Stilling the Storm (Mt 8.23-27; Mk 4.35-41; Lk 8.22-25):

Mk 4.35 35 Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὀψίας γενομένης· Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πέραν. 36 καὶ ἀφέντες τὸν ὄχλον παραλαμβάνουσιν αὐτὸν ὡς ἦν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ, καὶ ἄλλα πλοῖα ἦν μετʼ αὐτοῦ. 37 καὶ γίνεται λαῖλαψ μεγάλη ἀνέμου, καὶ τὰ κύματα ἐπέβαλλεν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, ὥστε ἤδη γεμίζεσθαι τὸ πλοῖον. 38 καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἐν τῇ πρύμνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ προσκεφάλαιον καθεύδων· καὶ ἐγείρουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Διδάσκαλε, οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι ἀπολλύμεθα; 39 καὶ διεγερθεὶς ἐπετίμησεν τῷ ἀνέμῳ καὶ εἶπεν τῇ θαλάσσῃ· Σιώπα, πεφίμωσο. καὶ ἐκόπασεν ὁ ἄνεμος, καὶ ἐγένετο γαλήνη μεγάλη. 40 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Τί δειλοί ἐστε; οὔπω ἔχετε πίστιν; 41 καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον μέγαν, καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἀλλήλους· Τίς ἄρα οὗτός ἐστιν ὅτι καὶ ὁ ἄνεμος καὶ ἡ θάλασσα ὑπακούει αὐτῷ;

And he said to them in that day as it become evening, “Let us pass through to the other side.” And leaving the crowd they took him just as he was into the boat, and other boats were after him. And a great wind gust came, and the waves came into the boat, so that they already filled the boat. And he himself was at the stern on the pillow sleeping and they came to him and they said to him, “Teacher, are you not concerned that we perish?” And awaking he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Calm down, be silent!” And the wind stopped and became a great calm. And he said to them, “Why are you afraid? You don’t have faith yet?” And they became very afraid and they said to one another, “Who is this that even the winds and the sea they obey him?!”

Mt 8.23 23 Καὶ ἐμβάντι αὐτῷ εἰς πλοῖον ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. 24 καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς μέγας ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ὥστε τὸ πλοῖον καλύπτεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκάθευδεν. 25 καὶ προσελθόντες ἤγειραν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· Κύριε, σῶσον, ἀπολλύμεθα. 26 καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τί δειλοί ἐστε, ὀλιγόπιστοι; τότε ἐγερθεὶς ἐπετίμησεν τοῖς ἀνέμοις καὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ ἐγένετο γαλήνη μεγάλη. 27 οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι ἐθαύμασαν λέγοντες· Ποταπός ἐστιν οὗτος ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἄνεμοι καὶ ἡ θάλασσα αὐτῷ ὑπακούουσιν;

And he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. And behold a great storm came on the sea so that the boat was covered by the waves, but he slept. And they came to wake him saying, “Lord, save, we are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, little faiths?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and it became a great calm. But the men marveled, saying, “What kind is this that also the wind and the sea obey him?!”

Lk 8.22 22 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνέβη εἰς πλοῖον καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς λίμνης, καὶ ἀνήχθησαν. 23 πλεόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἀφύπνωσεν. καὶ κατέβη λαῖλαψ ἀνέμου εἰς τὴν λίμνην, καὶ συνεπληροῦντο καὶ ἐκινδύνευον. 24 προσελθόντες δὲ διήγειραν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· Ἐπιστάτα ἐπιστάτα, ἀπολλύμεθα· ὁ δὲ διεγερθεὶς ἐπετίμησεν τῷ ἀνέμῳ καὶ τῷ κλύδωνι τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ ἐπαύσαντο, καὶ ἐγένετο γαλήνη. 25 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς· Ποῦ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν; φοβηθέντες δὲ ἐθαύμασαν, λέγοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους· Τίς ἄρα οὗτός ἐστιν ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ἀνέμοις ἐπιτάσσει καὶ τῷ ὕδατι, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ;

And it happened in one of the days also he got into a boat and his disciples also and he said to them, “Let us pass to the other side of the lake and set out.” And sailing he fell asleep and a storm of wind came down onto the lake and they were swamped and in danger. And coming to wake him up saying, “Master, master, we perish!” And he got up and rebuked the wind and the waves of water and they stopped and it became calm. And he said to them, “Where is your faith?” And fearing they marveled saying to one another, “Who then is this that even the wind and water he commands, and they obey him?!”

