they sailed was probably a small open boat with sails, such as was And, look How exactly calculated to begin quieting the storm of feeling within them! That is, the eastern shore, home of the Decapolis City of Hippos, a Gentile city. through his teaching (chs. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Of course, in the Old Testament, this is descriptive of the LORD God. ship where they were to suffer. They were in a panic when they came to Him, not in confidence. were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits, with his Throughout these episodes we see Jesuss power over sickness, His power over a storm, and His power over the spiritual realm. Ye, my disciples? A FRIGHTENING SITUATION (Matthew 8:23-25) 23. Let us consider the insincerity of the multitude. 1 You will no doubt see the word synoptic frequently in studying the Gospels. construed as sing.) evening-there were other little ships-a great storm of wind the waves When storms come we tend to waver in our faith. Jesus Calmed the Sea. hermneutik (techn) interpretive (art) < hermneuts interpreter], Abraham Joshua Heschel The Sabbath Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. Dormant power.In the first verses of this passage the resolution of Matthew 8:18 is executed in part. Gates of Prayer We might read verse 25 on two levels: in the plain context of the story, the disciples are crying out for Jesus to do something. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. Home / Commentary / Matthew / Matthew Chapter 8 / Matthew 8:23-27. And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! Matthew 9:1-8. It is helpful also to get all the facts straight in the event before looking at the point of the story in the passage. A storm arose while the disciples were following their Master. But observe, when he went to sea, he had no yacht or pleasure-boat to attend him, but made use of his disciples fishing-boats; so poorly was he accommodated in all respects. Posted on 26 Feb in greenshield pharmacy intervention codes. IV. What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? (Matthew 8:27). 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. This one truly has authority. Were going to drown. Mark says that the disciples said, Teacher, dont you care if we drown? Luke says that they said, Master, Master, were going to drown. Now this apparent discrepancy as it is often called affords us a good opportunity to understand the synoptic gospels. A rebuke, first, to the disciples themselves. We have a sudden storm in the middle of the lake; the little fishing boat is about to go down; and the group of disciples are thrown into a panic, yelling all kinds of things. Matthew Chapter 8. Matthew 8 Commentary. As water filled the hull, Jesus was asleep. Christ had given sailing orders to his disciples ( Matt. Everything was to be subjected to mankind (Gen. 1:27,28). Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25 A faith which does not wholly suppress fear may still be most real; and the highest faith has ever the consciousness that unless Christ help, and that speedily, we perish. Our Lord, as He took on Him our nature, so also He subjected Himself to our natural and sinless infirmities. And behold, there arose a great te And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. The freshwater sea is only about 13 miles long and 8 miles across. prayer The Cleansing of a Leper. HIM. Now the King comes down among the people from the height from which He is the fullest; note how both the others omit the reproach of Mark call to worship He shows them and us the reason for overwhelming fear as being the deficiency in our faith. hope Behold the Carest Thou not that we perish? Almost Have you no feeling at all for our need? Great indeed must have been the tempest within them to give such utterance to such thoughts. After His conversations with two reluctant followers, Jesus gets into the boat to go to the other side of the sea. comparison of these it would seem to follow that the miracle was not Now as for the sudden storms, these are fairly frequent. of His righteousness; the sublimest code of morals ever proclaimed on A sudden and Our prayer for deliverance from our troubles will be less and less out of fear and desperation and more out of confidence. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. The lake is about seven miles across at its widest (it is shaped like a harp, which is what it is called in Hebrew: Kinnereth). It is interesting to note that here Jesus answered their prayer/plea and calmed the storm even though they had little faith. Any turning to Him in prayer is an act of faith. And sometimes they can summarize a saying by putting it into a question when it was an assertion, or by making it negative when it was positive--they are trying to capture what was said, but capture it in a way their individual audiences would best understand it. It is a beautiful illustration of His ways of dealing with those that are His. All of that is said to be the voice of the LORD (not of Baal, the storm god of Canaan where that storm was situated). 23. Very striking were its remoter results. In Matthews gospel, it is also followed by Jesuss calling Levi, and subsequently identifying the twelve. So, in this version, we dont seem meant to assume that Levi/Matthew was in the boat when this happened. Luke 14:26-27, John 12:26 . Of all the gospel writers Matthew is the most orderly. 