Momochi Symphony Church　百道シンフォニーチャーチ

Momochi Symphony Church　百道シンフォニーチャーチ Welcome to Momochi Symphony Church's Official page! It was founded in 2002 by Missionaries Juan Carlos and Colette Gonzalez.

『一度来たら、また来たくなる所』百道シンフォニーチャーチ

アッセンブリーズ・オブ・ゴッド教団に属するプロテスタント系キリスト教会です。毎週心温まるメッセージと、礼拝、賛美を捧げています。

その他、バイブルスタディ（日英）やEnglish Class、月一でポットラックランチなどを行っています。どうぞ、お気軽にお越し下さい。

MSC 百道シンフォニーチャーチの住所:
福岡市西区小戸3丁目54-52
092-881-6535

牧師　ゴンザレス・ホアン・カルロス

Momochi Symphony Church is affiliated with the Japan Assemblies of God. The ministries of the church include Sunday Worship, bilingual Bible studies, English class

as well as various other types of ministries throughout the year. Please join us in worship at our Momochi Symphony Church location:
Odo 3-54-52, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, Japan 819-0001
092-881-6535

Pastors Juan Carlos and Colette González

＜日本アッセンブリーズ　オブ　ゴッド教団HP＞
　http://www.ag-j.org/church/40.html

07/06/2026

2026年6月7日
百道シンフォニーチャーチ
エペソ人への手紙1:19-21
Ephesians 1:19-21
Dr. Rev. Peter Xu

31/05/2026

2026年5月31日
百道シンフォニーチャーチ
詩篇51:10-19
Psalm 51:10-19
Pastor González 牧師
日本語 渚沙Su

24/05/2026

2026年5月２４日
百道シンフォニーチャーチ
マタイの福音書28:16-20
Matthew 28:16-20
Pastor González 牧師
日本語　Yuko 村田

17/05/2026

2026年5月17日
百道シンフォニーチャーチ
マタイの福音書5:1-14
Matthew 5:1-14
Walter Su Testimony
渚沙　Su 日本語

10/05/2026

The Lord Who Reaches Out His Hand
Mark 1:40-45 Dr. Rev. Peter Xu May 10, 2026 Mothers Day

