^A Matthew 8:18-27; ^B Mark 4:35-41; ^C Luke 8:22-25.

^b 35 And that day, { ^c one of those days,} ^b when the even was come [about sunset], ^a when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. { ^b he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side.} [Wearied with a day of strenuous toil, Jesus sought rest from the multitude by passing to the thinly settled on the east side of Galilee.] ^a 19 And there came a scribe [Literally, one scribe. The number is emphatic; for, so far as the record shows, Jesus had none of this class among his disciples], and said unto him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes [caves, dens], and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man [Daniel's name for the Messiah— Daniel 7:10-13] hath not where to lay his head. [This scribe had heard the wonderful parables concerning the kingdom. He, like all others, expected an earthly kingdom and sought to have a place in it. Jesus so replied as to correct his false expectations.] 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [This disciple must have been one of the twelve, for these only were required to follow Jesus (Mark 3:14). It may have been James or John, whose father, Zebedee, almost certainly died before Jesus did. He may have just heard of his father's death. [6] ] 22 But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead. [Let the spiritually dead bury the naturally dead. This was a very exceptional prohibition, intended to show not that it was ordinarily wrong to stop for burying the dead, but wrong when in conflict with a command from Jesus. God bids us recognize the claims of filial duty, but rightfully insists that our duties toward him are superior to those due our parents.] ^c 22 Now it came to pass that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples; ^a 23 And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. ^c and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake: and they launched forth. ^b 36 And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. [They took Jesus without any preparation for the journey. The crowd, doubtless, made it inconvenient to go ashore to get provisions.] And other boats were with him. [The owners of these boats had probably been using them to get near to Jesus as he preached. They are probably mentioned to show that a large number witnessed the miracle when Jesus stilled the tempest.] ^c 23 But as they sailed he fell asleep. [knowing his labors during the day, we can not wonder at this]: ^b 37 And there ariseth ^c and there came down ^b a great storm of wind, ^c on the lake; ^a 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: ^b and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling. ^c and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. [These storms come with great suddenness. See McGarvey's "Lands of the Bible," page 519.] ^b 38 And { ^a but} ^b he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion [The cushion was the seat-cover, which, as Smith remarks, was probably "a sheepskin with the fleece, which, when rolled up, served as a pillow." The stern was the most commodious place for passengers. The tossing ship has been accepted in all ages as a type of the church in seasons of peril]: ^a 25 And they came to him, and awoke him, { ^b they awake him,} and say unto him, { ^a saying,} Save, Lord; we perish. ^c Master, master, we perish. ^b Teacher, carest thou not that we perish? [There was a babble of confused voices, betraying the extreme agitation of the disciples.] 39 And he awoke, ^a Then he arose, and rebuked the winds, { ^b wind,} ^a and the sea; ^c and the raging of the water; ^b and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. ^c and they ceased, ^b And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [In addressing the winds and waves Jesus personified them to give emphasis to his authority over them. The calm showed the perfection of the miracle, for the waves of such a lake continue to roll long after the winds have ceased.] ^c 25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? ^b Why are ye yet fearful? have ye not yet faith? ^a O ye of little faith? [They had little faith or they would not have been so frightened; but they had some faith, else they would not have appealed to Jesus.] ^b 41 And they feared exceedingly, ^c And being afraid they ^a the men marvelled, ^b and said one to another, ^c saying one to another, ^a What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? ^c Who then is this, that he commandeth even the winds, and the water, and they obey him? [Jesus' complete lordship over the realm of nature made his disciples very certain of his divinity.]