Matthew 8:18-27

Matthew 8:18-27
We have seen so far in this chapter several wonderful miracles that Jesus performed. He healed the man with leprosy, the Centurion's servant, and Peter's mother-in-law. Also, He drove out evil spirits and healed many others.

In vv. 18-22, Jesus warned His followers that their lives would not be easy, and that they would have to make a major commitment. It would take personal sacrifice without much in the way of earthly comfort or reward. Jesus' comment in v. 21 to the man who requested time to go bury his father may seem troubling. It is not likely that Jesus is refusing the man's going to his father's funeral. It's more likely that Jesus, who knew the man's heart, saw that this was an excuse. Perhaps he was worried about the family business or his inheritance. It's not clear, but we do know from other scriptures that Jesus always taught respect for parents.

In v. 22, the phrase "let the dead bury their own dead," means to let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead and take care of other earthly cares as well.

vv. 23-27 show us that Jesus had power over the physical world. "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" The disciples were experienced sailors and fishermen and they had witnessed many of Jesus' miracles, and yet they were still afraid. And so when we have fears of our own, we are in good company! It's good for us to remember that God can control the storms of nature, and He can control the storms of life as well. The same God who calmed this storm can calm our hearts too. Let's not be people of "little faith."

Romans 10:17 "...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." If we are to be people of great faith, we must be students of the Word!