LV.

Jesus Stills the Storm.

(Sea of Galilee; Same Day as Last Section)

^A Matt. VIII. 18–27; ^B Mark IV. 35–41; ^C Luke VIII. 22–25.

^b 35 And that day, { ^c one of those days,} ^b when the even was come [about sunset], ^a when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. { ^b he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side.} [Wearied with a day of strenuous toil, Jesus sought rest from the multitude by passing to the thinly settled on the east side of Galilee.] ^a 19 And there came a scribe [Literally, one scribe. The number is emphatic; for, so far as the record shows, Jesus had none of this class among his disciples], and said unto him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes [caves, dens], and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of 342 man [Daniel's name for the Messiah— Dan. vii. 10–13] hath not where to lay his head. [This scribe had heard the wonderful parables concerning the kingdom. He, like all others, expected an earthly kingdom and sought to have a place in it. Jesus so replied as to correct his false expectations.] 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [This disciple must have been one of the twelve, for these only were required to follow Jesus (Mark iii. 14). It may have been James or John, whose father, Zebedee, almost certainly died before Jesus did. He may have just heard of his father's death.⁶⁶   * I do not concur in this statement.—P. Y. P.] 22 But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead. [Let the spiritually dead bury the naturally dead. This was a very exceptional prohibition, intended to show not that it was ordinarily wrong to stop for burying the dead, but wrong when in conflict with a command from Jesus. God bids us recognize the claims of filial duty, but rightfully insists that our duties toward him are superior to those due our parents.] ^c 22 Now it came to pass that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples; ^a 23 And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. ^c and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake: and they launched forth. ^b 36 And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. [They took Jesus without any preparation for the journey. The crowd, doubtless, made it inconvenient to go ashore to get provisions.] And other boats were with him. [The owners of these boats had probably been using them to get near to Jesus as he preached. They are probably mentioned to show that a large number witnessed the miracle when Jesus stilled the tempest.] ^c 23 But as they sailed he fell asleep. [knowing his labors during the day, we can not wonder at this]: ^b 37 And there ariseth ^c and there came down ^b a great storm of wind, ^c on the lake; ^a 24 And, behold, 343there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: ^b and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling. ^c and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. [These storms come with great suddenness. See McGarvey's “Lands of the Bible,” page 519.] ^b 38 And { ^a but} ^b he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion [The cushion was the seat-cover, which, as Smith remarks, was probably “a sheepskin with the fleece, which, when rolled up, served as a pillow.” The stern was the most commodious place for passengers. The tossing ship has been accepted in all ages as a type of the church in seasons of peril]: ^a 25 And they came to him, and awoke him, { ^b they awake him,} and say unto him, { ^a saying,} Save, Lord; we perish. ^c Master, master, we perish. ^b Teacher, carest thou not that we perish? [There was a babble of confused voices, betraying the extreme agitation of the disciples.] 39 And he awoke, ^a Then he arose, and rebuked the winds, { ^b wind,} ^a and the sea; ^c and the raging of the water; ^b and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. ^c and they ceased, ^b And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [In addressing the winds and waves Jesus personified them to give emphasis to his authority over them. The calm showed the perfection of the miracle, for the waves of such a lake continue to roll long after the winds have ceased.] ^c 25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? ^b Why are ye yet fearful? have ye not yet faith? ^a O ye of little faith? [They had little faith or they would not have been so frightened; but they had some faith, else they would not have appealed to Jesus.] ^b 41 And they feared exceedingly, ^c And being afraid they ^a the men marvelled, ^b and said one to another, ^c saying one to another, ^a What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? ^c Who then is this, that he commandeth even the winds, and the water, and they obey him? [Jesus' complete lordship over the realm of nature made his disciples very certain of his divinity.] 344