LESSON: PSALM 31:1-8

When I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

The Gospel (of the stilling of the tempest) consoles and emboldens us in two ways. When we encounter persecution for the sake of God’s Word, we may say, “Christ is in the ship, and, therefore, the sea and the wind rage, and the waves fall on the ship and try to sink us. But let them rage! God’s purposes stand fast: the wind and the sea owe Him obedience. Persecution will last no longer than He wills it. Even if persecutions come upon us, they must still be subject to Him. He is Lord of all things, and hence nothing can really harm us. O that He would help us, so that we do not become faint-hearted in unbelief! Amen.”

The fact that the men marveled and praised the Lord because the wind and sea were subject to Him indicates that the Gospel, God’s Word, spreads further and further and becomes stronger through persecution. Faith also increases under such conditions.

This seems very strange when we compare this situation with secular benefits. These decline when misfortune strikes and opposition is encountered; they increase under good fortune and peaceful conditions. Christ’s kingdom is strengthened in tribulation and declines under peace and comfortable conditions, as St. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians: “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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PRAYER: Lord God, our loving heavenly Father, make true the assurances of help and support, which you have so often given us in your Word, so that, in every need, we cling to these assurances in and through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

LESSON: HEBREWS 4:14-16

And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” Matthew 8:27

In the Gospel of the stilling of the tempest (Matthew 8:23-27), we are reminded where to seek consolation and help in the hour of need. This is not available to us in the world; human skill and might offer no protection.

Christ alone is the helper in the hour of need. We must turn to Him in all our needs with trust and confidence, as the disciples do here. Had they not believed that He would help them, they would not have awakened Him and cried to Him for help. True, their faith was still weak and mixed with much unbelief. They experienced a certain amount of hesitation in committing their safety and lives into His keeping. They were not so sure that He could rescue them in the midst of the sea and snatch them from the jaws of death. The disciples could not command or demand help because of their faith.

From all this we can conclude that God’s Word has no master or judge; it requires no protector apart from God Himself. It is His Word. Therefore, just as He has sent His Word forth without human merit or counsel, so He also wants to operate with it and protect it without human help and strength. The man who puts his faith in human help loses out in two directions: he finds no help from God or men.

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PRAYER: Be near us and help, Lord Jesus, in every hour of need, especially when our faith weakens, for the sake of your mercy, truth, and grace. Amen.

LESSON: ROMANS 5:1-5

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. 1 John 5:4

Must we not declare that faith which can withstand such mighty enemies as death and the devil, and carry off the victory, is something surpassingly great and wonderful? It is, indeed, as John says, “the victory that overcomes the world.” 1 John 5:4.

Not that all this comes to pass in peace and quietness. This involves a battle which cannot be fought without bloody wounds. In this strife the heart also feels sin, death, the flesh, the devil, and the world so strongly, that it cannot help thinking that all is lost, that sin and death have gained the victory and the devil is on top. It feels little of the power of faith.

This is also the state of affairs in this Gospel of the stilling of the tempest (Matthew 8:23-27), when the waves not only buffet the ship, but actually engulf it. It appears that the ship must go down and sink. All this time Christ is lying asleep. There is no hope of life here: death is on top and has scored a victory. Life is lying vanquished. But this is only how matters stand if one judges solely by appearances. As disciples of Christ, we must not draw conclusions and act simply on appearances, but by faith.

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PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, appearances and experiences in this world so often belie our hopes as your disciples. At such times fill our hearts with courageous faith and hope which never falter but cling even more firmly to you when dark clouds hover above us. Amen.

LESSON: 1 PETER 5:6-11

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Who can withstand the ragings of the devil with his countless cunning suggestions and insinuations by which he hinders God’s Word, faith and hope, and occasions so many errors and sects, and so much seduction, heresy, despair, and superstition – abominations without number? Over against the devil, the whole world is like a spark of fire in a spring of water. The world perforce is subject to the devil, as we also see, hear, and comprehend.

But faith gives the devil something to think about. It not only withstands his temptations, but also exposes his villainy so that his treachery does not succeed at all. He becomes wearied and gives up. We see this also today from what is happening with indulgences.

Similarly, no one can appease and quiet the slightest sin; it keeps on biting and gnawing at one’s conscience so that no help would come even if the whole world would comfort and stand by such a person. He would have to be consigned to hell.

Here faith emerges as a real hero; it quiets all sins even if they were as many as the whole world has committed.

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PRAYER: We know that your salvation, O Lord, is sufficient for the needs of all sinners. In this confidence grant us the strength of faith to withstand all the wiles of the devil when he tries to fill our hearts with unbelief and to rob us of the faith that saves us. Amen.