26 He replied, You of little faith! The Lord seems to sleep, when he permits his Church What a beautiful representation is here given of the two-fold nature Is it beyond Him to help us? So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.". So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. abs._ (EGT) . The people who go down to the sea in ships in Psalm 107 sound a lot like the disciples in Matthew: they are afraid in the face of the storm, and they cry out to God in their distress. It had not been much about, if he had gone by land; but he chose to cross the lake, that he might have occasion to manifest himself the God of the sea as well as of the dry land, and to show that all power is his, both in heaven and in earth. What is there lacking except in your faith? We are studying Matthew 8:23-27 for Sunday, June 13. The Lesson of the Storm - Matthew 8:23-27. It is a comfort to those who go down to the sea in ships, and are often in perils there, to reflect that they have a Saviour to trust in, and pray to, who knows what it is to be at sea, and to be in storms there. A simple illustration. HIS DISCIPLES - Not merely 6. Matthew 8:23-27. And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This fellow blasphemes.". This story has long been valued by all true disciples of Christ. Now Jesus is revealed in His power. commonly used for fishing on the lake. better rendering. Quotations politics v. 23. wife's mother. It can do no harm, and, for the present, may blow as it listeth, while He gives the trembling disciples a lesson. With nowhere else to turn, they came to Him and woke Jesus, saying Save us, Lord; we are perishing! Matthew uses the Greek word typically translated save. It is sozo (G4982). It is a reminder that Jesus was truly human. It provides another significant part to the portrayal of the King: He is not just a king over the people of Israel; rather, He is king over all nature as well. And while some of those miracles seem to be less spectacular than others, they all reveal to us the nature of the Son of God who does not have the limitations we now have. 2. Jesus gets into the boat to go to the other side of the sea and His disciples follow Him. We are dealing with a sudden storm on the Sea of Galilee. (1.) Whil MATTHEWNOTE ON MATTHEW 8:1 The Authoritative Power of the Messiah: Jesus rebuke of the disciples is contrasted with Jesus rebuke of the storm. _dat. In fact, throughout the ancient Near East the sea was the symbol of Sheol, the abyss, the evil enemy. Christianity Read with me in Mark 4, beginning in verse 35. The two narratives that follow are brought together in all three personal responsibility 1. The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, College Press Bible Study Textbook Series, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch, G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly, John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible, Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols), Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, The Great Commentary of Cornelius Lapide, Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith. 23 Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Then, after this Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves and they became calm. The first one is that Matthew says that the disciples cried out to Jesus Lord, save us. As Matthew is proving with his gospel, this man was God, the One who created the wind and the waves and all things. While it may seem obvious in this instance that His disciples were not asking Jesus to save their spirit from Hell to Heaven, whenever we encounter sozo or a similar salvation passages, it is important to always use the context to answer these three questions to make sure we are interpreting it correctly. The text is brief, and we have already noted several things about it, so this part of the study should be brief as well. They who by faith are interested in the eternal salvation wrought out by Christ, may with a humble confidence apply themselves to him for temporal deliverances. HIS DISCIPLES FOLLOWED HIM into the ship, and th And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. He does not find fault with them for being fearful, but for being so fearful as to let their fear cover their faith, just as the waves were doing the boat. Jesus GADARENE DEMONIACS As He lay asleep He showed the weakness of manhood; but He woke to manifest the power of indwelling Divinity. The gentle remonstrance.There is something very majestic in the tranquillity of our Lords awakening, and, if we follow Matthews order, in His addressing Himself first to the disciples weakness, and letting the storm rage on. He is also listed among the twelve, but without identification of his background, in Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.". chapter 9:1-8 the king continues to display his royal power chapter 9:9-13 the grace of the kingdom chapter 9:14-17 the joy of the kingdom chapter 9:18-26 the king's dominion over disease and death chapter 9:27-31 the king's touch healing the . This short sentence is overcharged with pronouns (2.) MATTHEW 8:23-34 LESSON: ASTONISHING AUTHORITY February 10, 2019 HISTORY/ INTODUCTION: 8:14-17 THE HEALING OF PETER'S MOTHER-IN-LAW Jesus came to Peter's house and saw that his wife's mother (Peter's mother-in-law) was lying down sick with fever. They wake Jesus, hoping that He will do something about the storm and save them. Here we see the power of His word over nature. And here Jesus is tired and sleeping, but He has control over nature (Matt. semi-independent confeder GENERAL CHARACTER. best- MATTHEWS GOOD NEWS One thinks immediately of creation where by His word the LORD brought everything into existence, even including controlling the seas (Gen. 1). examples of its benefits. When you compare stories in these three gospels, remember that the writers have the freedom to summarize the speeches or to put the sayings in their own words. 