Calming the Storm

(Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)

Calming the storm is one of the miracles recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, or Mark, and or Luke. According to the Gospel of Mark and Luke, after Jesus finished teaching his disciples in parables for the evening he told his disciples: "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."

So that evening, Jesus and his disciples took a little boat across the Sea of Galilee. While they sailed, Jesus fell into peaceful sleep. During his sleep, a violent storm hit the sea, almost engulfing their boat. Frightened by the fury of the wind the disciples went to Jesus Christ and said: "Master, master, we're drowning!"

Jesus woke and rebuked the wind, and calmed the waves. Then he looked at his disciples and asked them why they were so frightened. "What has happened to your faith?" he questioned.

Bewildered and awed by Jesus power to calm the storm, the disciples wondered, "Who ever can he be?"

The Gospel of Matthew states a similar version of this miracle, but doesn't give details of the time of the day the miracle occurred. As well as, details about what Jesus was doing during the day before he set sail are vague.

The Sea

The significance the sea played in the narration in the Gospel of Mark and Luke, helps conclude:

• Jewish people viewed the sea with some fear and weren't comfort sailing.
• Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible states God's power and control over the sea.
• Lake of Galilee runs more than 600 feet below sea level and can be suddenly and easily swept by storms.
• The sea can be used as a metaphor of distraction from faith. The sea distracted the disciples, similar to what it did in the Walking on Water miracle. This makes Jesus ask, "What has happened to your faith?"