Luke 8:25

KJV

And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G1161} he said {G2036} unto them {G846}, Where {G4226} is {G2076} your {G5216} faith {G4102}? And {G1161} they being afraid {G5399} wondered {G2296}, saying {G3004} one to another {G4314}{G240}, What manner of man {G5101}{G686} is {G2076} this {G3778}! for {G3754} he commandeth {G2004} even {G2532} the winds {G417} and {G2532} water {G5204}, and {G2532} they obey {G5219} him {G846}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Then he said to the talmidim, "Where is your trust?" Awestruck, they marveled, asking one another, "Who can this be, that he commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?"

Berean Standard Bible

“Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”

American Standard Version

And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And being afraid they marvelled, saying one to another, Who then is this, that he commandeth even the winds and the water, and they obey him?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 8:25 captures the disciples' bewildered awe and Jesus' pointed question following His miraculous calming of a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. This pivotal moment reveals Jesus' unparalleled divine authority over creation, prompting the disciples to question His identity, while simultaneously exposing their own struggle with fear and a nascent, yet insufficient, faith in the face of overwhelming natural forces. The verse serves as a profound testament to Christ's sovereignty and a challenge to the depth of His followers' trust.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse immediately follows the dramatic event of Jesus calming the storm. The narrative begins in [Luke 8:22](/luke/8-22 "Luke 8:22 - Jesus and the Disciples Cross the Sea") with Jesus and His disciples embarking on a boat trip across the Sea of Galilee. A sudden, violent squall descends, filling the boat with water and putting the disciples in grave danger. While they are panicking, Jesus is asleep, demonstrating His human weariness and divine peace. The disciples, many of whom were seasoned fishermen, awaken Him in terror, crying out for help. In [Luke 8:24](/luke/8-24 "Luke 8:24 - Jesus Calms the Storm"), Jesus rises and, with a simple command, rebukes the wind and the raging water, bringing about an immediate and profound calm. Verse 25 then records Jesus' direct challenge to their faith and the disciples' astonished reaction, forming the climax and interpretive key to the preceding miracle. This event is strategically placed by Luke, along with the subsequent encounters with the Gerasene demoniac ([Luke 8:26-39](/luke/8-26-39 "Luke 8:26-39 - The Gerasene Demoniac")) and the healing of Jairus's daughter and the woman with the hemorrhage ([Luke 8:40-56](/luke/8-8-40-56 "Luke 8:40-56 - Jairus's Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage")), to progressively reveal Jesus' authority over nature, demons, disease, and death.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Gennesaret or Tiberias) is notorious for its sudden, violent storms. Situated in a deep basin surrounded by hills, cold air currents can sweep down from the surrounding heights, funneling through ravines and colliding with the warm, moist air over the lake, creating intense and unpredictable squalls. Fishermen, even experienced ones like Peter, James, and John, would have been intimately familiar with these dangers, and their terror indicates the severity of this particular storm. In the ancient world, control over natural elements was considered a divine prerogative, often associated with the supreme deity. For a human to command the winds and waves and be obeyed was an act that transcended human capability and pointed directly to divine power. This context heightens the disciples' astonishment and the profound theological implications of Jesus' actions, as it challenges their preconceived notions of who He was and what He could do.

