It seems like it would have been a legitimate reaction to the storm on a lake. And it must have been a pretty violent storm if even these fishermen were afraid. But they did something that on second glance seems contradictory: they cried out to Jesus: "LORD, SAVE US! We are perishing!"
This cry reveals two things: that in a pinch, they acknowledged him and called him by his true title: LORD! GOD! even though they may not have known exactly what they were saying! But it was precisely because they did not fully grasp the connection between him and God, him and his Father – who has all power, who is the roaring lion of the first reading today – that their faith was therefore weak – and so they were afraid – and so they called out!
Jesus immediately took them to task and said: YOUR FAITH IS SO WEAK! WHY DID YOU CRY OUT LIKE THAT? WHY WERE YOU SO TERRIFIED?
AFTER BEING WITH ME FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW – ARE YOU STILL SLOW TO BELIEVE THAT I AM DIRECTLY RELATED TO GOD – AND THAT WE CAN DO AMAZING THINGS FOR YOU?
Then Jesus calmed the whole scene down – and the disciples were dumbfounded: "What sort of man is this that the wind and the sea obey him?"
He is their maker!
The point today for us can be this: JESUS IS ALWAYS IN OUR BOAT – even when he seems to be asleep! A simple nod of faith and prayer from the heart can access his power to help in any difficult situation! WE NEED NOT CRY OUT, TERRIFIED, LORD, SAVE ME! All it takes is a simple act of faith, and a simple prayer! All things obey Jesus and his Father – and so we have nothing to fear! – so long as we trust, trust unswervingly, trust constantly, trust simply in the gracious goodness of our God!
I trust in the Lord;
my soul trusts in his word.
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