by By Polly Gatwiri
One of the famous stories in the book of Luke is found in chapter eight verse 22-25 where Jesus calms a storm.
The encounter starts with Jesus engaging His disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. Along the way Jesus takes a nap. Soon there is a storm that causes the boat to fill with water and the disciples wake Jesus up shouting, “Master, Master, we are going to drown.”
Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters and asked His disciples, “Where is your faith?” In fear and amazement, the disciples asked each other — Who is this, for He commands even the winds and the waters and they obey Him?
One day during my devotion I got to wonder about Jesus’ question to His disciples — “Where is your faith?”
As I read though the very scriptures that I have known from Sunday school, I couldn’t help but wonder — why was Jesus questioning their faith? Did they not run to Him after they realized things were going south? Was that not the right place to run to — to the master who was with them in the boat? For where or to whom do we run to when storms in life overwhelm us and we are almost sinking? Whom do we call out to but Jesus our Lord and Savior?
By questioning his disciples’ faith, did Jesus hint that they were not to call Him but handle the situation by themselves since they had been with Him and these things were also possible to them?Then it hit me, not at all! Jesus had no problem with them running to Him. The disciples did the right thing. But look at how the disciples approach Him, “Master, Master we are going to drown.” And this is what Jesus was questioning about their faith. They didn’t say, “Master, the storm is here and we need your help”; or “Master how do we go about this storm, we don’t know what to do. Come and calm it down or we need you”. Their response was, “Master, we are going to drown.”
Often in our lives we act as disciples who should be questioned, “Where is your faith?” We have Jesus with us just as the disciples had Him in the boat but when faced with the storms of life, our plea sometimes is not one of asking for His help; we assume the worst. “Jesus I lost my job I am not going to survive”; instead of “Jesus, I lost my job. How do I go about it?”
When our faith is firm, our first response will not be panic but assurance that the master is with us.
The disciples were in panic when they called Jesus and could only see the problem at hand. But what amazes me even further is there response after Jesus has calmed the storm. In fear and amazement they asked each other, “Who is this man? When he gives a command even the winds and the water they obey Him.”
As I read through this I was like, really? You mean these disciples are wondering who Jesus is and are amazed that He calmed the storm? I couldn’t agree with Jesus any less — where was their faith?
Many are times we go to the Lord in prayer and when He answers us, we are amazed that our prayers were answered. And so I dare ask, “Where is your faith?” For without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him diligently.