The Scripture given to us today is the story of Jesus healing a man suffering from a serious skin disease. Mark 1:40 says: “A man with a serious skin disease came to Jesus. He knelt before him and begged him, saying, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’”
This man was not only suffering from illness. In those days, people with serious skin diseases carried a heavy burden within society. In addition to the pain and anxiety caused by the disease itself, they had to live apart from others. It was difficult for them to live with their families. They could not enter places of worship, and they were kept away from fellowship with other people. In other words, this man’s suffering was not only physical. His heart was lonely. His relationships had been cut off. He had also been separated from the life of faith. He was not simply regarded as a “sick person,” but as an “unclean person,” and he was placed outside society.
Such a man came to Jesus. This was an act that required great courage. Simply appearing before people involved the risk of being criticized. Yet he desperately wanted to come near to Jesus. So he knelt down and pleaded, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” There is deep faith in these words. He did not doubt whether Jesus was able to do it. He believed, “You are able.” Yet he did not force his own desire upon Jesus. Instead, he said, “If you are willing.” Here we see an attitude of entrusting himself to the will of the Lord.
Our prayers often resemble the prayer of this man. We pray in sickness, in trouble, in loneliness, and in anxiety when we cannot see the future. We pray, “Lord, please help me,” “Lord, please open a way,” “Lord, please solve this problem.” Such prayers are never wrong. God is the One who hears our cries. At the same time, however, a prayer of faith is not about forcing our own wishes upon God. It is to pray, “If it is your will.” It is to trust God’s will, to wait for God’s timing, and to entrust ourselves to God’s love. With this kind of faith, the man with the serious skin disease knelt before Jesus.
Then verse 41 says: “Jesus was deeply moved with compassion. He stretched out his hand and touched the man, saying, ‘I am willing. Be made clean.’” What is important here is that Jesus was “deeply moved with compassion.” Jesus did not look at this man merely as a patient who needed treatment. Nor did he see him as someone who had fallen outside the rules of society. Jesus received, deep within his heart, this man’s long suffering, loneliness, shame, and sorrow. Then Jesus “stretched out his hand and touched him.” This act of touching had very great meaning. At that time, touching a person with a serious skin disease was considered touching uncleanness. Normally, people avoided such a person. They did not come near. They kept their distance. But Jesus did not run away. He did not avoid him. He did not merely speak to him from a distance. Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. How long had it been since this man had felt the warmth of another person’s hand? How long had he lived without being touched by anyone, avoided by others, and enduring loneliness? To this man, Jesus first stretched out his hand.
The compassion of the Lord is not compassion that merely watches from afar. It is compassion that comes near, touches, and invites a person into restoration. And today, through the Church and through each one of us, the Lord sometimes reaches out His hand to someone. Here is the gospel. Our Lord is not someone who merely watches from a distance. When we are in suffering, when we are in loneliness, when we think we cannot draw near to God because of our sin or weakness, the Lord Jesus is the One who comes near to us and reaches out his hand. At times, people distance themselves from those who are suffering. We may avoid those who have problems. Toward people who have failed, who are weak, or who carry burdens, we may think, “If I get involved, it will be difficult.” But the Lord Jesus is different. The Lord comes near to those who are in the deepest loneliness. He touches the pain that others will not touch. What powerful words these are. The will of the Lord Jesus is not to shut people up within uncleanness. It is not to leave them abandoned in loneliness. His will is to restore people and bring them back into fellowship with God and with others.
Verse 42 says, “Immediately the serious skin disease left him, and he was made clean.” The words of Jesus have power. The word of the Lord does not merely comfort. It makes people new, restores them, and opens a path for life. However, this story does not end there. In verses 43 and 44, Jesus sternly warned the man and sent him away at once, saying: “See that you say nothing to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Why did Jesus say, “Say nothing to anyone”? It was because he did not want his work to spread merely as a reputation for miracles. He wanted to prevent people from understanding him only as “an amazing person who heals diseases” and thereby losing sight of the gospel of the kingdom of God. Also, showing himself to the priest was necessary for this man to officially return to society. Jesus’ healing was not only physical restoration. It was also restoration to the community, restoration to worship, and restoration of human dignity.
But verse 45 says that after the man went out, he began to proclaim the matter freely and spread the news widely. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but stayed outside in deserted places. Here we see a mysterious reversal. Previously, the man with the serious skin disease had been placed outside the town. But through Jesus, he was restored to the town and to the people. On the other hand, Jesus himself came to stay outside, in deserted places. This shows us deeply the nature of the salvation of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the One who stands in the place of those who suffer. He is the One who goes outside in order to bring those who have been excluded back inside. He is the One who goes to the cross in order to bring sinful people like us back to God. This event is not simply a story about healing an illness. It shows that the Lord Jesus is the Savior who takes upon himself our uncleanness, loneliness, pain, and sin.
We too, though in different forms, need to come before the Lord like this man with the serious skin disease. Instead of hiding our weakness, wounds, shame, loneliness, and sin, we pray, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The Lord is not One who treats such a prayer lightly. He is deeply moved with compassion and stretches out His hand to us. And He says, “I am willing. Be made clean.
At the same time, as people who follow the Lord Jesus, we also want to become people who reach out to the pain of others. Of course, we are not perfect like Jesus. We do not have the power to save others by ourselves. But as people who have received the love of the Lord, we can choose not to avoid the lonely, not to abandon those who suffer, and to value small acts of connection. A simple greeting, a word of encouragement, a prayer, or an attitude of walking alongside someone—these may seem small. But for someone who has lived in loneliness for a long time, they can become a great comfort.
The Lord Jesus is the One who reaches out his hand. Even when we think we cannot draw near to God, the Lord comes near to us first. Even in pain that we think no one understands, the Lord comes to us. Therefore, let us go to the Lord without fear. Not after we have made ourselves ready, but while still carrying our weakness, let us kneel before the Lord. And let us pray, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Then, even today, the Lord reaches out his hand to us and says, “I am willing. Be made clean.” In the compassion and healing of this Lord, we are made new and are given life within fellowship with God and with others.

