Big Idea: Matthew encourages his readers to trust and follow Jesus wholeheartedly, as he shows Jesus’ power and authority to be greater than sin, the demonic, and even nature.

Understanding the Text

Matthew continues in this passage to emphasize themes of Jesus’ authority—here over sin (9:1–8), the demonic (8:28–34), and nature (8:23–27)—and faith as the appropriate discipleship response to Jesus (9:21–22; cf. 8:26). The call to follow Jesus wholeheartedly is issued in 8:18–22, picking up the call stories of the first four disciples (4:18–22) and anticipating that of Matthew, a tax collector, in 9:9. The story of Jesus’ calming the storm shares a plot connection with 14:22–33, where Jesus (with Peter momentarily) walks on the sea. Jesus’ (messianic) identity and the disciples’ little fai…