LESSON: JOHN 15:18-27

Whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. 1 John 5:4

God so arranges matters that our faith is not called upon to concern itself with unimportant matters, but with matter which exceed the competence of all men, matters such as death, sin, the world, and the devil.

There is no one in the whole world who can withstand death. All men flee from death and quake in terror before it. Nevertheless, they are overtaken by death. But faith remains firm and stands up against death which gobbles up the whole world. It conquers death and devours this ravenous glutton.

So also, the whole world cannot constrain or suppress the flesh. It is in control of the whole world and what it wills must happen, so that the whole world is fleshly. But faith takes hold of the flesh and subdues it. Faith bridles the flesh into obedience.

Similarly, no man can endure the raging, persecution, blasphemy, reproach, hatred, and jealousy of the world. Every man gives way and becomes exhausted. The world gains the upper hand and carries off the victory. It makes a mockery of faith and treads it under foot, and even finds joy and pleasure in all this.

Faith alone is the victory that overcomes the world.

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PRAYER: We know, O Christ, that by your glorious resurrection from the dead you have conquered and destroyed death as far as we are concerned. Keep us ever mindful of this truth, especially in the hour of death and amidst the ragings of the world. Amen.

LESSON: MATTHEW 8:23-27

Why are you afraid, O men of little faith? Matthew 8:26

In what does the unbelief of the disciples consist? It sees no more than it feels! Life and safety are no longer in their feelings – there is nothing here but the waves crashing over the ship, and the sea which threatens all kinds of danger and death. While they feel all this, and concern themselves with it unremittingly, the terror, the trembling and the faint-heartedness do not abate. The more they pay attention to all this and feel it, the harder does death and fear drive them on and threaten to engulf them at every moment.

Unbelief cannot rid itself of such feelings, and it cannot think otherwise even for a moment. It has nothing at all to which it can cling for comfort. Unbelief can have no peace and quiet even for a moment. This is how things will be also in hell where there is nothing but sheer trembling and terror without end.

Had there been real faith among the disciples, they would have put the wind of the waves of the sea out of their minds. Instead of allowing the wind and the storm to claim all their attention, they would have remembered God’s might and grace pronounced in His Word. They would have put their trust in them as though they were on a firm rock in the midst of the moving waters, as though the sun was shining brightly and all was peace without any storm at all.

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PRAYER: You know, O God, how often we are beset in this life by various trials and temptations. Strengthen our faith through your means of grace, that we may always emerge from these trials chastened and strengthened, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: 1 THESSALONIANS 2:13-16

When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Matthew 8:10

The words of Jesus to the centurion have caused no end of trouble to the commentators. They have raised the question whether Jesus really told the truth in these words. On the basis of these words, one would have to infer that the mother of Jesus and His apostles were inferior to this centurion.

I would like to point out here that Christ is speaking of the people of Israel to whom He had preached and to whom He had come, and that His mother and apostles are really excluded because they were normally a part of His company. Nevertheless I will still stick quite simply to the words of the Lord and take them just as they read.

It is not contrary to any article of the faith to believe that the faith of this centurion did not have any parallel among the apostles or even in the faith of God’s mother. Where Christ’s words do not conflict openly with an article of faith, we must allow them to stand just as they read, and not twist them or guide them by our expositions and interpretations, not even for the sake of a saint, or an angel, or even for God’s own sake. For God’s Word is the very truth above all saints and angels.

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PRAYER: Your Word, O God, is the truth and the whole truth. Grant us, at all times, such a faith that we trust you fully in your Word and derive from it the full confidence of salvation in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LESSON: MATTHEW 6:5-15

Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. Matthew 8:2

This modest prayer of the leper must not be understood as an expression of doubt in Christ’s goodness and grace. For such a faith would be quite worthless, even if he did believe that Christ was almighty and able to do all things in His omniscience. A living faith which does not doubt also believes that God is good and that He has the gracious will to perform what we pray for. Faith never doubts that God in His good will is always favorably inclined towards us, that His intentions and purposes for us are always good.

We do not always know, however, whether our welfare will really be promoted by what we ask in our prayers. God alone knows this. The prayer of faith leaves everything to God’s gracious will, requesting that He grant our petition if it will serve His honor and our real need. The prayer of faith never doubts that God will hear our prayer. If God does not answer the prayer, faith believes that God did not answer because of His grace towards us, and because He deemed it better for us to leave the prayer unanswered.

In all this, our faith in God’s good and gracious will remains sure and steadfast, whether He answers our prayer or not. Paul reminds us of this when he says that we know not what or how we should pray (Romans 8:26). Likewise, we pray in the Lord’s Prayer for His will to be done.

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PRAYER: Bestow your grace upon us, O Lord, that we always have the confidence to bring all our needs before you in prayer and supplication and, at the same time, have the assurance that you will hear and answer our prayer according to your will. Amen.