19/04/2026

Eternal Life John 17:3
Rev. Dr. Peter Xu 2026-4-19

Good morning, everyone. Today, through John 17:3, we would like to think about the question, “What is eternal life?” When we hear the phrase “eternal life,” many people may first think of “life after death.” Certainly, that is included. However, the eternal life spoken of in the Bible is not limited to that. Eternal life is not simply life that continues forever in terms of time. Rather, it is to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. In other words, eternal life is to enter into a living relationship with God. It is a life of knowing the Lord, being known by the Lord, and walking with Him. It is not something that begins only after death; it is a life that already begins here and now on earth. Every day, we live seeking many things. We seek security. We seek success. We seek health. We long to be recognized by others. We desire a stable life. None of these things are wrong in themselves. Yet no matter how much we gain, there remains something in the depths of our hearts that is not fully satisfied. Why? Because human beings were originally created to truly live only in fellowship with God. If we do not know God and remain separated from Him, then no matter how much we possess, a certain emptiness still remains within us. On the other hand, even in weakness, in tears, and in the midst of hardship, those who know the Lord possess a peace that this world cannot give. That is a sign of eternal life.

What Is Eternal Life?
Then what is eternal life? John 17:3 speaks of it very clearly: “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
The word “know” here does not mean simply understanding something as information. It is not merely knowing in one’s head that “there seems to be a God.” In the Bible, to “know” means to meet personally and to have a relationship. It means to love, to trust, to obey, and to walk together.
For example, we may know the name of a famous person. Yet that does not mean we truly know that person. By contrast, with family members or friends, we do not merely know their names; we know, to some extent, their joys and sorrows, their weaknesses and desires. There is a relationship there.
In the same way, to “know God” in the biblical sense is to live in such a relationship. Eternal life means knowing God and Christ. It means being restored from separation from God. We, who were far away because of sin, are brought back to God through Jesus Christ and enabled to live as children of God. Therefore, eternal life is not merely a guarantee for the future; it is also a new way of living that begins here and now.

The Frailty of Life in This World
And yet, in our daily lives, we may not think very seriously about “life.” Each day seems as though it will simply continue. Tomorrow feels as though it will naturally come. We assume that the life we have now will go on as it is. But in reality, our lives, and everything in this world, are never everlasting. At times, a single event can change a person’s life dramatically. Health may be lost. There may be separation from someone dear to us. Things we have built up may collapse. The ordinary life we thought was stable may be shaken in an instant.
When I think about this, I am reminded of certain events in history—major accidents, natural disasters, unexpected tragedies. No matter how advanced human civilization and technology become, we are still forced to realize that we are finite beings. Some of you may feel that your life is stable right now. Some may be enjoying life and living without much difficulty. But there is no guarantee that such things will last forever. One day, what we once took for granted may suddenly be taken away. We live in such an uncertain world. That is why the Bible asks us: “What is it that never changes?” “What is it that is truly worthy of our trust?” Do we possess true life that can never be taken away? Do we have a hope that cannot be lost? Do we stand upon a foundation that will not be shaken even in the midst of storms?

What the Story of the Titanic Asks Us
When thinking of these things, I am reminded of the Titanic. When people hear “Titanic,” many think of the movie. The film starring Leonardo DiCaprio became famous throughout the world as a grand love story. Yet the actual sinking of the Titanic behind that story poses a very weighty question to us. The Titanic was a luxury liner that was even called “unsinkable.” People boasted in its greatness and technology, seeing it almost as a symbol of human power. Yet that ship struck an iceberg and sank into the depths of the sea. This event symbolically shows us that what human beings glory in is never absolute.
A few years ago, there was also the grounding accident of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia. The accident itself was shocking, but what particularly caught people’s attention was the reported conduct of the captain afterward. A person who should have remained to the end in order to ensure the safety of the passengers was said to have boarded a lifeboat before anyone else. It was even reported that he claimed, “I accidentally fell into the lifeboat.” That image left many people deeply disappointed. By contrast, the captain of the Titanic is said to have remained to direct rescue efforts until the very end and to have shared the ship’s fate. Of course, no human being is perfect. Yet in extreme situations, what a person values most may be revealed. And on the Titanic, there was another man whom we must not forget: John Harper, a Scottish pastor.

