God is Riding With Us
By Abba Jimmy (Theoloscience).
Jesus rebukes the apostles not because of their no faith but rather because of their “ineffective,” “defective,” or “deficient” faith.
The typical reaction when we are surprised by a seismic earthquake is fear. Since the apostles are regular human beings, they are terrified when the storm, the waves, and perhaps the tsunami find them in the sea.
Why was this incident or story recorded in chapter 8 of Matthew? So that the apostles and us will elevate our understanding of who Jesus is so that they and us will comprehend that Jesus has power over the forces of nature. When we clearly understand Jesus’s identity and realize He controls the natural order, we will have a firm and sturdy faith in Him.
To grow in understanding the divine authority of the Son of God also means to grow in awareness that God is always present. God, the Creator of the universe, knows everything — thus we should never forget that God is omniscient. The Creator knows everything all the time. Hence, God is always aware of where we are, what we think, what storms stir our spirit, and what kind of earthquakes shake our ground. As disciples of Jesus, we know that many enemies try to engulf us and tremble the land where we stand. Yes, our enemies cause cyclones and earthquakes, yet God is always present. We can and should cry out like the apostles, but without fear: “Save us, Lord, because we are about to perish.”
And there are times when the tests (the storms) increase. As mentioned above, earthquakes and hurricanes erupt from many sources, but the evil one is one of the leading causes. Also, the world’s allurements, inner turmoil, and concupiscence cause us many internal earthquakes.
The good news is that despite the many upheavals that swamp our boat, those evil forces are subject to God’s power and dominium. God has total control over creation. Therefore, we can trust in God. That is why our faith in God must be firm and sturdy at all times. But especially in times of turmoil.
The reflection of Matthew 8:23–27 leads me to place and maintain my eyes on the the Son of God at all times and all places. Whether He might be asleep or awake, I know He is there by my side. You can say the same. All Christian communities can say the same. It is a fact. God is here with us. He is in our boat. God is riding with us.
