Where is Your Faith?
Luke 8:22-25
Key Verse 25a
“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples
Introduction
In this passage the disciples faced a squall unexpectedly and became fearful. Jesus rebuked the wind and water to still them. In turn he rebuked his disciples by saying, “Where is your faith?” From God’s point of view, storm training might be the very expression of God’s deep love for them. Likewise, when we face some stormy situation in our lives, we may have the same privilege to learn who Jesus is.
Read verses 22-23. What did Jesus say to his disciples? What did the disciples do? (22) What did Jesus do as the disciples sailed? What does this show about Jesus? What happened to them on the lake? (23) What do you think about this unexpected situation?
1-1. Read verses 22-23.
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.
1-2. What did Jesus say to his disciples?
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.”
The lake - Lake of Gennesaret (The Sea of Galilee, Lake of Tiberias) is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately 53 km (33 mi) in circumference, about 21 km (13 mi) long, and 13 km (8.1 mi) wide. At levels between 215 meters (705 ft) and 209 meters (686 ft) below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake overall (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake). The lake is fed partly by underground springs, although its main source is the Jordan River which flows through it from north to south.
“Let us go to the other side of the lake” – Jesus ordered his disciple to sail to go to other side of the lake and accompanied them. Jesus initiated the sailing.
1-3. What did the disciples do? (22)
So they got into a boat and set out.
The disciples followed his order – They might not worry about the sailing because of a couple of reasons; Jesus was with them and some of the disciples had good experience of sailing on the lake.
When we have faith that Jesus is accompanying us, we can boldly venture anywhere.
1-4. What did Jesus do as the disciples sailed?
As they sailed, he fell asleep
He fell asleep – Jesus was very tired after hard working to serve people.
Mark 6:31 reads, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Jesus had been so busy that he did not even have a chance to eat. At the previous passage, he had no time to see his family.
Jesus was preaching, teaching, training his disciples, healing the sick, and so on.
1-5. What does this show about Jesus?
Jesus worked hard and he got tired like us humans. He served God’s work with a tired body. He needed rest and refreshment through sleep just like we do. He had two natures; a human nature and a divine nature.
He served his messianic work by pouring out all his strength until he got tired. Being weary in doing God’s work is a good offering before God.
Jesus was able to sleep peacefully even in the midst of the storm. Nothing or noone can harm him or disturb his peace. When we are in Jesus with full trust in him, we can have the same peace.
1-6. What happened to them on the lake? (23)
A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
A squall (sudden violent wind) came down on the lake – the Lake of Gennesaret was famous for the sudden violent wind. The squall occurred due geological reason; the level of the lake is lower than sea level; about 209 meters (686 ft) below sea level, the lake is surrounded by deep ravines. When the cold air in higher altitude from the north is mixed with the warm air on the surface of the lake, very strong squall occurs. The squall is strong enough to let a boat sink down or turn over.
The boat was being swamped – The boat was so tossed that it was filled with water. The disciples might try to scoop the water out of the boat using their fishermen skills, but too much water came into the boat regardless of their efforts.
They were in great danger – Even though the disciples had many experiences of sailing on the lake, they were helpless in the situation. The situation was too serious to deal with it. They were threatened to death.
1-7. What do you think about this unexpected situation?
We could face a difficult or very risky situation unexpectedly during our life. Sometimes the situation could be too difficult for us to overcome it.
The disciples got in the situation even though Jesus was with them. Jesus is with us always as he promised but we could still meet difficulties.
The disciples also got in the situation even though they started sailing by obeying Jesus’ words. We could face storms even if we do things according to His will and word.
We should prepare for unexpected storms that we could meet as we obey Jesus’ words.
God allows us to have the storm to train us to grow in our faith. It is not easy to go through a storm, but we can get a lot of spiritual benefits through the storm.
2. Read verse 24. What did the disciples do? What does this reveal about them? What did Jesus do and what happened to the storm? What can we learn about Jesus?
2-1. Read verse 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.
2-2. What did the disciples do?
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
The disciples woke up Jesus and asked for help for in spite of all their efforts, they found the situation getting worse and were about to drown. Realizing that they could not do anything more, they came to Jesus for help.
Jesus had been sleeping until the disciples woke him –Sometimes God doesn’t seem to do anything even though we are struggling with some problem. But it doesn’t mean that God is not with us or ignore our situation. He is still with us and ready to help us. We can go to him for help.
Master, Master, we’re going to drown! – The disciple called Jesus with fear of death and great sense of urgency.
The disciple might think that Jesus was not aware of their situation or didn’t care about their situation. (Mk 4:38). They forgot their Master’s never-failing care for them being overwhelmed by the storm. Because of their visible situation or awareness of present danger, they could not but wake Jesus.
