Luke 8:21-24 (NIV)

²¹ He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

²² One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. ²³ As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

²⁴ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Dear friends, in the previous session we sailed with Jesus as he taught the crowd, after which he performed a miracle of a large catch of fish, and called the fishermen to follow him.  They left everything and followed Jesus.  They left their boats and equipment, their staff and business, their families and all that is familiar to them, to seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to follow the holy one, the Messiah.

Simon Peter, James and John left their boats, businesses and families to follow Jesus.  They left their lives as they knew it.

In this session, in Luke 8, we come to the account of Jesus calming the storm.

Here in verse 21, Jesus defines the true spiritual family.  They have become members of His family.

Jesus defines God’s family as “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”  This is the family that is extended to us.  This is the family that we can become part of.

How are we able to be part of Jesus’ family?

When we hear God’s word and put it into practice.

We then follow Jesus as he instructs his disciples to sail to the other side of the lake.

Previously, in Luke 5, they were on their own boat, had fished the night in vain, and were probably worried about dying from hunger when reserves run out.  Jesus had supplied supernaturally and abundantly, and they left everything behind to follow him.

Here, they are sailing with Jesus in a boat, on their way to do God’s work.  Jesus is sleeping when they faced a squall.  We see the wind and raging waters, and the boat becomes swamped and in real danger of sinking.  The disciples, feared that they might drown, and woke Jesus up.

What do you think the disciples might have thought?

It is very possible that they had thought that by switching from their boat to Jesus’ boat, everything will be wonderful.

But here at this point, when they were close to drowning, I believe real doubts start to surface.

Their thought could be, “On our own boat we would probably starve and die, but that would have taken some time. Now, on Jesus’ boat, it looks like we are going to die right now!”

Friends, have we found ourselves in a similar situation before?

Did you choose to follow Jesus because you believed that life would be free from all problems after that?

Do you struggle when you followed Jesus, and now the circumstances you see around you gets even worse?

I was an engineer before switching vocations to become a pastor.

Spiritually, choosing to follow Jesus and leaving my career was a good thing.

Physically, it meant sacrifices for me and family, as I do not get the usual steady salary.  When I studied in the bible college, we survived on a low allowance.  When I served later, the pay was low and hardly increased through the years.  When I came out to serve the Lord in a different ministry, there were great lengths of time that we went without pay.  If money was my God, I will definitely not have chosen this path.

But Jesus asks us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

So when I obeyed, all these things that I needed, I never lacked.  The Lord truly is my good shepherd, I shall lack nothing.

My friend, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you will believe in the word of God, and believe in what Jesus taught.

The above promises in Matthew 6:33 and in Psalm 23:1 will become so true to you too.  But it can only happen when we dare to step out in faith.

Then Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and the waves, and the storm subsided.

A miracle never seen before.  What an adventure with Jesus!

We probably have seen people commanding other people or animals, but have you seen someone command the natural elements before?  No rituals, ceremonies, or equipment were used, but just a straight rebuke from Jesus!

We see the disciples’ fear and amazement as they wondered who Jesus was, that he commands the wind and waters and they obey him.

What were they hoping that Jesus would do when they woke him up?  Pray to God? Summon the fish to prop up the boat?  Or maybe they were just so bothered that Jesus was sleeping through their problems?

After Jesus had calmed the storm, he asked his disciples about their lack of faith.

To me, this message is so enigmatic.

We as believers would run to God when we face problems.

Was Jesus saying that they did not pray to God?

The disciples did what anyone of us would have done.  In a clear and present danger, they ran to their clearest and most present help, their great teacher.

Could it be Jesus was addressing their emotional lack of peace as they see Jesus sleeping through the storm, and thought that he did not care for them?

How many of us, when going through stretches of challenges and uncertainties, wonder if God loves us, or even bothers about our situation?

What is our first response when we find ourselves in trouble?

Hopefully, most of us would pray.

But I sense here, that Jesus is implying that his disciples should be doing something else rather than crying out to him.

We will have a feel that Jesus expected more than prayer from his disciples.

As we see how this incident falls in place with the rest of the gospel, we can see that Jesus has been demonstrating, teaching by example, preparing them to rise in faith, to the day that they will be ready to be sent out.

In the same way, I believe that our Lord expects more than just prayer from us, and is preparing us to rouse up our spiritual gifts, to move boldly and powerfully as he did. 

It is time to shake off our spirit of timidity. If you have been baptized by our Lord in  spirit and in fire, you must stir up your gifts to build up His people.

Parents tend to encourage their children when they acquire new strength and skill as they grow.  We tend to comfort them when they fail.  Yet as a father, I know that in our love, we carry an expectation that our children can do more.  We know that sometimes, our children is capable of more than they believe they can.

I believe it is the same for Jesus, as he looks at his disciples, and at us.

His comment, “Where is your faith?” was not so much a rebuke, as a push for us to try harder.

Finally, in a self-revelation of Jesus, the question on the disciples’ minds was, “Who is Jesus?”

Did not Moses and Joshua need a staff or cloak to part the waters?

The prophets had done similar things before, but this Jesus makes it look too easy!

They probably expected Jesus to wake up and pray, and God will hear Him as he hears the prayers of the righteous.  But to command the wind and waves?

You may be a follower of Jesus.

Do you believe that you can speak to the weather?

Personally, I have exercised my faith by praying for the weather.

There was once I had planned a youth program, a whole day program of outdoor games involving many young people.  When the sky looked overcast signalling a coming storm, I prayed and exercised my faith. We had the event throughout the day, with the heavy rain pouring a distance away out at sea.

In another incident, when we were taking a boat ride to an island for a holiday, the waters became choppy before arrival.  Although my family did not think much about it and were having fun with the ups and downs, we realized that many passengers were seriously sea-sick.  Before our return trip, my friend who know about but did not believe in Jesus, actually asked me to pray for a smooth trip back.  At that point in time, I hesitated for a while because if the waters were choppy again, I am sure my friend will say that God is not real.  But then I remembered the sea-sick passengers and prayed for a smooth trip back.  God was gracious, and the journey was very smooth.

To me, these are just examples of us praying in a real storm. And also the doubts that we may have, that will shake our faith.  But push on and build your faith!

My friend, who do you think Jesus is?

Will you follow him?