As we continue looking at the questions Jesus asked, we come to this one: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
Let’s look together at Matthew 8:23-27:
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
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.
And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
When we think about fear, we might define it as a natural response to danger, past experiences, or inner anxieties. Fear can prepare the body to react when something threatens us. In that sense, fear is not always wrong. It can serve a purpose.
That helps us understand what is happening in this passage. The disciples are out on the Sea of Galilee, and a violent storm arises. Several of these men were experienced fishermen. They knew the sea. They knew how dangerous storms could become. The Sea of Galilee is not a huge body of water, but because of its location, strong winds can sweep down suddenly from the surrounding heights and stir up very dangerous waves. The boat was being swamped, and the disciples believed they were in real danger. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep.
What a picture.
I can imagine the panic rising in them as the storm worsened. These were not inexperienced men overreacting to a little wind. These were men who understood what they were facing. At last, in desperation, they woke Jesus and cried out, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
They clearly had enough faith to call on Him. They believed He could help them. But they did not yet understand fully who He was. They were asking for rescue, but they had not yet grasped that the One sleeping in the boat had authority even over the storm itself.
Jesus answered them first with a question: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
At first, that question may seem almost strange. Why were they afraid? The answer seems obvious. They thought they were about to die.
But Jesus was not ignoring the danger. He was exposing the weakness of their faith. His question was not really about the size of the storm. It was about the smallness of their trust.
That takes us back to an earlier question of Jesus: “But who do you say that I am?” Their fear revealed that, in that moment, they had forgotten who was in the boat with them. They had seen miracles. They had heard His teaching. They were learning who He was. But they had not yet come to rest in the truth that the Son of God had authority over all creation.
If all things were made through Him, could He not also command the wind and the waves?
That is an important question for us as well.
Fear often rises from what we see, what we remember, or what we imagine may happen next. Sometimes fear is tied to real danger. Sometimes it grows out of anxiety within us. Either way, Jesus still asks, “Why are you afraid?” His question causes us to examine our hearts. What is the root of my fear? What am I believing in this moment? Have I remembered who He is?
We all face storms in life. Some we handle fairly well. Others leave us shaken, overwhelmed, or nearly paralyzed. In those moments, we may wonder whether God sees us, whether He cares, or whether He will bring us safely through. Yet when we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is, we begin to see that He not only rules over storms in nature, but also over the storms that rage within the human heart.
Jesus then spoke to the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Imagine the stillness that followed.
The disciples’ fear of the storm was suddenly replaced by awe before the One who calmed it. They said, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
In a sense, their fear was being transformed. The terror of circumstance was giving way to the fear of the Lord – not a fear of dread, but of reverence, wonder, and holy recognition. They were beginning to see more clearly who Jesus truly was.
That is how faith grows. As our fear of earthly things is replaced by reverence for the Lord, we begin to grow in wisdom and trust. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Jesus was instructing His disciples through both the storm and the question. They would have been fools to ignore that lesson. Instead, they were being drawn deeper into the knowledge of God.
The same is true for us.
When we read the Word of God, do we do so with open hearts? Do we allow His questions to search us? Do we see Him walking with us through our troubles? Do those moments deepen our trust, or do we move on too quickly and miss the wisdom He is offering?
Jesus still asks, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
May that question drive us not to guilt, but to greater trust. And may the storms we face teach us not only about our fears, but about the greatness of the One who is with us in the boat.
Lord, when fear rises within us, teach us to remember who You are and to trust that You are greater than every storm we face. Amen.
In Christ,
David “PK” VanderKlay