Minister’s Message: Peace in the storm: When faith overcomes fear
Published 5:30 am Thursday, April 30, 2026
Recently, I visited Washington D.C. to see sites celebrating the U.S.A.’s 250th birthday, and explored the Museum of the Bible. Amidst exhibits detailing the Bible’s 2,000-year history and Dead Sea Scroll fragments, the 1st-century “Jesus boat” stood out. Discovered by farmers in the Sea of Galilee during a 1986 drought, archeologists preserved this ancient 27×7.5-foot vessel. A model and fragments of this typical fishing boat offered a compelling glimpse into the era of His ministry.
In Matthew 8:23-27 we have a recorded lake crossing by Jesus and his disciples in a very similar type boat. Jesus had been preaching about living as citizens in the Kingdom of God and had been healing people physically and spiritually. Many people had gathered around Jesus and sought to be his disciples, but Jesus challenged them to count the cost of following him. He then decided to leave the scene and head for the other side of the great Sea of Galilee. “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep (23-24).”
The disciples willingly follow Jesus into the boat where he falls asleep – humanly tired and divinely secured. The storm was so violent, Matthew describes it using seismos, which is the Greek word for a shaking or earthquake — implying the ocean was violently quaking. This was an epic storm of catastrophic force. “Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm (25-26).”
Fear had overtaken the disciples even as they were with the One who was able to do everything. At least in their panic they ask for help with their Jelly Roll plea, “Somebody, save me!” That “somebody” they know and it is Jesus! Jesus addresses their fear and lack of faith, and then works a miracle of calming the storm. “So the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” (27). Their question was, “Who is Jesus?” and the discovered answer was Jesus is Lord over nature, Lord over chaos and Lord over every storm.
When we know who Jesus is and have faith in Him it transforms the way we respond. Storms will come even when we follow Jesus. Fear reveals weak faith and Jesus calls his followers to trust Him as He has authority over every storm. Knowing who Jesus is transforms how we respond, and because Jesus has the authority and can be trusted, we can trust the authority of Jesus — not the size of your storm. What storm are you in, coming out of or going in to? Bring it to Jesus and trust faith over fear.
Frank Alioto is the Pastor of Roots Family Church and serves as a chaplain in our community.
