Christ’s power over nature
July 1, 2025 - Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Matt 8:23-27
In biblical thought, the sea is often seen as a threat to life and only God can control its power (Ps 104:6–9). In apocalyptic literature, the depth of the sea is associated with a dwelling place of evil (see Daniel 7:3; Rev 13:1). The image of the boat brings to mind the ark of Noah (Gen 6:9–9:17) and the ark built by Moses’ mother that saved her son’s life (Ex 2:3). Here, the boat symbolizes the Church. Notice that Jesus is the first to enter and “His disciples followed Him” (Matt 8:23).
Being asleep, Jesus reminds us of another biblical figure sleeping during the storm, the prophet Jonah. Yet, “something greater than Jonah is here” (Matt 12:41). Fearful disciples exemplify those, who “went down to the sea in ships” and whose courage “melted away”. In their distress they cried to the Lord “and He delivered them”. Jesus is the Lord who makes the storm still and the waves of the sea hushed (Ps 107:23–30).
The phrase “little faith” can be rendered as “trusting too little”. Faith and fear cannot exist together. We have already heard the criticism, “you of little faith”, concerning anxieties (Matt 6:30) and we shall hear it again later when the disciples will worry about not having enough bread with them (Matt 16:8). It is also worth noting that the criticism comes first and calming of the storm second (Matt 8:26; but see Mark 4:39–40). With Christ on board, not even the gates of hell can prevail against the Boat - Church (Matt 16:18).
During the storm, the sailors woke up Jonah so he could pray to his God for their deliverance (Jonah 1:5–6). What kind of help did the disciples expect from the Lord? Certainly not the one they experienced. Here Jesus ‘rebukes’ the sea, later He will ‘rebuke’ the devil (Matt 17:18) and even Peter (Mark 8:33). The instant calming of the sea made the disciples marvel and ask about Christ’s identity. The question, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matt 8:27), is constructed in such a way that there is only one answer.
In calming the sea, Jesus doesn’t just prove His power—He reveals His identity: the Lord of creation, the One whom wind and sea obey.