Matthew 8:27 Commentary and Bible Study

‘What manner of man is this?’ – the implication is that he is not a mere man. Constantly this truth is dawning on the disciples. They realised he was perfect; they saw no peevish behaviour even under the most testing of circumstances. They saw the wisdom of all his teaching and perfect response to provocation. They saw that the greatest minds of their day were unable to trip him up with their testing questions. They tried to trap him, not into saying something wrong, but saying something right which could be turned against him. Would he dodge them, and give a politician’s answer? No. There was nothing like his answers. He says exactly what he wants to, and his wisdom answered them all, and often at the same time exposed their hypocrisy and put them to shame. ‘Render unto Caesar’, ‘The kingdom of God is among you’, the woman in adultery. You won’t find him anywhere saying what is inconsistent. They never saw any variation in this: it was so wonderful, so majestic. What kind of person was Christ? Michael Faraday, the scientist who made many discoveries in the area of electromagnetism, idolised Humphry Davy. What kind of mount was Davy? Before Faraday met him, he was full of admiration. But then he got job with him, and his idol was shattered. Faraday woke up. But Christ was scrutinised by his disciples at close quarters over a period of three years, and never once did they see irritation, ill-temper, impatience, selfish behaviour. He was perfect. He never put a foot wrong. But now he commands the elements. This seems to have been a way of classifying and evaluating the miracles – a new category of wonders. He raises the dead, but now he speaks directly to the elements, and they marvel, maybe because they are inanimate. He must be the Creator. In this case, there is not even a living agent to hear and respond to his command. This is the same word that spoke and brought the world into existence in the first place, and the wind and sea ‘recognise’ his voice, his authority and they cannot but obey. He can control mighty forces. This must be printed on their minds, and so the storm is allowed to threaten the boat. He spoke to the elements as if they were alive. Why? To show his power over his created world. He was infallible in all his utterances. He knew people’s innermost thoughts; he knew when they were trying to trap him; he knew the future. In time his disciples remembered his words. There is nothing which, with all the scholarship of our days, can show he made a single mistake, whether scientific or connected to human nature – even if you set aside what he said about God which can’t be proved. And his parables – there was never a teacher like Christ. He uses surprise; he disassociates himself from established religion of the day. He held people spellbound. He talked with such authority, but never by rabble rousing, or playing to people’s prejudices or rationalistic views. Even his enemies have to admire his teaching. ‘How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?’ (John 7:15). There was never any who was a leader of men like him. In human society, leaders cannot do much without a pyramid structure. He took group of men for which nothing much could be said, and turned them into a real team. His power to attract followers was so great, that he had to invest effort in turning the insincere away with firm challenges. He did so much single-handed. Think of his courage. There are men with a name for courage, but there are certain things they are afraid of. Christ showed such courage and grit, even though he knew exactly what would happen. He was a ‘big man’ in every way, with no trace of pettiness, not plagued by paranoia. He was a giant among men, and yet had such sensitivity. You don’t often get both together. He could be in the great crowd and someone only had to touch him for him to respond to their need. He had such compassion – when taken to Calvary, the women weep for him, and yet he is sorry for them. The thief on the cross is given salvation even in the last hours of life, and Christ immediately overlooks all that he had just been saying. He prays for his assailants, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34). Think of his dignity and yet surrounded by spite and cunning and pettiness. He heals the crowds; he also goes out of his way to reach ones and twos – the blind beggar in Jericho; the widows of Nain. He is lowly – he washes the feet of the disciples. He has such self-control – he never broke down and whimpered. Every aspect of personality controlled. He supports the disciples. Peter denied him; Christ is not resentful. Thomas did not believe; he is taught to exercise faith. What a statement he makes to Pilate – even though, humanly, Pilate could condemn him to death, yet he tells him the truth. He never changed in kindness and tenderness. The things he did at start of ministry, he did at the end, and we haven’t even begun to consider his divine nature. This miracle was far more than was required. Some say that he was economical with miracles. It is true that across the entire span of history, miracles are rare events, but at his coming there was such a profusion of signs and wonder, and wonders of the most staggering kind, that we can hardly say this during his ministry.