The Testimony of John Harper
John Harper believed in Jesus Christ at the age of thirteen and began preaching at seventeen. His ministry was blessed, and he proclaimed the gospel to many people. The church grew, and as an evangelist he was used in many places to encourage and guide others. In 1912, he was invited as a guest speaker to a church in Chicago and boarded the Titanic with his six-year-old daughter. But as you know, the Titanic struck an iceberg and began to sink. At that moment, John Harper first made his way toward a lifeboat. Yet he did not try to save only himself. First, he placed his beloved six-year-old daughter into the lifeboat and said, “I’ll see you again someday,” as he sent her away. Then he left. It is said that he ran about on the ship crying out, “Women, children, and those not yet saved, get into the lifeboats quickly!” He even gave his own life jacket to someone who did not have one. Soon the ship sank, and many who could not get into lifeboats were thrown into the icy sea. Even in that extreme situation, he continued to proclaim the gospel. To one man who was desperately trying to stay afloat, Harper asked, “Are you saved?” The man answered, “No.” Harper then said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” After that, the waves carried him away. But strangely, it is said that the waves brought him back near that same man once more. Again he asked, “Are you saved now?” The man still answered, “No, I do not think I can say that I am.” Then Harper repeated the same words: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” After speaking those words, John Harper sank beneath the sea. He died at the young age of thirty-nine. It is said that out of 2,201 people on the Titanic, 1,522 lost their lives. John Harper was one of them. But the story did not end there.
Four years after the disaster, a gathering of Titanic survivors was held in Canada. At that meeting, a young man stood up in tears and testified: “I am a survivor of the Titanic. That night, while I was floating in the sea, John Harper came to me and asked, ‘Are you saved?’ I answered, ‘No, I am not saved.’ Then he said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ After that, he was carried away by the waves. But then he came back to me again and asked, ‘Are you saved now?’ I still answered, ‘No.’ So he spoke the same words once more, and then he sank into the sea. That night, in the middle of the ocean, I believed in Jesus Christ. I am the last person whom John Harper led to salvation.”
This testimony moves our hearts, because it shows what John Harper held onto until the very end. It was not the preservation of his own life. It was not the wealth, honor, or security of this world. What he held onto until the last moment was the salvation found in Jesus Christ. He knew what eternal life was. And even in the very moment when he faced death, he longed for others to receive that life as well.

What Truly Never Changes?
As we hear this testimony, we cannot help but ask ourselves: What am I holding onto as I live? Do I possess something that I can carry with me even to the end of life? Do I have a hope that cannot be taken away? The things of this world change. Health changes. Status changes. People’s opinions change. The times change. What seemed certain yesterday may no longer be dependable today. Yet the Bible says in Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” What a powerful Word this is.
Even if everything in this world changes, Jesus Christ does not change. Even if the times change, even if circumstances change, even if human hearts waver, the Lord does not change. Here lies the foundation of our faith. A great ship like the Titanic can sink. Our lives, too, can be violently shaken by unexpected events. Just as with the Great East Japan Earthquake, the world can suddenly be transformed in a single day. What existed yesterday may be gone. The ordinary life we assumed would continue may disappear. Such things can truly happen. And yet, even in such circumstances, Jesus Christ does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That is why we can place our trust in Him.

The Life of One Who Has Eternal Life
To have eternal life does not mean only that we will go to heaven someday in the future. It also concerns how we live now. As with John Harper, those who know eternal life can still place their hope in the Lord even in the face of death. This is because they know that their life is in the Lord’s hands. Of course, we may not be placed in such a dramatic situation as John Harper was. Yet in our daily lives, we are constantly being asked: What do we place first in our lives? What do we rely on for peace of mind? If we were to lose something, what would make us feel that we had lost everything? The answer to these questions reflects the state of our faith. Those who possess eternal life do not despise the things of this world. Rather, while cherishing each day in this world as a gift from God, they do not allow themselves to be ruled by those things. They do not cling to what can be lost; instead, they live trusting in the One who can never be lost.