Often times it turned out to be true that visible reality, our sense, and feeling make us very poor theologians. We should live not by sight, but by faith.
Also Jesus might wait until that moment to test their faith and help them grow in their knowledge of Jesus and faith in and through the storm.
2-3. What does this reveal about them?
The disciples were so fearful and anxious in the middle of storm. Even though they came to Jesus for help, their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety. They lost their faith because of their desperate reality. The fear and anxiety filled their hearts. Their hearts were sinking down due to the storm of fear and anxiety.
Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (Mk 8:30). God wants us to just keep faith to the end in any difficult or risky situation. Faith can protect us from real drowning and keep us safe.
2-4. What did Jesus do and what happened to the storm?
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm
Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
It reminds us of who Jesus is. Jesus is the very Creator God who created what is visible out of what is unseen.
Hebrew 11:1-3 read, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about that we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
John 1:1-3 read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
John 1:14 reads, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Revelation 19:13 reads, “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.”
2-5. What can we learn about Jesus?
Jesus demonstrated His almighty power that can control even the nature. Jesus is the Creator God who rules over the nature with His Words.
Minutes ago, he slept as a man. Now as the living God, he stilled the storm.
Jesus can calm down any storm that threatens us with His almighty power. He is ‘mighty to save” Thanks to Jesus, we don’t need to be fearful or anxious at all for nothing can harm those who follow Jesus and His will.
Also Jesus rebuked a violent storm. As a matter of fact Jesus rebuked the power of Satan. Jesus as a Creator God in the beginning said that it was good. So he rebuked Satan and his destructive deed. If Jesus and his disciples were drowned, the work of God will be nullified. So Jesus must have rebuked Satan as well as the wind and the raging waters.
3. Read verse 25. What did Jesus say to the disciples? What can we learn from what Jesus said; "Where is your faith?" How did the disciples respond? What do you think they might learn about Jesus through this event?
3-1. Read verse 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.”
3-2. What did Jesus say to the disciples?
“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples
Jesus found that the disciples didn’t have faith in their hearts. Their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety instead.
In the previous chapter, Jesus allowed them to observe how Jesus helped the hopeless people.
Thus far Jesus must have aimed at teaching them to develop their personal faith in Him.
However they failed to learn it.
Faith really matters for Jesus didn't mention about the storm but their faith.
God is not pleased with them for their hearts were fearful without faith.
3-3. What can we learn from what Jesus said; "Where is your faith?"
Jesus wants to see faith from our hearts at the time of storm. We should not lose faith when we have difficulties. Rather we better keep our faith in God to the end.
It is our personal faith that can empower us to overcome any storms.
There is something wrong if we could not believe our Lord in the time of need. What would be the benefit of faith if we trust God as fair weather Christians only?
We have to have our faith when it is needed indeed. Our faith could fail when something unexpected happens. We should use our faith when it is truly needed.
We first have to calm down our inner storm first by faith. When we have difficult situation it causes a lot of fear and anxiety inside of us. We should calm down the fear and anxiety by faith and ask God’s help.
May God help us to have faith pleasing him and we may also experience Jesus who calms down any visible storms.
3-4. How did the disciples respond?
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
The disciples were amazed at Jesus for they observed that even wind and water obeyed Jesus’ command.
‘In fear’ – they developed fear after they saw Jesus’ supernatural power. This fear was different from the fear that they had before they faced with the storm. It is the fear that people can have when they experience God’s almighty power personally.
On top of their new awareness about who Jesus is, they must have acknowledged who they were. Imagine! When they opened their eyes to see who Jesus really is, it is a great privilege to be with Jesus, the Creator God.
In Jesus, the disciples were the main history makers in God’s redemptive history.
They will put into practice the same thing down the road.
They say that there are few heroes or heroines in our own generation for our education system is aiming at bringing up skilled workers, not God’s servants. They are very fearful and worrisome about how to pay their next bills.
But praise the Lord our God who teaches us how to renew our faith and have faith.
Faith is an abbreviation of Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him.
May the Lord help us to grow as spiritual giants, infecting young campus students to grow as great servants of God!
Isaiah 45:11-12 read, “This is what the Lord says—the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.”
3-5. What do you think they might learn about Jesus through this event?
The disciple’s knowledge of Jesus and faith in him might be deepened. Even though they went through hard time, they could know more about Jesus. In the same way the storm that we might have is a good chance to know God more and have spiritual growth.
Simon Peter is a good example in terms of his transformation from a fearful man to a man of faith.
1 Peter 1:6-7 read, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Conclusion
Jesus demonstrated that he is the Almighty Creator God who can still violent wind and water. Jesus wants us to have absolute faith in him even in the midst of storm instead of being fearful or anxious. May God help us to overcome all our life storms inside and out by faith in Him, rendering glory to God.
One word: Where is your faith?
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