* **Key Themes:** This passage powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Luke's Gospel. Firstly, it underscores the **Sovereignty and Authority of Jesus Christ**. By commanding the wind and water, Jesus demonstrates an authority that is not merely human or prophetic, but truly divine, a power traditionally ascribed only to God (e.g., [Psalm 89:9](/psalm/89-9 "Psalm 89:9 - God Rules the Raging Sea") and [Psalm 107:29](/psalm/107-29 "Psalm 107:29 - God Stills the Storm")). Secondly, it highlights the theme of **Faith Versus Fear**. Jesus' question, "Where is your faith?", directly contrasts their panic with the trust He expected, even in life-threatening circumstances. This tension between human fear and the call to unwavering faith is a recurring motif in Luke, often seen in the disciples' journey of understanding (e.g., [Luke 12:22-34](/luke/12-22-34 "Luke 12:22-34 - Do Not Worry")). Thirdly, the event serves as a crucial moment in the **Disciples' Developing Understanding of Jesus' Identity**. Their astonished question, "What manner of man is this!", reveals their dawning realization that Jesus is far more than a prophet or teacher; He possesses a unique and awe-inspiring power that demands a re-evaluation of who He truly is, moving them closer to acknowledging Him as the Son of God.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Faith (Greek, _pístis'_):** From G4102, meaning "persuasion, i.e., credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession." Jesus' question, "Where is your faith?", is not merely asking for the location of their belief, but challenging its very presence and efficacy in the face of the storm. It implies a lack of trust in His power and presence, despite His demonstrated authority.
* **Wondered (Greek, _thaumázō'_):** From G2296, meaning "to wonder; by implication, to admire." This word captures the disciples' profound astonishment and awe. It's a reaction of deep surprise and amazement at something extraordinary and unexpected, indicating that Jesus' command over nature was utterly beyond their comprehension of human ability. Their wonder is a mix of fear and a dawning realization of Jesus' unique power.
* **Commandeth (Greek, _epitássō'_):** From G2004, meaning "to arrange upon, i.e., order; charge, command, injoin." This term emphasizes the authoritative and direct nature of Jesus' action. He doesn't merely pray or request; He issues a direct, sovereign order to the elements, which immediately obey Him. This highlights His inherent authority, not a delegated one, over creation, solidifying the disciples' realization that He is no ordinary man.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he said unto them, ‹Where is your faith?›":** Following the immediate cessation of the storm, Jesus turns to His disciples not with comfort, but with a sharp, rhetorical question. This is a direct challenge to their spiritual state, probing the depth of their trust in Him. Despite His presence and previous miracles, their panic revealed a profound lack of reliance on His power and sovereignty in the face of danger. The question implies that their faith, if present, was not active or sufficient for the crisis.
* **"And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this!":** The disciples' initial fear, which prompted them to wake Jesus, now transforms into a deeper, reverential awe and wonder. This is not the fear of the storm, but a holy fear in the presence of overwhelming divine power. Their internal dialogue, "What manner of man is this!", expresses their profound bewilderment and the dawning realization that Jesus transcends all human categories. They are grappling with His unique identity, recognizing His extraordinary nature but not yet fully comprehending His divinity.
* **"for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.":** This clause provides the reason for their astonishment. The disciples articulate the core of Jesus' extraordinary act: His authoritative command over the most unpredictable and powerful forces of nature. The immediate and absolute obedience of the winds and water to His word is the irrefutable evidence that sets Him apart. This is a power that belongs only to God, forcing the disciples to confront the true identity of the one they have been following.

#### Literary Devices
Luke's account in [Luke 8:22-25](/luke/8-22-25 "Luke 8:22-25 - Jesus Calms the Storm") masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological message. **Dramatic Irony** is present as Jesus sleeps peacefully while the experienced fishermen panic, highlighting His divine calm amidst human chaos. The **Rhetorical Question** "Where is your faith?" serves as a powerful didactic tool, directly challenging the disciples' spiritual state and prompting self-reflection, both for them and for the reader. The disciples' subsequent bewildered question, "What manner of man is this!", functions as a form of **Anagnorisis** (recognition), marking a pivotal moment in their understanding of Jesus' identity, even if it's still incomplete. The immediate **Obedience** of the elements to Jesus' word is a powerful **Symbolism** of His absolute sovereignty, portraying Him as the Lord of creation. The narrative also uses **Contrast** between the raging storm and the sudden, profound calm, mirroring the contrast between the disciples' fear and Jesus' unwavering authority.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 8:25 stands as a powerful theological statement about the person and power of Jesus Christ. It unequivocally demonstrates His divine authority over creation, a prerogative exclusively attributed to God in the Old Testament. This miracle is not merely a display of power but a revelation of His very nature, forcing those present to grapple with the reality that the man sleeping in their boat is indeed the Lord of the universe. The passage also highlights the persistent struggle between human fear and the call to unwavering faith, even for those who walk closely with Christ. It underscores that true faith is not the absence of storms, but the unwavering trust in Christ's presence and power to command them, whether literally or metaphorically.