The Lord Is Still Knocking at the Door of the Heart
Even now, Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of people’s hearts. He is saying, “Believe in Me.” “Come to Me.” “I want to give you eternal life.” The words John Harper spoke until just before he sank into the sea—“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household”—were not merely the expression of his own zeal. They were the gospel itself. They were the invitation that the Lord extends to all people. How will we respond to this invitation? Will we say, “I will think about it someday”? Will we say, “I do not need it yet”? But life does not unfold according to our plans. That is why it is so important to listen to the Lord’s voice now, at this very moment. Eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. This life is given to those who believe in the Lord. And this life cannot be lost, no matter how fierce the storm.
My friends, do we possess true life? Do we possess eternal life? Have we entrusted our lives to the One who never changes? The Titanic sank. All the things of this world will one day pass away. But Jesus Christ will never change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And to know Him is eternal life. May we not rely only on the temporary things of this world, but become people who trust in the unchanging Lord Jesus Christ. May we become those who live by the life of knowing the Lord—the life of eternity.

15/03/2026

Through the Wilderness with the Lord
Matthew 4:1-11 Dr. Rev. Peter Xu 2026-3-15

We are now in the season of Lent. During these forty days leading to Easter, the church walks a path of prayer and repentance. The number forty reminds us of the forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and the forty days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness. The wilderness is a place where nothing seems to exist, a place where the supports we rely on are taken away. Yet at the same time, it is also a place where we encounter God deeply.
In today’s passage, Jesus faced three temptations in the wilderness. The first temptation was, “Turn these stones into bread.” After fasting for forty days, how sweet and appealing those words must have sounded in the midst of His hunger. If the stones could become bread, He would be freed from suffering immediately. Yet Jesus responded with the words of Scripture: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
We too live our lives seeking “bread.” Being healthy, having our daily lives protected, enjoying peace within our families, and having financial stability—none of these things are bad. In fact, they are precious blessings. However, when these things gradually take the central place in our hearts and become more important than God, we begin to lean toward a life that depends only on “bread.” As we cling to visible security, our trust in the invisible God begins to fade into the background.
The wilderness is the place where the things we once relied upon begin to shake. Precisely because of that, we come to see what truly supports us. Even in the midst of hunger, Jesus chose to trust in God the Father. He placed God’s word above bread.
Lent is a time to reorder the center of our hearts. In the busyness of daily life, we unknowingly depend on many things—success in our work, the evaluations of others, financial stability, the support of family, and our health. All of these are valuable and worthy things. Yet when they begin to shake, our hearts also tremble. Only then do we realize what we had truly been relying on. Lent is therefore a season to quietly examine the foundation of our hearts. What do I seek for security? What do I fear losing the most? What truly sustains me?
These questions are not meant to condemn ourselves. Rather, they invite us to stand honestly before God and look at ourselves as we are. We are weak and easily anxious. We cling to what we can see, we seek quick results, and we long for clear guarantees. Yet the Lord gently says to us, “Trust in me.” God’s word is not a magical phrase that instantly changes our circumstances. But His word takes root deeply within us and gives us strength that does not collapse even in the midst of storms. The journey of Lent is a journey of listening to God’s word. Even a short prayer or a single verse of Scripture is enough. When we place our hearts before God in quiet moments, we remember once again that the One we should truly rely on is the Lord who is always with us.
The second temptation was this: “Throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple.” If Jesus had jumped and the angels had caught Him, people would have immediately recognized Him as the Savior. Though it appears to be an act of trusting God, it is actually a way of testing God. At its root is the thought: “If God truly exists, show your power. Help me right now.” Such thoughts can also slip into our own lives of faith. When our prayers are not answered quickly or when circumstances do not improve, our hearts begin to waver, asking, “Why is God silent?” We begin to seek visible signs or clear answers. When the results we expect are not given, even our trust in God may begin to shake.