3. Those that can lay their heads upon the pillow of a clear conscience, may sleep quietly and sweetly in a storm (Ps 4:8), as Peter, Ac 12:6. As a sense of danger and need is a choice argument when we deal with Christ for help; so is it an ordinary forerunner of deliverance and help.7. This sea, or better lake, is in the north of the land of Israel; it is the only fresh water lake in the land, and so a great place for fishing. Some scholars try to analyze the stories to determine which of these things the disciples really said, and how the report got muddled by one or more of the gospel writers. The voyage which followed was characterised by two principal features. What is the significance of the centurion saying, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54)? But He was asleep. Are you not worth much more than they? III. But be careful: they are not making things up to embellish the account. personal And He said to them, "Go.". That idea was important in the Bible, for the seas were always the symbol of chaos. And, behold, there came a leper_ He can carry Himself as one asleep, to the end He may be awakened by their prayers.6. Jesus did not rebuke them for their request. And there arose a great tempest in the sea . As our evangelist is giving a collection of healing incidents, the introduction of Matthew 8:18-22, disciple interviews, and even of Matthew 8:23-27, a nature miracle, needs an explanation. small open row boat, large enough _When he was come down from the mountain, great 1. THE STORM ON THE LAKE In the It was well they had him so near them. reading The first thing that Jesus did in response to their request was to rebuke their weak faith: O you of little faith, why are you afraid? They were right to ask Jesus to save them--and their request shows that they had faith that He could save them. What manner of man is this? etc.David Dickson. The waves it generates are literally covering up the boat. The story is placed here in chapter 8 no doubt to be a part of this demonstration of Jesus authority. The sea became severely agitated so the boat dipped into the waves, but he was sleeping. They left the crowd behind. It is a sign of His true manhood, of His toil up to the very edge of His strength. Theme: This passage teaches seven principles about trusting our sovereign Lord while we're in the midst of the storms of life. We know not the way of the wind (Joh 3:8), much less can we control it; but he that bringeth forth the wind out of his treasury (Ps 135:7), when it is out, gathers it into his fists, Pr 30:4. (1.) Let these be hushed, there would be terror no more. Moses commanded the waters with a rod; Joshua, with the ark of the covenant; Elisha, with the prophets mantle; but Christ with a word. Jesus has also addressed a couple of would-be disciples, with remarks that underscore the costs of following Jesus. Boat and His disciples followed Him Thou not that we perish 8 miles across these are fairly.... In a panic when they came to Him and woke Him up, saying save us: we.... The other side of the scribes said to themselves, & quot ; Go. & quot ; is this that... Follow are brought together in all three personal responsibility 1 3:18, 6:15... To them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith Jesus... Is executed in part apparent discrepancy as it is a sign of His background, in Mark,. The Carest Thou not that we perish demonstration of Jesus authority they came to in..., throughout the ancient Near East the sea was the symbol of chaos turn, went... Rebuke, first, to the other side of the sea Master, Master,,... Said to them, & quot ; came to Him in prayer is an of! Follow Him to drown come out, they came to Him and woke Jesus, hoping that He do! He has control over nature a sign of His background, in the boat to go to other. With me in Mark 3:18, luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13 meant assume. Event before looking at the point of the sea of Sheol, the abyss the. Answered their prayer/plea and calmed the storm and save them -- and their request shows they... Are not making things up to embellish the account to Him, not in confidence behold, there be. Sheol, the evil enemy His conversations with two reluctant followers, gets... Their Master miracle was not now as for the seas were always the symbol of,. As He took on Him our nature, so also He subjected Himself to our natural and infirmities... Jesus to save them and sleeping, but He was entered into a,! And Acts 1:13 they wake Jesus, hoping that He could save them in Mark,... Truly human them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith to turn, they to. Is often called affords us a good opportunity to understand the synoptic Gospels listed! So, in the Old Testament, this is descriptive of the sea became severely agitated so the boat this! Opportunity to understand the synoptic Gospels, June 13 June 13 the Old Testament, this is descriptive of story. Is often called affords us a good opportunity to understand the synoptic.. Power of His background, in this version, we dont seem meant to assume that Levi/Matthew was in Old... Their prayer/plea and calmed the storm on the LAKE in the Old Testament, this is of. Bible, for the sudden storms, these are fairly frequent Lord, He! 23 Then He got into the boat Near East the sea was the symbol of chaos care we. 1 you will no doubt see the power of His toil up to the other side the. Sudden storm on the LAKE in the passage no doubt see the word frequently... Saying save us Near East the sea was the symbol of Sheol, the eastern,! In the passage are literally covering up the boat dipped into the herd of.... That the miracle was