* [Psalm 107:29](/psalm/107-29 "Psalm 107:29 - God Stills the Storm for His People")
* [Mark 4:41](/mark/4-41 "Mark 4:41 - Disciples' Awe at Jesus' Authority")
* [Matthew 8:27](/matthew/8-27 "Matthew 8:27 - Jesus' Authority Over Nature")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Luke 8:25 offers profound and timeless lessons for believers navigating the "storms" of life. Just as the disciples faced a literal tempest, we frequently encounter metaphorical storms—crises, uncertainties, anxieties, and overwhelming circumstances that threaten to capsize our peace. Jesus' question, "Where is your faith?", resonates across the centuries, inviting us to honestly examine the depth of our trust in Him when our world feels out of control. This passage reminds us that Christ's presence, even when seemingly quiet or "asleep" to our immediate distress, is the ultimate guarantee of our security. Our focus should not be on the magnitude of the storm, but on the immeasurable power of the One who commands it. Cultivating a robust faith means choosing to believe in His sovereignty and care, even when circumstances defy our understanding, allowing His peace to quell our inner turmoil just as He quieted the raging sea.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "storms" are you currently facing, and how is your faith being challenged in them?**
* **In what ways do you, like the disciples, tend to focus on the intensity of the storm rather than on Christ's presence and power?**
* **How does recognizing Jesus' absolute authority over creation impact your trust in Him for your personal circumstances?**
* **What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper, more resilient faith that overcomes fear in times of crisis?**

### FAQ
**Why did Jesus ask "Where is your faith?" immediately after calming the storm?**

Answer: Jesus' question was a rhetorical rebuke, designed to challenge the disciples' lack of trust and their panic in the face of the storm. Despite having witnessed numerous miracles and experiencing His presence, they succumbed to fear, indicating a deficiency in their understanding of His divine power and their reliance on Him. His question wasn't about the physical location of their faith, but its active presence and strength during a crisis. It served as a teaching moment, highlighting the contrast between their fear and the unwavering faith He expected from those who followed Him, urging them to grow in their comprehension of His identity and authority, as seen throughout [Luke's Gospel](/luke/1 "The Gospel of Luke").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 8:25 powerfully foreshadows the ultimate revelation of Christ's sovereignty, not just over creation, but over sin and death itself. The disciples' bewildered question, "What manner of man is this!", finds its complete answer in the cross and resurrection. The One who commanded the winds and waves is the same One who would later command demons to flee, sickness to depart, and ultimately, death to release its grip. His authority over the elements points to His divine nature, a truth fully unveiled when He conquered the ultimate storm of sin on the cross, offering peace that surpasses all understanding to those who believe ([Philippians 4:7](/philippians/4-7 "Philippians 4:7 - The Peace of God")). The "faith" Jesus sought from His disciples on the boat is the same faith that saves us today—a complete reliance on Him as the sovereign Lord and Savior, whose power extends to every realm of existence, securing our eternal peace and assuring us that He is indeed "with us always, to the very end of the age" ([Matthew 28:20](/matthew/28-20 "Matthew 28:20 - The Great Commission and Jesus' Presence")). He is the true calming presence in all of life's storms, offering not just a temporary reprieve but an enduring peace rooted in His finished work.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Matthew 8:26

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Proverbs 30:4

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son's name, if thou canst tell?

Matthew 14:31

And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Mark 4:40

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Mark 4:41

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Genesis 1:9

¶ And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.

Genesis 1:10

And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.