Then he got into a boat and his disciples accompanied him. And soon there rose a great storm on the sea, and the boat was besieged by waves. Yet Jesus was asleep. Then his disciples awoke him, saying, “Master, save us, for we will perish.” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith.” Then he got up and admonished the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Thus the men were amazed, saying “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and seas obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27 Lost Gospels)
What does Jesus mean by 'little faith"?
The phrase "of little faith" here is being translated from the Greek word ὀλιγόπιστος (oligopistos), which also means, "trusting too little" according to the lexicon.Most people who read this story focus on Jesus’ calming the winds. However, the bigger lesson was Jesus’ statement about faith.
“You of little faith,” Jesus says. Faith in what? Is he saying they lack faith in Jesus’ ability to calm the winds? Why would he chastise them for having little faith in him when he was sleeping?
Because Jesus is not referring to his disciples’ faith in Jesus’ ability to calm the waves.
Jesus is speaking of a lack of trust in the Supreme Being’s ability to protect them, even in the worst of times, and the worst of calamities. By the disciples worrying about drowning, they were testifying that they had no confidence in God’s ability to protect them.
Jesus' point is that this trust is fundamental in our relationship with God. God is our Creator and our Protector. Why would He not take care of us? God takes care of everyone. This is part of our relationship with Him. This is part of His Personality. Whether we want to admit it or not, not only did the Supreme Being create us, but the Supreme Being is our Best Friend, our Confidant, and our only real Protector. He cares for us as no one else can.
By Jesus’ sleeping through the storm, he illustrated his own trust in the Supreme Being. He did not awaken worried that the storm might drown him.
We must also trust that we are being taken care of by the Supreme Being - even in death. Death is only the discontinuation of this physical body. It is not our actual death. The spirit (each of us) leaves the temporary physical body at the time of death.
However, our destination is ultimately our choice. If we decide now to depend upon God and put our full faith in God, then we will not worry about our destination at the time of death. The Supreme Being will guide us back to Him should we completely rely upon Him.
Should we fear God?
Fear is an expression of self-centeredness. The inner self is worried about the body because the self wants to enjoy this body. The self wants to preserve the body to continue eating, sleeping, and having sex. The self wants to keep the body going to continue living in the dream of potential enjoyment.The problem with this is that the body brings no real fulfillment. It is an illusion of enjoyment. It is like dreaming. Our dreams are transitory. We might feel that we enjoy them for a moment, but as soon as we awaken they disappear. These bodies are traveling through a temporary slipstream of matter more real than a dream, but just as transitory. Thus there is no permanence.
When we see the world as something to enjoy, this is like a mirage. It is like being in a desert and thinking we see the ocean. We reach into the sand expecting water. While thinking we will touch water, we only grab more sand.
Is the material world an illusion?
The material world is like sand in that it is devoid of happiness. It is dry. It contains no real pleasure. It only appears to contain pleasure when we look into the future with expectation. This is what is called temptation.But we can see around us that no one- even the richest movie stars, kings, and presidents who have all the fame and money, and power we seek - is fulfilled. This is illustrated by the drug use, suicides, divorce, and other symptoms of emptiness among those with wealth, fame, and power.
We are still tempted to think that we will be happy if we get those things. This mechanism of the material world to tempt us is often referred to in the scriptures as satan or the devil.
While the mechanism of temptation does exist, it is quite certainly under the Supreme Being’s control. It is a mechanism designed to teach us and test us - to hopefully wake us up from our self-centered illusion that we will be happy without the Supreme Being.
And as for Jesus' ability to rebuke the waves? This ability also came from the Supreme Being: All power and authority come from God because He owns and controls everything.
And as for Jesus' ability to rebuke the waves? This ability also came from the Supreme Being: All power and authority come from God because He owns and controls everything.
“Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but He who sent me is true. You do not know Him, but I know him because I am from Him and He sent me.” (John 7:28-29)
