All That Effort for One

There is the story of subduing the storm and immediately after, the encounter with Legion. In all three synoptic Gospels, these two stories are linked—a frightening storm, and then a frightening demoniac. In all three accounts, Jesus — who was sleeping in the stern of the sinking boat — rises to confront the tempest like a drill sergeant: “Quiet! Be still!” Now, why does he need to rebuke the storm? The word — epitimao — is the same used when Jesus commands foul spirits to come out of people. Fascinating — the storm needed to be rebuked. The very next episode in all three synoptics finds Christ stepping on shore to confront Legion.

He frees the man, the locals rage against Jesus, and he gets rights back in the boat and returns to the other side. Did he go to all that effort for one man? It ended up that way. And Jesus did say something about leaving the ninety-nine to find the one. It certainly is an awe-inspiring doubleheader, and fearsome, too. That is, Jesus is fearsome. Everything else trembles before him.

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