Juxtaposing Mk and Mt:

Mk transitions from Jesus telling parables (the mustard seed being the most relevant). Mt transitions from several pericopes where Jesus explains what characteristics define his disciples. Mk transitions to the story of the Gerasene Demoniac. Mt transitions to the story of the Gerasene Demoniac as well. Mk emphasizes that it is becoming evening. He has Jesus tell his disciples that they should go to the other side. He says they left a crowd. Mt has Jesus get into the boat and his disciples follow. Mk has other boats following Jesus. He describes a great wind gust that is so strong that the boat quickly fills with water. Mt says a great storm came and covered the boat in waves. Mk has Jesus sleeping on a pillow on the stern of the boat. Mt simply says Jesus slept. In Mk the disciples call Jesus “Teacher” and ask if he is concerned that they perish. In Mt they call him “Lord” and tell Jesus that they are perishing. In Mk Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea as he is awakening telling them to “Calm down, be silent.” In Mt Jesus asks why the disciples are afraid, he calls them “little faiths”, and  he gets up and rebukes the win and sea. In both there is a great calm and Mk adds that the wind stopped. At this juncture Jesus addresses them asking them why they are afraid and if they are void of faith. Then the disciples become very afraid and ask who Jesus is that the wind and sea obey him. Mt has the disciples fearing and marveling asking what “kind” is this that the wind and sea obey him.

Juxtaposing Mk and Lk:

Mk transitions from Jesus telling parables (the mustard seed being the most relevant). Lk transitions from Jesus telling parables about the sower and the light under a vessel before his mother and brothers come, whom he embarrasses by asking who his true family is. Mk transitions to the story of the Gerasene Demoniac as does Lk. Mk tells us it was becoming evening. Lk mentions that it was another day. Both have Jesus giving the imperative to cross to the other side. Mk mentions being followed by other boats. Mk says a great wind came and that the boat was filled with wave water. Lk says the storm “came down” and that the disciples were swamped and in danger. Mk says Jesus was sleeping on a pillow on the stern of the boat. Lk says simply that Jesus fell asleep. In Mk they call Jesus “Teacher” and ask if he is concerned that they perish. In Lk they call him Master (2 x’s) and tell Jesus they are perishing. In Mk Jesus rebukes the wind and sea as he awakens. In Lk Jesus get up, rebukes the wind and waves of water. In Mk Jesus says, “Calm down, be silent.” The wind stops and there becomes a great calm. In Lk they stop and become calm. In Mk Jesus asks why they are afraid and if they are void of faith. In Lk Jesus asks where their faith is. In Mk they become very afraid and ask each other who Jesus is that the winds and sea obey him. In Lk they fear and marvel asking who he is to command the wind and water and then have them obey.

Juxtaposing Mt and Lk:

Mt transitions from several pericopes where Jesus explains what it means to be a disciples. Lk transitions from Jesus telling parables and the sower and the light under a vessel before his mother and brothers come, whom be embarrasses by asking who his true family is. Mt and Lk transition to the story of the Gerasene Demoniac. Mt has Jesus get in the boat and the disciples follow. Lk has Jesus tell them to get into the boat to go to the other side. Mt says a great storm came and covered the boat in waves. Lk has a storm “come down” and the disciples are swamped and in danger. In Mt and Lk Jesus is asleep. In Mt the disciples call Jesus “Lord” and tell him they are perishing. In Lk they call Jesus “Master” (2 x’s) and tell Jesus they are perishing. In Mt Jesus asks them why they are afraid and calls them “little faiths” and then he gets up, rebukes the wind and the sea, and there becomes a great calm. In Lk he gets up, rebukes the wind and water, and they stop and become calm. In Mt they marvel and ask what “kind” is obeyed by the wind and sea. In Lk they fear and marvel asking who he is to command the wind and water and then have them obey.

Unique to Mk:

Only Mk emphasizes that it is becoming evening. Only Mk has them followed by other boats. Only in Mk are the details given that Jesus slept on a pillow on the stern of the boat. Mk has Jesus called “Teacher” and quotes him telling the storm to “Calm down, be silent!”

Unique to Mt:

Only Mt has Jesus simply get in the boat without a command. Only Mt has Jesus call the disciples “little faiths”. In Mt the disciples call Jesus “Lord”.

Unique to Lk:

In Lk the disciples call Jesus “Master”.

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