But faith does not mean believing comfortably after enough evidence has been gathered. Faith means trusting that God is good even when we cannot see clearly. Even when we do not understand and answers do not come quickly, faith continues to believe that God has not abandoned us. Jesus in the wilderness did not choose the path of proving Himself through miracles. Even in silence, His trust in God the Father remained unshaken. In the same way, when answers are not immediately visible, may we also learn not to test God but to entrust ourselves to Him. Even in silence, the Lord is surely with us.
The third temptation was this: “All the kingdoms of the world and their glory I will give you.” It was the temptation of power, domination, and success. If Jesus had accepted this offer, He could have become a king over people without going through the suffering of the cross. Yet that path required bowing down to something other than God. We too live within similar temptations. The desire to be recognized, to achieve results, and to be evaluated by others is not unusual. In our families, workplaces, and even in the church, we want to hear the words, “You are doing well.” Without realizing it, such evaluations or successes can become the foundation of our joy and security. But Jesus clearly said, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Worship is not simply the act of gathering in church on Sunday. Worship is re-centering our hearts on God. It is confirming what we value most and before whom we bow our lives. The journey of Lent asks us who sits on the throne of our hearts. Is it success? Is it the approval of others? Or is it the Lord our God? We are weak and easily shaken. Yet God still invites us into worship—to begin again as those who worship the Lord alone and serve Him.
Dear friends, there are wilderness seasons in our lives as well. Illness and aging, family problems, conflicts in relationships, and events that do not go as we hoped. When circumstances do not change despite long prayers and when anxiety about the future does not disappear, we are reminded of the limits of our own strength. The things we once relied on begin to shake, and it may feel as if the ground beneath our feet is collapsing.
That is what the wilderness is like. Yet the wilderness is not a place abandoned by God. In the Bible, the wilderness is both a place of testing and a place where God is present. Jesus Himself walked through the wilderness. In hunger and loneliness He was tempted, yet He continued to trust in God the Father. That journey eventually led Him to the cross. The Lord did not avoid the path of suffering. He bore the same weaknesses we carry. That is why He understands our weakness. Even when we carry burdens that cannot be put into words, He understands our pain.
Lent is not meant to be a dark and gloomy season. We already know that beyond the cross shines the light of the resurrection. Beyond sorrow and repentance, God prepares new life for us. Repentance does not mean endlessly blaming ourselves. It is not counting our past failures and sinking into despair. Repentance means returning to God’s mercy. It means responding to the Lord who says, “Return to me,” and coming back to God once again. We fail many times, and our hearts often waver. There are times when our faith feels strong and times when it feels weak. Yet God never abandons us. Rather, He continues to invite us even in our weakness, speaking to us in the wilderness: “I am with you.”
During these forty days, let us take even a small amount of time for quiet prayer. It does not need to be a long prayer. Holding a single verse of Scripture in our hearts or giving thanks for one thing that happened today is enough. God gladly receives even the smallest prayers. In the quiet of the wilderness, the Lord’s voice resonates deeply within our hearts. And when the morning of resurrection finally comes, we will joyfully confess, “The Lord has risen.” For that confession to become a heartfelt praise rather than a mere formal phrase, let us carefully walk this Lenten path now. The Lord who passed through the wilderness still walks with us today. Trusting in Him, let us journey together through this season of preparation.

A reminder that this coming Sunday March 1, 2026, we have potluck lunch after the worship service (10:30 am). Let’s brin...
27/02/2026

A reminder that this coming Sunday March 1, 2026, we have potluck lunch after the worship service (10:30 am). Let’s bring some food to share and enjoy it together. Following our lunch, there is our annual church business meeting. Make plans to attend.
Pastors Gonzalez

2026年3月1日（日）の礼拝(10:30 am)後に持ち寄りランチを開催します。ぜひ皆さんで持ち寄って、みんなでシェアして楽しんでください。ランチの後は、毎年恒例の教会の総会があります。ぜひご参加ください。
ゴンザレス牧師