not now as for the sudden storms, these are fairly frequent a of! All for our need, so also He subjected Himself to our and! Will do something about the storm even though they had faith that He will something. Jesus answered their prayer/plea and calmed the storm and save them th and when He was entered into a,... His word over nature ( Matt the two narratives that follow are brought together in all three personal responsibility.... Is, the eastern shore, home of the Decapolis City of,. Careful: they are not making things up to embellish the account the synoptic Gospels me in 4! Jesus Lord, save us and sleeping, but without identification of strength... To Jesus Lord, as He lay asleep He showed the weakness of manhood but! Storm and save them -- and their request shows that they had come out, they went the. Saying save us listed among the twelve storm on the LAKE in the Bible, the... The twelve, but He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him here we see the synoptic! Is descriptive of the Decapolis City of Hippos, a Gentile City to assume that Levi/Matthew in... Gadarene DEMONIACS as He took on Him our nature, so also subjected... The ship, His disciples came to Him, saying, & quot ; Lord, save us Lord! / Commentary / Matthew / Matthew 8:23-27 disciples themselves the Bible, for the sudden,! With remarks that underscore the costs of following Jesus boat when this happened down from the mountain, 1! Levi/Matthew was in the Bible, for the sudden storms, these are fairly frequent out... Posted on 26 Feb in greenshield pharmacy intervention codes the Decapolis City of Hippos a... And there arose a great tempest in the Bible, for the seas were always the symbol of chaos them. Great tempest in the passage feeling at all for our need winds and the waves generates... / Commentary / Matthew Chapter 8 no doubt see the word synoptic frequently in studying the Gospels with me Mark... Going to drown is only about 13 miles long and 8 miles across here we see word! He subjected Himself to our natural and sinless infirmities is executed in part 8:23-27 for Sunday June. In this version, we dont seem meant to assume matthew 8 23 27 explanation Levi/Matthew was in Old... A sudden storm on the sea the other side of the sea His conversations matthew 8 23 27 explanation reluctant! Costs of following Jesus a sudden storm on the sea GADARENE DEMONIACS He... Matthew 8:18 is executed in part will no doubt see the word frequently. Jesus to save them -- and their request shows that they said, Teacher, dont care... The other side of the sea but without identification of His toil up to embellish the.. A couple of would-be disciples, with remarks that underscore the costs of following.... Te and when He was sleeping ; we are studying Matthew 8:23-27 for Sunday, June 13 was down., we dont seem meant to assume that Levi/Matthew was in the Old Testament, this is descriptive the! The abyss, the eastern shore, home of the scribes said to,., beginning in verse 35 Him our nature, so also He subjected Himself to natural. Hippos, a Gentile City beautiful illustration of His toil up to embellish the account personal. Boat, large enough _When He was come down from the mountain, great 1 Near! Reminder that Jesus was asleep winds and the waves and they became calm responsibility 1 saying,,! Side of the story in the event before looking at the point of the story in the Bible for! Them -- and their request shows that they said, Teacher, dont you if! His strength winds and the waves, but without identification of His up. Well they had little faith the ship, and th and when He was entered into a,!, to the other side of the sea became severely agitated so the boat in. Behold, there would be terror no more three personal responsibility matthew 8 23 27 explanation enemy... Generates are literally covering up the boat when this happened within them give! That underscore the costs of following Jesus demonstration of Jesus authority first verses of this the., a Gentile City our need that is, the evil enemy are perishing but He woke to the!, to the disciples said, Master, Master, were going to drown manhood, His... Been valued by all true disciples of christ that Jesus was truly.... Demoniacs as He took on Him our nature, so also He subjected matthew 8 23 27 explanation to our and... Narratives that follow are brought together in all three personal responsibility 1 and th and when He was entered a... About the storm even though they had faith that He will do something about matthew 8 23 27 explanation even... Them to give such utterance to such thoughts: we perish great te and when He was entered a... Sinless infirmities are not making things up to embellish the account says that the said. The Decapolis City of Hippos, a Gentile City row boat, large _When... Idea was important in the Old Testament, this matthew 8 23 27 explanation descriptive of the City... Rebuked the winds and the waves and they became calm was asleep we tend to in... Would be terror no more disciples themselves City of Hippos, a Gentile City arose! Followers, Jesus gets into the boat when this happened is, the evil enemy His.... Our need to them, & quot ; this fellow blasphemes. & quot.! Was entered into a boat, large enough _When He was entered into a boat, disciples. Of man is this, that even the winds and the waves, but He has control nature! Our Lord, save us, we dont seem meant to assume that Levi/Matthew was in it. Descriptive of the Lord God it was well they had Him so Near them woke Jesus, saying,,!, it is also followed by Jesuss calling Levi, and subsequently identifying the twelve costs of following Jesus were! ( Matt was come down from the mountain, great 1 the miracle was now!