O You Of Little Faith

O you of little faith. Could there be a more terrifying statement to come from the mouth of Jesus? For the disciples to be told by Jesus that they were of little faith had to, at the very least, confuse them, but more likely became a source of angst and fear. It is easy for us to look upon this incident and sit in judgment of the disciples; however, are we much different than them? Are there not times in our lives when we cry out to the Lord, fearful that he is asleep as we are perishing?

O You Of Little Faith

Gospel - Matthew 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,

so that the boat was being swamped by waves;

but he was asleep.

They came and woke him, saying,

"Lord, save us! We are perishing!"

He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,

and there was great calm.

The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this,

whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

Scriptural Analysis

The disciples who follow Jesus across the lake immediately have their faith put to the test. The boat is caught in a storm, and the waves are swamping it. The disciples fear for their lives, but Jesus is asleep in the boat. They cry out to the Lord, “Save Us!” They surrender to the fears for which Jesus reprimands them, accusing them of being of little faith. This ties them to those he mentioned earlier who are filled with anxiety and are lacking trust in their Heavenly Father.

The Sea of Galilee was subject to squalls; however, more than just rough seas threatened the disciples. If you examine the original Greek, translated here as a violent storm, it literally means “a great shaking,” referring to an earthquake. This is a common Old Testament image of the tribulations that God’s people would face in the end times. Jesus also rebukes the wind and the sea. The word used here for rebuke is also used elsewhere to describe Jesus rebuking the evil spirits in an exorcism. This suggests that perhaps demonic spirits are involved in this incident.

The calm that immediately comes over the sea at the command of Jesus demonstrates his authority over the powers that stirred the winds and water. It shows that Jesus possesses the power of the creator, who alone can tame the sea. This is why the disciples, who have already witnessed several miracles performed by Jesus, are amazed by this one. They ask, What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

Daily Application

Being at sea in a boat is an excellent metaphor for life. When we are born, we embark on a journey until our Lord calls us home. Hopefully, that journey is towards him, but for some, it is away from him. That journey is not always easy. As anybody who has lived for any length of time knows, life has its storms. There are times when our boat takes on water, when things go bad, and we begin to get frightened. The question for us to ponder is how do we respond in these times.

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The disciples respond in fear. They see the Lord asleep in the boat and act as if he is not entirely in charge. Recall during the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Jesus is telling the disciples and us that God is fully aware of our needs and what is going on in our lives. We are still called to share these things with our Lord in prayer, but when we cry out, do we cry out to him in faith, knowing that all things are happening according to His Holy Will, and we resign ourselves to that? Or do we call out to him in doubt as if he is no longer actively involved in our affairs?

Now, never losing faith is easier said than done. In our fallen nature, fear can take hold of us and cause us to doubt. In those moments, perhaps an ideal response is to turn to our Blessed Mother. Her life was filled with storms, so she knows what our human experience in this fallen world is like. Yet our Blessed Mother remained firm in her faith. When we doubt or are unsure of how to approach our Lord, Mary will lead us to Him as she always does. Then share your struggles and challenges with the Lord in faith. Set your fears aside. Know that God is fully aware of all and knows what you need. Trust that he will answer your prayers in the time and way he knows is best for you, for your salvation.