15/02/2026

The Lord Who is in the Same Boat with Us
Matthew 8:23-27 Dr. Rev. Peter Xu

Today’s Scripture passage is Matthew 8:23–27. It is the scene in which Jesus and the disciples get into a boat and, while crossing the Sea of Galilee, encounter a violent storm. Every time I read this passage, one detail always catches my attention. It is this: Jesus is asleep. The disciples were desperate. The boat was being violently tossed, water was pouring in, and even these experienced fishermen felt that they were in serious danger—that their lives were at risk. They may not even have had the composure to pray. They simply had to do something—anything—to survive. And yet, right there beside them, what was Jesus doing? He was sleeping. To be honest, I understand the disciples’ feelings very well. As they cried out, “Lord, save us!” it would not be surprising if, in their hearts, they were also thinking, “Before saving us—please wake up!” Aren’t there times when we, too, feel the same way?

Even with Faith, Storms Still Come
The first important point is this: the storm was not the result of the disciples’ failure or lack of faith. They did not get into the boat on their own initiative. They boarded it because they were following Jesus and obeying his words. And yet, the storm still came. Even for people of faith, storms come. In fact, it may be precisely because we begin to walk the path of faith that we encounter certain storms. One person once shared this testimony. Before changing jobs, they spent a long time praying, talked things through with their family, and became convinced, “This is the right place.” However, once they started the new job, workplace relationships turned out to be far harsher than expected, and their health even began to suffer. Again and again they thought, “This isn’t how it was supposed to be. I prayed before deciding.” Somewhere deep down, we tend to expect that if we have faith, life will go smoothly. But the Bible does not present such a simplistic worldview. Faith is not an “insurance policy” that exempts us from storms. Even people of faith encounter storms.

When God Feels Asleep
Perhaps what unsettled the disciples most was not the storm itself, but the fact that the Lord seemed to be doing nothing. Storms are visible: the sound of the wind, the height of the waves, the water filling the boat. But Jesus was asleep. He was silent. This is a feeling many of us know well. One student once said quietly: “I’m praying, but nothing is changing. Is God really listening?” Exams, career paths, relationships, anxiety about the future. When answers do not come quickly, we sometimes feel as though “God must be asleep right now.” Yet this passage makes one crucial point very clear: Jesus was not absent. He was asleep, but he had not left the boat. He was not outside the storm. He was in the same boat.

The Question: “Why Are You Afraid?”
When the disciples woke Jesus, before calming the storm he first said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” At first glance, this may sound rather harsh. “Isn’t it natural to be afraid in a situation like this?,” we might think—and that reaction is understandable. But this question is less a rebuke than a challenge that touches the very core of faith. Jesus does not say, “Do not look at the storm,” nor does he simply command, “Do not be afraid.” Instead, he asks a question: “What are you looking at right now?” “Are you so focused on the storm that you have forgotten me?” In the storms of life, we too can become fixated on the size of the problem rather than on the presence of God. Making efforts to solve problems is important. But before we realize it, we start fighting without God. Jesus’ question is not an order to ignore the storm. It is a reminder: “Who are you sharing the boat with right now?”

The Amazement That Remained After the Storm
When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea, the storm became calm. The disciples were saved. But the story does not end there. The disciples said, “What kind of man is this?” Even after the storm was stilled, they were amazed at Jesus once again. Faith is not about saying, “Now I understand everything.” Faith is a journey of coming to know God again and again—being amazed again and again, questioning again and again, encountering God anew. The disciples came to know Jesus more deeply after the storm than before it.

The Storms Do Not Disappear, but We Are Not Alone
This story does not promise that storms will never come again. But it does make one thing absolutely clear: even in the storm, we are not alone. God is not someone who stays with us only when things are going well. God is not someone who distances himself and says, “That’s your responsibility,” when trouble arises. Even in the storm, God is the one who is in the same boat with us.
In the storms of life, we cry out again and again: “Lord, save us!” “Lord, wake up!” But the very act of crying out is already proof that we are not alone. If today there is anyone among you who feels as though God is asleep, remember this passage. The Lord has not left the boat. He is in the same boat with us. With that, Lord, let us once again set out today, each of us rowing the boat of our own life.

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