By Rev. Ron Purkey
Guest Columnist

Read: Matthew 8:18-29

By Rev. Ron Purkey

“But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” (Matthew 8:27)

First, The Cost Of Following Jesus Christ (Matthew 8:18-22). To be a disciple is to be a fully-devoted, verbal and visible follower of Jesus (see Matthew 8:18-20). Jesus would often preach to crowds and then interact with individuals to see who was serious about discipleship. Once a scribe told him, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. But Jesus said the son of man had no place to lay his head. In other words, he asked, “Are you sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into? Will you follow me when there’s no Hilton, no Holiday Inn?” Are you committed to him, even when times are hard?

Another person wanted to follow Jesus but said, “First let me go bury my father” (see Matthew 8:21-22). That is another way of saying he wanted to receive his inheritance before he committed himself to discipleship. Once his father died and left him sufficient funds, he would be all in. But Jesus permitted no postponement: Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead — that is, let those who are spiritually dead worry about such things. Are you willing to risk discipleship even when it does not fit with your economic plans?

Second, The Lord Jesus’s Power Over Nature (Matthew 8:23-29). Jesus used a storm to move his disciples from fear of circumstances to faith in him (see Matthew 8:23-25). While they were traveling by boat, a violent storm arose but Jesus was sleeping. Their circumstances looked bleak so they panicked: Lord, save us! We’re going to die!

Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea to calm the storm, and he rebuked the disciples for their little faith (see Matthew 8:26-27). He wanted to expand their understanding of him and their trust in him. As a result of what he did, the disciples were amazed at Jesus’s lordship over creation. This suggests they did not fully know who was in the boat with them.

The storms and trials of life are designed to give you a bigger view of God and a more precise understanding of who Jesus Christ really is (see Matthew 8:28-29). The size of your faith is ultimately tied to the size of your God.

Third, Maybe this was a satanic attack to destroy Jesus Christ. We do not know, but see the peace Jesus displayed — able to sleep in a dangerous storm. This is the peace we can have when we know we are in the center of God’s will. Again, by his word he controls the wind and the sea, and there is an immediate calm. We go from a “great tempest” (Matthew 8:24) to a “great calm” (Matthew 8:26) because of a great savior.

Oh, how I love Jesus. How thankful we should be that Jesus Christ calms the storms of life (see Psalm 107:23-31).

Read Ron Purkey’s Bible study outlines at www.rcpbibleoutlines.com free on the website. Purkey has been an ordained Baptist minister for 50 years.