Luke 8:24, commentary and pictures

On a night crossing for rest after dismissing the multitude, Jesus slept exhausted on the fisherman's boat while a sudden furious storm overwhelmed even skilled fishermen until the boat was filling and they despaired of saving themselves. Absorbed in saving themselves they had forgotten He was on board, but when strength and skill failed they remembered Him as their only hope and woke Him with a terrified cry that they perished. Though thunder could not wake Him, their cry reached His heart, and He arose without alarm and rebuked the wind and raging water, which obeyed His voice because nature recognizes her Lord, so that a sudden great calm ended the danger for them and the other boats with them. The stilling shows His divine authority equal with the Father and His absolute control over wind and waves, the same power by which He confronts Satan and brings peace to minds oppressed by him. Their fear revealed unbelief and self-reliance, for they should have called on Him at first instead of struggling alone, yet He hears even a late earnest cry and gives the deliverance He knows is best, teaching believers in every tempest of temptation and peril on the sea of life to remember Jesus is on board and call on Him to save.

Storm Setting and Rescue

The crossing took place at night after dismissing the multitude, to go to the desert side of the sea for rest from fatigue, while other boats full of people followed to learn more of doctrine. Wearied from long and arduous labors and relieved for a time from the claims of the multitude, Jesus stretched Himself upon the hard plank of the fisherman's boat and slept. The calm and pleasant weather changed suddenly after sunset into dark clouds and a furious storm such as often visited there. Blackness of night settled on the water, with angry waves dashing against the ship and threatening every moment to engulf it.

The vessel was tossed on the crest of a mountain billow then plunged into the trough until it sprang a leak and filled fast with water amid hurry and confusion. Even the strong and courageous fishermen, skilled in managing their craft and experienced in the changing moods of the sea, knew not what to do. The boat became unmanageable and must drive before the gale, with the deck flooding and wave after wave filling the ship. Though the disciples did all they could to save themselves and the ship, helpless in the grasp of the tempest they looked into one another's faces and found only discouragement and despair, seeing the boat sinking and despairing of saving themselves.

Absorbed in their efforts to save themselves, they had forgotten that Jesus was on board. Suddenly they came to their senses and remembered at whose command they had set out to cross the sea, and that in Jesus was their only hope. Just as all hope was leaving them they remembered He was with them, recognizing Him as their only hope when their own strength and skill failed. They turned to Him with a terrified, agonized, urgent cry in accents of despair that they perished, fearing they would die and appealing for rescue.

As an exhausted man the thunder of the elements could not wake Him from sleep, and at first there was no response to their cry. Then a flash of lightning revealed Him sleeping in the boat. One alarmed touch and agonized cry reached His heart, and arousing Him He was instantly upon His feet.

He arose without alarm as a commander to be obeyed and rebuked the wind and the raging water. The winds and waves obeyed His voice because nature recognizes the voice of her Lord and Master. They ceased into a sudden, great and perfect calm on which the boat rested. His command ended terror and danger for the disciples and the other boats nearby, saving His followers, and the witnessed stilling filled those aboard with reverence and awe.

Divine Authority Displayed

The waking in terror as the storm threatened to sink the boat was answered when Jesus rose and by divine authority rebuked the wind and the raging water into a sudden calm. He rose without alarm as a commander to be obeyed, speaking with authority equal with the Father, and the winds and waves obeyed His voice into a perfect calm because nature recognizes the voice of her Lord and Master. Skilled, experienced fishermen could not save themselves when the boat became unmanageable and filled wave after wave, but His command ended the danger and filled witnesses with reverence and awe. He is the One who commands the winds and the waves and they obey Him, with glory and majesty surrounding Him in all His ways, holding absolute control over wind and waves and stilling the tempest and calming the sea by His command. The scene of the disciples buffeting the waves vividly impressed the reality of the tempest, while the stilling of it showed His power over wind and water, giving courage amid danger.

The stilling of the storm by His command was witnessed by those who crossed the lake with Him as evidence of His power and supremacy. The disciples later remembered that exercise of divine power over wind and sea as evidence that He was the Son of God. The same authority that rested the waves at His command enabled Him to stand calmly before the demons and deliver the men they tormented. That authority over the storm reveals the power by which He confronts and conquers Satan and by which He also brings peace to minds distracted and oppressed by Satan.

Those who heard of His control of the elements and His stilling of the tempest still asked Him to leave, because concern over property outweighed the good of having Him among them. The disciples who remembered His divine power over wind and sea expected Him to use that power to escape His enemies and disperse the crowd, not understanding that He would willingly suffer and die.

Trusting Jesus in Trouble

The terrified cry came only after the disciples had exhausted their own efforts to save themselves, having forgotten that Jesus was with them in the boat. Their fear in that moment exposed unbelief and self-confidence, for they had struggled alone and relied only on their own strength and skill instead of calling on Him at the first sign of danger. Jesus Himself had no fear for His own safety, for His concern was for them. As He rested by faith in the Father's care, so His followers are to trust their Saviour when danger threatens.

Though He sorrowfully reproves unbelief, fear, and self-reliance, He still hears an earnest, humble cry even when He is sought only after self-effort has failed. He accepts humble petitions and responds to faith, so that a soul's plea for help is never ignored. He gives the help that is needed and the deliverance He knows is best. His power over wind and waves in that stilling gives courage amid danger.

In times of danger and peril, people may remember that He was present with His disciples in like peril. He is present still to hear the agonized cry of those who trust Him. He will not forsake those who trust in Him.

The miracle was wrought for present believers as well as for the disciples then, and their experience is repeated. The wind and waves, the flashing lightning and sweeping seas, are the tempests of temptation and the dangers of the sea of life. In such times people battle alone, forgetting that One can help, trusting in their own strength until hope is lost and they are ready to perish. Then remembering Jesus and calling upon Him to save never cries in vain. Living faith in the Redeemer smooths the sea of life, removes need for fear on land or on sea, brings peace through trials, and delivers from danger in the way He knows to be best, picturing how faith in Him can calm the troubles of life.

In seasons of trouble, confusion, and helplessness, when human strength and skill avail nothing and no human being on earth can help, the remedy is to remember that Jesus is on board. The answer then is to pray together and call on Him instead of speaking words of retaliation when not knowing which way to turn under pressure. God's people should make Him their trust and dependence and go to Him for help, instead of laying their burdens on finite minds and human hearts. Weakness comes because God has been lost sight of, and the help received from human helpers is only like the helpers sought.

Jesus is on board the ship of God's cause as Chief Director, able to command the winds and the waves and to guide His bark safely into port. Because the cause belongs to the Lord, His workers are only to obey His orders and do what He says, without worry, anxiety, or trouble. God has not forsaken His commandment-keeping people working in His lines, but gives them His richest endowments of reason and reasoning.