Advent Day 7

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26)

For a seasoned storm-chaser to fear for their life, the storm must be bad indeed. This was the case with the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. These experienced fishermen knew the water like the back of their hands, or at least they thought they did. But when evening came, the sharkia (Arabic for “shark”) winds for which Galilee is notorious swooped down and overwhelmed the little boat. They were caught in its jaws. At the mercy of the waves, the disciples’ fight-or-flight response kicked in, and they were tempted to give in to their most primal fears.

Fear works like this. It swoops in unexpectedly, threatening to undermine the objective truths of God’s promises. Caught in the jaws of our fears, our lizard brains kick in, and we are tempted to believe the most heinous of lies. “I may as well despair.” “God doesn’t love me.” “This storm is bigger and stronger than Jesus.” Like the disciples, we are brought to the end of ourselves and the only words we can muster are a paltry: “Save us, Lord; we are perishing” (v. 25). Yet, mercifully, these words are enough.

Jesus’ response to his disciples’ fears was immediate: “And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” The disciples were saved not because of their great faith but despite their lack of it. In fact, it was in their darkest hour that help arrived. His word, as always, proved to be truer and stronger than their anxieties. He rebuked the wind and the waves, casting the fear far from their hearts with his authoritative word.

When we were caught in the storm of our sin, God sent a manger-king to rescue us. This Word-made-flesh came in the darkest hour of night when all hope seemed lost: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isa. 9:2).

Jesus casts out the night in and around us, curb-stomps the monsters, and crushes the head of Satan. Caught in the grip of his grace, we are freed from the jaws of despair.

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