And he said to them: Where is your faith? Who being afraid, wondered, saying one to another: Who is this (think you), that he commandeth both the winds and the sea: and they obey him?
ειπεν δε αυτοις που εστιν η πιστις υμων φοβηθεντες δε εθαυμασαν λεγοντες προς αλληλους τις αρα ουτος εστιν οτι και τοις ανεμοις επιτασσει και τω υδατι και υπακουουσιν αυτω
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 21 commentaries
Luke indeed avoids the question which might be put to him with regard to the order of time, saying, that He went into a ship on a certain day. Now if the storm had arisen when our Lord was awake, the disciples either had not feared, or not believed that He could do such a thing. For this cause He sleeps, giving them an occasion for fear; for it follows, But as they sailed he fell asleep; and there came down a storm of wind on the lake.
‘Who is it?’ They ask this not out of skepticism, but from a place of awe. It is as if they express, ‘Who is this,’ meaning how extraordinary and wondrous He is, and by what authority and strength He performs these acts!
When the disciples saw that all men received help from Christ, it seemed fitting that they themselves also should in turn rejoice in the benefits of Christ. For no one regards that which happens in the person of another equally with that to himself. The Lord therefore exposed the disciples to the sea and the winds, as it follows, Now it came to pass on a certain day that he went into a ship with his disciples; and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake: and they launched forth.
But it seems to have been especially and wonderfully ordained that they should not seek His assistance when first the storm began to affect the boat, but after the danger had increased, in order that the power of the Divine Majesty might be made more manifest. Hence it is said, And they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. This indeed our Lord allowed for the sake of trial, that having confessed their danger they should acknowledge the greatness of the miracle. Hence when their great danger had driven them into intolerable fear, having no other hope of safety but the Lord of power Himself, they awoke Him. It follows, And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, we perish.
But it could not be that they should perish while the Almighty was with them. Christ then arose, Who has power over all things, and immediately quells the storm and the violence of the wind, and the tempest ceased, and there was a calm. Herein He shews Himself to be God, to Whom it is said, Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them (Ps. 89:10.). So then as He sailed, our Lord manifested both natures in one and the same person, seeing that He who as man slept in the ship, as God by His word stilled the raging of the sea.
But together with the raging of the waters, He quiets also the tumult of their souls, as it follows, And he said unto them, Where is your faith? By which word He shewed, that it is not so much the assault of temptation which causes fear, as faint-heartedness. For as gold is proved in the fire, so is faith in temptation.
When the tempest was quelled at the command of Christ, the disciples in astonishment whispered one to the other, as it follows, And they being afraid wondered, &c. Now the disciples said not this as ignorant of Him, for they knew that He was God, and Jesus the Son of God. But they marvel at the exceeding vastness of His natural power, and the glory of His divinity, although He was like to us, and visible in the flesh. Hence they say, Who is this? that is, of what manner of man? how great, and with what great power and majesty? for it is a mighty work, a lordly command, no abject petition.
Matthew says, Master, save us, we perish. Mark, Master, carest thou not that we perish? There is the same expression in all of men awakening our Lord, and anxious for their safety. Nor is it worth while to enquire which of these was most likely to have been said to Christ. For whether they said one of these three, or some other words which no Evangelist has mentioned, but of the same import, what matter is it? Though at the same time this may have been the case, that by the many who awoke Him, all these things were said, one by one, and another by another.
Now this is related by the other Evangelists in different words. For Matthew says, that Jesus said, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? (Matt. 8.) but Mark as follows, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4.) i. e. that perfect faith like the grain of mustard seed. Mark then also says, O ye of little faith; but Luke, Where is your faith? And indeed all these may have been said, Why are ye fearful? Where is your faith? O ye of little faith. Hence one Evangelist relates one, another another.
We are told above, moreover, that He passed the night in prayer. How then does He here fall asleep in a storm? The security of power is expressed, that while all were afraid, He alone lay fearless; but He lay asleep in the body, while in the mind he was in the mystery of divinity. For nothing happens without the Word.
Our Lord therefore, who knew that He came upon earth for a divine mystery, having left His kinsfolk, went up into the ship.
You must remember that no one can pass from the course of this life without temptations, for temptation is the trial of faith. We are therefore subject to the storms of spiritual wickedness, but as watchful sailors we must awake the Pilot, who does not obey but commands the winds, who although He now no longer sleeps in the sleep of His own body, yet let us beware, lest through the sleep of our bodies He is to us asleep and at rest. But they are rightly reproved who feared, when Christ was present; since he surely who clings to Him can in no wise perish.
He then asked them, "Where is your trust? Trust that I am the Deliverer of those in peril, and that it is inconceivable for those to remain in danger where the Deliverer is present." Yet, they turned to one another filled with awe and fear, questioning, "Who is this that commands the winds and the seas, and they obey Him?" This topic is further explored there.
Note: Matthew 8:27
Or, it was not His disciples, but the sailors and others in the ship who wondered.
His disciples also, when summoned, enter in with Him. Hence He says, If any one will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mat. 16:24.) While His disciples are sailing, that is, the faithful passing through this world, and meditating in their minds the rest of the world to come, and by the breath of the Holy Spirit, or also their own exertions, eagerly leaving behind them the unbelieving pride of the world, suddenly our Lord fell asleep, that is, the time of our Lord’s passion was come, and the storm descended.
