Luke 8:25 (ESV) … “He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
Fear gripped the disciples, fear of the storm, but much more a reverent fear in the face of one who feared no storms. Who could this be? Messiah! King! Savior! If nature obeys him, does anyone have equal power? Who would not obey such a one? But the one who obeys is the one who listens and knows and practices the Word. Who were these men called the Twelve? Jesus’ question shows who they were. They were men marveling at someone they loved—someone they could not understand completely. They were men willing to follow this man to find out what he was up to, but not having a real clue as to the ultimate end they faced.
The disciples were men seeing Jesus’ marvelous power at work in new ways every day—but men not expecting what was coming. They were men of strong character but men nonetheless. Times of crisis saw them reverting to the emotions of common humanity, ignoring and forgetting the power of the one they followed. Jesus looked to the day when danger would no longer bring fear but expectation of divine intervention. At this point, that day had not yet come. The disciples still tried to figure out exactly who Jesus was and where he was going. They tried to confront earthly peril and danger with earthly means. They let human fears rule their lives. Only crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost would change that.[1]
