Two Critical Questions
Ever been in a storm? Sure.
But I mean a storm where you feared for your life. Ever been in a storm where you realized you could die before it ends? Remember how that critical time in your life felt? Storms are nature events we can remember-even details remain vivid.
The disciples were in such a storm. While they remembered the storm-there was a more powerful memory they never forgot. It was the memory of seeing Jesus asleep as the storm began, then waking to rebuke the storm. It was a raging life threatening storm; then absolute calm came around them.
This is one of my favorite Bible accounts. We quickly become fearful in a storm. Fear of a storm is common sense. Keep in mind that many of the disciples were fishermen who had seen storms on Galilee before-but this one had them in desperation, fearing for their lives.
Don’t miss this crucial point-They were more afraid of who Jesus was than the storm. They witnessed Jesus rebuke the storm. Instantly it became calm. They had never seen such a display of power. Yes, they were more fearful of Jesus than the storm which had been threatening their lives.
“Who is this?” They asked one another with trembling voices. They were eye witnesses to the power of God. It made them afraid…and they marveled. A storm is a fearful thing…but seeing One who has power to control the storm is more fearful. They knew no human can control storms. Jesus turned off the storm like a light switch-with a word. They were in-the-boat eyewitnesses to the power of God. They got it. The power of God is a fearful thing.
“One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So, they set out, and as they sailed, he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 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?”” Luke 8:22-25
There are two critical questions in this passage.
The first comes from Jesus: “Where is your faith?”
The second is, “Who is this that He commands even winds and water and they obey Him?”
You and I must answer both questions. To ignore them is life threatening and personally irresponsible.
Why?
Our eternity depends on it. First question-Where is your faith? It is a question we cannot not ignore. Are we trusting in the temporary things of earth? Where is our faith right now? If we are honest, we know the answer.
Second question-Who is this? This question really answers the first. There is only one answer to the question “who is this that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Creator of the winds and the water, and He commands them. We don’t have to be eyewitnesses to realize that power like this can only come from God.
Jesus calmed the storm on the lake. He alone can calm the storm in our lives…and clean us from our sins. Answer the two critical questions for yourself. Every other thing we believe important pales compared to these two questions.