What kind… (Matthew 8:27) 240908
And the men marveled, saying, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:27)
Jesus did miracles. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and commanded the storm to calm down. What kind of a man Jesus is? Miracles performer? The disciples were marveled by Jesus, for He did not only can heal and revive, but had control over the nature! This was marvelous! What kind of a man Jesus is? Superman from far away Krypton or one of the DNA-mutated X-Men? Someone with supernatural power to control weather, like Storm in X-Men?
I am not very much into these superheroes stuffs, and I definitely do not believe that any of these is true. These are merely made real by Hollywood and other media producers. But I do marvel at the creativity of the creators of these super-powered human beings. And I am even more marveled by the fact that people are so attracted to these made-believed characters. This is desire of humanity; we need a savior with supernatural power to deliver us from wherever we are.
When the disciples saw what Jesus had done and did right before their eyes just before verse 27, they were marveled. They were marveled because Jesus had authority even over the winds and the sea; the natures had to obey Him. What kind of a man is Jesus? They had got the question both right and wrong.
Jesus is fully man, a perfect man, an imprint of the image of God which is marred within the hearts of all humanity. I believe that if Adam and Eve had not sinned against God, they too, including me, would also enjoy such authority over the winds and the sea and all of the creations which God had put under the charged of man. But we had lost it all. We can now only marvel at Jesus who can do it.
Jesus is also fully God. The disciples should say: What kind of God is Jesus? Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is over and above all things. He is for sure to have authority over all things, include the winds and the sea.
As the disciples asked: What kind of a man is Jesus? Jesus also wants to ask: What kind of disciples they are? What kind of disciples we are? What kind of disciple you are? In the context of the passage right before this verse, it was about Jesus dishing out some discipleship testing and faith testing. If we have such a all-powerful God who has promised us that the same authority and power are given to us together with the Holy Spirit indwelling within us, what kind of disciple should we be?
What will be the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning knowing that you have to drag yourself to work as there are thousand-and-one things for you complete? Worried? Anxious? Or angry with your boss, so curse him first? How about thanking Jesus for the brand new day to face your challenges together with Him, and have the opportunity to marvel at the miracles He is about to do today?
What will be the first thing you do when you are sick? Consult a doctor? Why not ask Jesus to heal, since you have read that He heals and believe that Jesus is God who heals? Sometime we simply do not act in consistent with our beliefs. We have intellectualized Jesus with our theology and leave Him inside our head, but never willing to believe that Jesus is still the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I think Jesus is also marveled at our unbelief (remember that I wrote something on “No wonder Jesus also wondered…”).
There are many people who have been sick around me lately. I love these people dearly, they are my family members and some are from my small group. But I believe that God loves them more than I do. Besides giving some practical advice and showing care to them, I can only fast and pray for them. I am waiting for God to heal them. He could use the hands of doctors, but He also can do it just by Himself.
What kind of God is Jesus? He is a loving God. But what kind of disciple you are? Believers only or followers of Jesus in faith? I want to follow Jesus in faith, not only believing that He will heal, but I want to be marveled at His healing, because Jesus is my only, and the only, superhero.
HHS…
Abel…
