The Calm after the Storm
"Save us, Lord; we are perishing."
MATTHEW 8:25
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The Calm after the Storm
Here, in this final moment, there glimmers yet one little spark of faith, which is unaware of itself, because it says, 'We are perishing!" For if it were aware of itself, it would not say, "We are perishing!" But it perceives nothing but destruction, forgetting that it has survived up to this point and is still burning. For it would not have been aware of anything if it were not still alive and burning. But, behold, Christ does not reject this spark, this smoldering wick, this trembling reed [Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20], but He so increases it that it becomes a blaze by which the winds and seas are calmed. This is what He does for all of us who tremble in fear, if only we groan, sigh, and say with nothing more than a single tremor of the heart: "O Jesus Christ, bring help or there is no hope of my salvation!" Soon, relief will be felt, because Christ is moved through this groaning to rebuke the winds and the sea. And thus there is a great calm, that is, joy and peace, followed by praise and thanksgiving.
From Annotations on Matthew (Luther's Works 67:51)
MATTHEW 8:25
+
The Calm after the Storm
Here, in this final moment, there glimmers yet one little spark of faith, which is unaware of itself, because it says, 'We are perishing!" For if it were aware of itself, it would not say, "We are perishing!" But it perceives nothing but destruction, forgetting that it has survived up to this point and is still burning. For it would not have been aware of anything if it were not still alive and burning. But, behold, Christ does not reject this spark, this smoldering wick, this trembling reed [Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20], but He so increases it that it becomes a blaze by which the winds and seas are calmed. This is what He does for all of us who tremble in fear, if only we groan, sigh, and say with nothing more than a single tremor of the heart: "O Jesus Christ, bring help or there is no hope of my salvation!" Soon, relief will be felt, because Christ is moved through this groaning to rebuke the winds and the sea. And thus there is a great calm, that is, joy and peace, followed by praise and thanksgiving.
From Annotations on Matthew (Luther's Works 67:51)
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