March 4

Fourth Monday after Epiphany

And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? S. Matthew 8:25, 26.

OUR blessed Lord does not reprove His disciples for having recourse to Him in their distress, for that was surely an act of faith in them, but for their being so "fearful;" the greatness of their fears showed the littleness of their faith. Consider in this and like cases what it is which Christ disapproves of. The boat was filled with water; there was every appearance of most imminent danger, and we are not to expect that God will work a miracle to save us. To look upon death as approaching when we see every sign that it is near, cannot be the want of faith here complained of. To be "fearful," to be full of fear and alarm in such danger, is the thing reproved. An entire trust in God, and acquiescence in His gracious will, would teach us to commit ourselves altogether into His hands either for life or death. This is the true courage which faith gives, not a confidence that we shall not die, but a repose in God's will, whether we die or live. For instance, at the time of our Lord's death the disciples failed from this fearfulness and want of faith; they "all forsook Him and fled," and one of them denied Him from this fearfulness; and yet the danger was as great as could be conceived; they could have apprehended nothing so terrible as what was about to occur, that their Lord should be put to death, and such a death—scourged and crucified! And yet if their faith in His Godhead had been great and steadfast they would not have feared, they would not have forsaken or denied Him from fear.

Humbly trusting, humbly plead The Promises of God!