I have friends who are walking through hellish darkness in trying to recover and stay safe from evil perpetrated on them and their children that, when they entered their marriages, they had no inkling even existed.
I have friends who are trying to stay safe from being stalked by their rapists or other stalkers who for their own purposes want the world to think their target is crazy.
My friends often struggle with fear, because of flashbacks intruding into their present, and because of the very real and present threats of the wicked perpetrators.
And a Bible verse like the one in the title can send them spiraling. It just sounds like more condemnation.
But as always, it’s so, so important to look at the context.
Jesus said these words to His twelve disciples, the ones who had been with Him since the beginning of His ministry. They had seen Him
- cleanse the temple
- walk away from being almost stoned to death
- bring about a miraculously huge catch of fish
- deliver a demonized man
- heal many people including a leper, a paralytic, two blind men, a man with a withered hand, and Peter’s mother-in-law
- heal a sick man from a distance, without even seeing him
- bring a man back to life
- and preach and teach in a way that no one had ever heard anyone preach and teach, leaving them marveling time after time.
They had observed His life as a life of laser focus and complete integrity, every waking moment, for months now.
That’s all a really important part of the context.
Jesus Calms the Storm by Stephen Gjertson
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Beautifully said. I love how you bring out the context and tone that our Lord Jesus would say to hurting hearts. Thank you
It’s so massively important, especially for those who have seen Him as a condemning taskmaster nearly all their lives.
It’s so easy for people who’ve been abused to read the Bible with a harsh, condemning tone, just as we’re acquainted to hearing from abusers. One of my greatest joys in awakening to the reality of the abuse I’ve experienced is discovering the softness, the compassion, the kindness of Jesus and who He is. It took studying the Word for myself.
Thank you Rebecca!
Yes, I love that. I encourage people to read the gospels again with fresh eyes, asking the Holy Spirit to help them see who Jesus REALLY is.
Taking your article one step further, there are many who are of “little faith” because they believe that Jesus is like their abuser(s). If God is as trustworthy as their abuser, He is to be feared, not trusted.
Yes, excellent point.
I usually remember this from Matthew 14 when I think of the phrase “you of little faith”:
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
I was always taught that it was a rebuke and often felt condemned until I read it over and over and saw something different. I noticed that Peter cried out “Lord, save me!” and IMMEDIATELY Jesus caught him. That became the lesson from this story for me. Jesus doesn’t hesitate when I cry out.
As for Jesus’ tone of voice, it entered my mind to add “you silly goose” to Jesus’ words. Since then my heart hears “you of little faith” in a lighthearted tone of loving exasperation without anger or disappointment.
I also thought of Jesus’ words to Peter when I was writing this post. Yes, “loving exasperation,” I can see that. Good one.