The disciples were in trouble. They were about half way across the
lake- about 4 miles out.
So, literally they were in the middle of the sea.
It was the worst possible place for them to be. There was no hope for
them to be rescued by anyone else. There were no other boats
available for rescue. There was no way they could swim to shore- if
they tried it they would drown.
The strong wind was blowing. They were fighting heavy
waves. Maybe you are in trouble. Maybe you are
in the middle of a trial right now. Maybe you feel that your
circumstance is against you and you are being tossed about on the waves.
Maybe more than one terrible circumstance is against you.
There is no way out for you. No one wants to come and help you out.
You are running out of hope. You are trapped by your particular circumstance.
It appears that your boat just may turn over and you are going to die.
Maybe you have run out of hope. Everything that you have tried so far
has failed. Maybe that you are up to your neck in trouble. It does not
look good.
These were not just waves- they were violent waves. Maybe your particular
circumstance has to do with violence. There is a lot of violence in
the world today. Christ was not with the disciples. They were about ready to
die because of violence. They had tried the avenue of self sufficiency
in rowing their boat by themselves and found that their efforts had
failed. Maybe you have tried to handle your
particular circumstance in your own way and by your own power and
have failed. Going to God with your circumstance was not your first
priority. The disciples were distressed. Maybe you are distressed.
Matthew Henry says this in his commentary:
"Jesus knew about their storm and He designed wonderful grace
for them."
You and I can expect a God of love to design wonderful grace for us
in the midst of our trial also.
The Geneva Study Bible has this to say:
"We must sail even through mighty tempests, and Christ will
never forsake us, so that we can go wherever he has commanded us to
go. "
Matthew Henry had this to say in his commentary:
"It was a stormy, tempestuous night. The disciples were
afraid when in danger, and, sinking, cried again for help.
The condition that the poor disciples were in at this time:
Their ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves.
We may have fair weather at the beginning of our voyage, and yet
meet with storms before we arrive at the port we are bound for.
Though the wind was contrary, to meet with storms in the way of
their duty..."
John Gill had this to say:
"...for the wind was against them;
which beat the waves with such violence against them, that they were
in the utmost danger of their lives, and not able to get forward;
and what was worst of all, and most discouraging to the disciples,
Christ was not with them.
The ship in which the disciples were, was
an emblem of the church of Christ, and of its state and condition in
this world: this world is like a sea, for its largeness, and the
abundance of nations and people in it, compared to many waters,
(Revelation 17:15) and for the tumultuousness of its inhabitants;
the wicked being like a troubled sea, which cannot rest, continually
casting up the mire and dirt of sin, to the dishonour of God, and the
grief of his people; and for its fickleness and inconstancy, changes
and war being continually in it: now the church of Christ is like a
ship in this troublesome sea; where the true disciples and followers
of Christ are selected together; and are preserved from the
pollutions of the world, and from the danger to which the men of
it are exposed, being in their sins, and liable to the wrath and
curse of God, and eternal damnation; which, they that are in Christ,
and members of his body, are secure from; the port or haven to
which they are bound, is heaven and eternal happiness; their's
and Christ's Father's house, where are many mansions provided for
them; and where they long to be, and hope, and believe, ere long
they shall arrive unto; and hope is as an anchor of their soul,
sure and steadfast: but in the mean while, whilst they are sailing
through the sea of this world, they are often, as the church of old,
tossed with tempests, and not comforted,
(Isaiah 55:11) with the tempests of Satan's temptations, the
storms of the world's persecutions, and with the winds of error
and false doctrine; and then is it most uncomfortable to them,
when Christ is not with them, which was the case of the disciples
here."
(John Gill's Exposition of the Bible)
Distress and Deliverance
An article about anxiety