Reading: Matthew 7-9
And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him (Matt. 8:25-27)!
What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him! This question, while it might have been expected had it come from a bystander witnessing one of Jesus' miracles for the first time, is somewhat disappointing when we hear it coming from His disciples. In saying, What manner of man is this, the disciples revealed that they followed, loved, and trusted Him, but they had yet to fully grasp who He was or what He was offering. While they believed that God had sent Him, they did not understand that He was their Messiah, Savior, and Lord.
At the time this question was posed, these men had already borne witness to many miracles, ranging from turning water into wine to bringing life back to the dead (Matt. 8:1-15; Mark 1:21-27; Luke 7:11-17; John 2:1-11; 4:43-54). They had heard their Master teach, both privately and publicly, about the all-encompassing will of God, and they had listened to His promises of grace and mercy. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Matt. 7:7-8). Yet, despite all of this, they still did not understand the full truth. Why?
The Disciples had come as far as human understanding could bring them. They had willingly opened their hearts and their minds. They had sought out God’s teachings and immersed themselves in His Word. They had readied themselves to receive one of God’s most precious gifts, the gift of faith. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). They stood at the edge of a spiritual precipice, needing only that one final nudge from God to push them over into complete understanding.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). He is the Son of God, and, at the same time, He is God. He is the fulfillment of every promise the Lord has ever made. He has dominion over every speck of life on this planet (John 3:25; Eph. 1:21-22), right down to the tiniest bug, and He is our touchpoint to God. By the terrible day of His crucifixion, His disciples had begun to see Him clearly (Matt 16:16), and after His glorious resurrection, all of them finally understood. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God (John 20:28).
Our Lord could have fully revealed Himself at any time, yet He chose to lead His disciples through a journey of discovery for the benefit of future generations. Thanks to the experiences of these men, the Gospels lay out for us, from start to finish, any answer we will ever need to the question, What manner of man is this? As we open our hearts and minds to the study of the Word of God, we open ourselves to the gift of faith it contains.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6).
Thought For Today:God leads us by the hand down the path of salvation, but we must choose to hold on.
Cross Reference: For Matt. 7:23: See Ps. 6:8. Matt. 8:4: See Lev. 14:1-32. Matt. 8:17: See Is. 53:4. Matt. 9:13: See Hos. 6:6.
Word Studies:7:2 ye mete = you measure out, give; 7:3 mote = tiny, insignificant speck; beam = such as judgmental unloving self-righteousness, pretending to have a character one does not possess; 7:6 rend = to tear apart; 8:31 suffer = permit; 9:9 receipt of custom = tax collector's office; 9:10 sat at meat = sat down to a meal; 9:36 fainted = were distressed by the burden of the rituals and rules of the scribes and Pharisees; scattered abroad = thrown down, confused, deceived, neglected by the self-righteous leaders who were more concerned about keeping their own position than helping others.
Pray For Country: Cook Islands (10,134) South Pacific Ocean • Major Languages: English, Rarotongan • Religious Freedom • 62.8% Protestant; 17% Roman Catholic; 4.4% Mormon; 8% Other; 5.6% None; 2.2% No Response • Prayer Suggestion: Recognize the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness, and praise Him (Ps. 100:4-5).