For when our Lord entered the sleep of death upon the cross, the waves of persecution rose, stirred up by the breath of the devil, but while the patience of the Lord is not disturbed by the waves, the faint hearts of the disciples are shaken and tremble. They awoke our Lord lest they should perish while He slept, because having seen His death they wish for His resurrection, for if that were delayed they would perish for ever. He rises therefore and rebukes the wind, since by His sudden rising again He put down the pride of the devil who had the power of death. (Heb. 2:14.) But He makes the tempest of nature to cease, since by His resurrection He baffled the rage of the Jews, who plotted His death.
In like manner, when He appeared after His death to His disciples, He upbraided them with their unbelief, (Mark 16:14.) and thus having calmed the swelling waves, He made plain to all the power of His divinity.
Mark provides additional details that enhance the richness and clarity of his narrative regarding the event. He uniquely notes that the disciples, after sending away the crowd, took Jesus in the boat as He was, indicating their hasty departure without any preparations for the nighttime voyage across the sea. Furthermore, he points out that there were other boats accompanying them (36). Additionally, he exclusively describes how Jesus was asleep, reclining at the stern (38), and he is the only one to record the exact words Jesus spoke to calm the winds and the sea (39). In this depiction, Matthew and Luke exhibit more similarities with each other.
However, there is a variance in the sequence of events: Matthew narrates that while Jesus was still reclining, He admonished the disciples for their lack of faith and then stood to rebuke the sea and the winds (26), while Mark and Luke depict Jesus rebuking the winds and the sea first (26). According to Mark and Luke, Jesus, after rising, commanded the sea to be silent and then admonished the disciples for their little faith (Mk. 4:39-40; Lk. 8:24-25).
He approached and positioned Himself at the back of the boat, commanding the turbulent storm and the furious waves with authority, saying, ‘Peace, be still.’ Instantly, the wind fell silent, and a profound calm enveloped the sea. After He had listened to everyone, He questioned them, ‘Why are you so afraid, O you of little faith? Is the testimony of John and all the miracles I have performed not sufficient for you to recognize who I am? Do you truly believe that you can be lost amid your own trials? You whom I have chosen to proclaim My message to the world!’ He then turned to His disciples, expressing sorrow, ‘Where is your faith?
This was the inaugural challenge to the apostles’ faith, and they demonstrated a lack of belief: even as they sailed with Jesus Christ, they feared for their lives during the storm, convinced they might be overcome. When the wind and sea immediately submitted to Christ's command, they were filled with bewilderment and great dread, questioning one another, ‘Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’ As noted in Matthew, this inquiry came from those in the boat who were not part of Jesus’ disciples. In contrast, Mark and Luke attribute this remark to the disciples themselves.
When the gentle sparkle of the stars reflected on the calm waters, not only the disciples but also the fishermen whispered in awe, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” This miraculous occurrence serves as a profound illustration of the parables concerning the kingdom of heaven that had just been shared. From this moment, the disciples and all believers should come to understand that the kingdom of heaven, or the church of Christ, resembles a vessel tossed about on the tumultuous sea of the world. Though the waves may rise and threaten to engulf the church, those aboard should remain unafraid. For Christ is present with them, and as long as He is their companion, no powers of darkness can prevail against them.
The account of Jesus calming the storm is presented by Luke, who follows the narrative found in Mark (Mk. 4:37-41). While Mark and Luke share similarities, Matthew's retelling (Mt. 8:23-27) has two notable distinctions. In Matthew's version, the Lord reprimands the disciples for their lack of faith before calming the storm, while in the accounts of Mark and Luke, this admonition occurs afterward. Moreover, Matthew notes that it was ‘the people’ sailing with the disciples who were astonished by the miracle, whereas Mark and Luke highlight that the disciples themselves were the ones amazed. This difference does not affect the authenticity of the event—the timing of the rebuke does not alter the significance, nor does the identity of those expressing amazement diminish the miracle's impact. Both the Apostles and the accompanying individuals undoubtedly felt awe, though the emphasis varies among the Evangelists. For further details, refer to the commentary on Mt. 8:23-27 and Mk. 4:35-41.
Jesus Christ entered the boat, and after releasing the crowd, the disciples followed him into the same vessel. He suggested they journey to the other side of the lake, and they departed. Other boats, belonging to the local fishermen who were reluctant to leave the Divine Teacher, trailed behind. After a long and exhausting day, the Lord grew weary from the extensive discussions and fell asleep at the stern of the boat. Suddenly, a fierce wind emerged from the mountain gorges, stirring up chaos on the lake; waves crashed into the boat, filling it with water and putting the disciples in grave danger. This unforeseen trial was meant to inspire His closest followers to rely on His aid and safeguarding; thus, as St.
John Chrysostom noted, He “yielded to sleep to allow them a chance to feel fear and deepen their awareness of the situation.” In their confusion and terror, the disciples decided to rouse the Lord and urgently called out: “Master, are you disregarding our plight? We are perishing! Master, save us!” When He awoke, He pointed out that their fear stemmed from their lack of faith—their fear was unwarranted with Him present: “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then He stood and commanded the wind and the waves, saying, “Be still, cease!” The storm calmed, the waters became tranquil, and there was a profound silence. “Where is your faith?” the Lord asked them again. “Why are you so frightened?” Now, they were filled with great awe and whispered to one another, “Who is this that even commands the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” They were astonished because, while He appeared to be a man, His deeds were divine. “Who then is this?” The boats accompanying them were either tossed about by the storm or returned to shore.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 28 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS