Matthew 8:23-34
This passage is all about fear. Not all fear is sinful for we are commanded to fear God. But often, fear reveals a lack of faith. Our fear of God should cause us to revere Him. However, if it is a sinful fear, it will cause us to run from Him. This passage has five instances of fear. Some of it is godly fear and some of it is sinful fear. But there are lessons to be learned from both.
The disciples had fear of the storm. Storms at sea, or on the Amazon, can be frightening. I don't believe it is sinful to experience fear when we face peril. However, the disciples allowed their fear to lead them into sin. When they saw Jesus sleeping in the midst of the storm, their faith in Him faltered and they accused Him of not caring. How often does that happen in our lives? In the midst of a storm, we allow our circumstance to cause us to question the goodness of God and we stop trusting Him. We must always recognize that He can calm any storm and resolve any circumstance we might face, should He so choose. If He chooses to allow us to stay in the storm we must fight off our fear with unwavering faith in the love and goodness of God.
The disciples had fear of the Lord. When Jesus stood and calmed the sea with His words the disciples were amazed and stood in awe of his power and might. I would love to see a picture of their faces at this moment as they look back and forth from the sea to Jesus and then to one another. This was head shaking, jaw dropping stuff. I believe that this is the type of fear that God wants to see in each of our lives. May we stand in awe of His might, and may we rest secure in His care.
The people had fear of the demons. These demonized men that were living in the grave yards had the people around them living in fear. They wouldn't go near the place, and couldn't get by them. I don't think any of us have a true understanding of demons and there is always a fear of the unknown. But it should be a comfort for us to know that Christ is in total control of this "spirit world."
The demons had fear of judgment. They knew who He was and they knew that they were powerless against Him. The demons were causing mayhem in the lives of these men and the entire place, for that matter. However, they cowered in fear at the face of Christ, and fled in fear at the command of Christ. They live in constant fear of the judgment that is their eternal fate.
The city had fear of Christ. When they saw Christ's authority over the demons, we would expect them to be relieved and rejoice because they had been rescued from this dreadful situation. But they were upset about having lost some pigs. This was a sinful fear. Had it been a godly fear, they would have fallen on their faces in worship. Instead they sought to be free from His presence by asking Him to leave. When men care more about pigs than people and they prefer the presence of demons over the presence of Christ, they have good reason to fear.
When the storms of life blow in we need to flee from fear in faith. When the Lord reveals Himself to us, we need to fall from fear in worship. As long as we face fear in this manner, we will be able to rest secure in His power over our circumstances and allow His loving care to cast out all fear.
The disciples had fear of the storm. Storms at sea, or on the Amazon, can be frightening. I don't believe it is sinful to experience fear when we face peril. However, the disciples allowed their fear to lead them into sin. When they saw Jesus sleeping in the midst of the storm, their faith in Him faltered and they accused Him of not caring. How often does that happen in our lives? In the midst of a storm, we allow our circumstance to cause us to question the goodness of God and we stop trusting Him. We must always recognize that He can calm any storm and resolve any circumstance we might face, should He so choose. If He chooses to allow us to stay in the storm we must fight off our fear with unwavering faith in the love and goodness of God.
The disciples had fear of the Lord. When Jesus stood and calmed the sea with His words the disciples were amazed and stood in awe of his power and might. I would love to see a picture of their faces at this moment as they look back and forth from the sea to Jesus and then to one another. This was head shaking, jaw dropping stuff. I believe that this is the type of fear that God wants to see in each of our lives. May we stand in awe of His might, and may we rest secure in His care.
The people had fear of the demons. These demonized men that were living in the grave yards had the people around them living in fear. They wouldn't go near the place, and couldn't get by them. I don't think any of us have a true understanding of demons and there is always a fear of the unknown. But it should be a comfort for us to know that Christ is in total control of this "spirit world."
The demons had fear of judgment. They knew who He was and they knew that they were powerless against Him. The demons were causing mayhem in the lives of these men and the entire place, for that matter. However, they cowered in fear at the face of Christ, and fled in fear at the command of Christ. They live in constant fear of the judgment that is their eternal fate.
The city had fear of Christ. When they saw Christ's authority over the demons, we would expect them to be relieved and rejoice because they had been rescued from this dreadful situation. But they were upset about having lost some pigs. This was a sinful fear. Had it been a godly fear, they would have fallen on their faces in worship. Instead they sought to be free from His presence by asking Him to leave. When men care more about pigs than people and they prefer the presence of demons over the presence of Christ, they have good reason to fear.
When the storms of life blow in we need to flee from fear in faith. When the Lord reveals Himself to us, we need to fall from fear in worship. As long as we face fear in this manner, we will be able to rest secure in His power over our circumstances and allow His loving care to cast out all fear.
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