?" (ποταπός) typically means "From what country?" or "Where was he born?" The disciples clearly understand Jesus has a power that is not from this world. And yet, the power to still the storm does not compare with the power of God's word.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5

Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ….

The meaning of this phrase is something like, "Since He was there", i.e., nearby or in that boat (as opposed to the "other boats" at the end of the verse).

Matthew and Luke tell us Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves; Mark provides the colorful words Jesus used in His rebuke.

The first word He uses (σιωπάω), here translated "Peace!", indicates keeping quiet, hushing, or settling down; the lexicon notes it is the opposite of the rumbling of thunder or the roaring of the sea.

The Lord's second word (φιμόω), here translated "Be still!", indicates muzzling, shutting, closing. We note here two interesting uses of this word in the New Testament. First, after Jesus rebuked the Sadducees for not believing the dead are raised (Matthew 22:23–33), Matthew records that Jesus "had silenced the Sadducees" (Matthew 22:34)—that is, He muzzled them, or shut their mouths. And, when Peter calls on us to lead pure lives before unbelievers (1 Peter 2:11–15), he completes the thought with an explanation: "…by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people."

Thus, while Jesus calmed a literal storm at sea in this account, He clearly calms the stormy times in our lives, too. His teaching dispels the murkiness of error, and holding to His teaching helps us weather the storms of life in a world sometimes opposed to faithful living.

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness….

Mark's account of the Lord's reasoning expands on Matthew's in helpful ways. Fear is not unexpected in such a situation as this, but faith must overcome it. Their fearful reaction reveals they have not grown in faith as much as the Lord had expected by this time.

Both Mark and Luke phrase the disciples' question in this way. While Matthew (“What sort of man is this…?”) focuses in on the very nature of Jesus, Mark and Luke highlight that the conclusion is inescapable.

Matthew had noted the waves were covering up the boat, and Mark said it was being loaded with a freightload of water. While Luke indicates the boat was filling with water, his summary ("they were in danger") remains understated compared to Matthew and Mark. Could it be that Matthew and Mark reflect first-hand accounts from the authors, who may have been on the boat at the time?

The specific term Luke uses for "raging waves" (κλύδων) is also the term consistently used in the Greek translation of Jonah. It's a good reminder that we should consider the many parallels between the prophet and the gospels.

Jonah 1:4–6

The LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

Jonah 1:11–16

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Among the literal parallels are:

• a great wind upon the sea; a mighty tempest on the sea
• the ship threatened to break up
• the mariners were afraid
• Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
• “What do you mean, you sleeper?”
• “Arise, call out to your god!”
• the sea ceased from its raging
• the men feared the LORD exceedingly

But note also the thematic parallels, which go far beyond the account of the storm.

One of the major lines of Jonah's account is that the sailors who had not known the LORD came to believe in Him on seeing the events unfold before them. Their calls to their various gods clearly went unheeded and made no difference in their situation. By contrast, their appeal to the LORD in the way He specified by means of His prophet brought an immediate calm to the sea and deliverance for them. What happened left them no other conclusion: the LORD is God of the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. And so they dedicated themselves with vows to Him.

Another major theme of Jonah is his central role in the salvation of those who hear God's message through him. The similarities between Jonah being cast into the sea and Jesus being crucified can only be the hand of God. Jonah understood before he got on the boat that it could end this way. He told the sailors they could be saved if he were destroyed on their behalf. They resisted the idea, first by trying to row back unsuccessfully. Once they've resigned themselves to the idea that Jonah must be cast overboard if they are to live—incredibly—the sailors ask God not to charge them with "innocent blood" when they do so. Even more incredibly, they then say "You, O LORD, have done as it pleased you"—a thought that would be echoed centuries later, "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief" (Isaiah 53:10). Nevertheless, they in the end had no choice—they could not save themselves, but had to rely on the word from the LORD.

All three accounts use the same word for "calm" (γαλήνη), emphasizing it. The lexicon reveals it is used both literally ("stillness of the sea") and figuratively ("peace of mind"). This word does not appear anywhere else in Scripture, but it accords with our conclusions above that Jesus brings a peace to our lives by His power and His teaching (“Peace! Be still!”).

Luke's account reduces Jesus's question to its most basic. They've gotten onboard the boat but forgotten to bring their faith with them! It's a supremely compact summary of the reasoning the others capture.