THE POWER OF JESUS IS FAR GREATER THAN THAT OF ALL STORMS

By Msgr. John Wynand Katende.

Posted on: Wednesday, 12th August 2026

In Matthew 14:22-33, we read about Jesus' disciples being troubled by a heavy storm at night on the Sea of ​​Galilee. This happened just after Jesus had miraculously fed the crowds, but instead of getting into a boat to cross the sea with His apostles, He stayed behind to pray.

As the disciples were helplessly and hopelessly struggling to save their lives, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming toward them, but they were terrified, thinking it was a ghost. Jesus then assured them of safety by calling Himself « It is I » or “I AM”. 

It is noteworthy that Jesus used the very name “I AM” which God used when He talked to Moses in the Burning Bush, in the Sinai Desert (Exodus 3:2-6). Moses believed in the power of this name and was able to go on “mission impossible”, to liberate the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, under Pharaoh.

When Peter heard the same name “ I AM” being used by Jesus, he besought His Master that He would give him some of that power to walk on the water. Jesus positively responded. As long as Peter positively applied his faith by keeping his mind focused on Jesus, he succeeded. But after a while, Peter was tempted to worry more about the power of the sea and the storm and began to drown.

Fortunately, Peter did not decide to struggle on his own by swimming back into the boat, but pleaded with Jesus to save him. After Jesus saved Peter, He took occasion to rebuke him for the mistrust in the power of God, being vested in Jesus, the power which Peter herself had already benefited from. Soon Jesus reached out to the boat to save the rest of the disciples.

The boat is symbolic of the Church as well as the life of each person. The Church has, over the centuries, gone through insurmountable trials, including scandals, but Jesus has always saved it. We too are often being tossed about by various storms in our lives. It could be family relations or love gone sour, unemployment, poverty, disease, loss of a loved one, injustices, misrule, and imprisonment, and so on. Jesus reminds us that He has the power to overcome all such storms, because He is not only a human being, but is also God. As such, He has dominion over the sea, which He created.

Emmanuel is Jesus’ divine name, designating God’s powerful and loving presence among us and in each and every believer, since 2026 years ago. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world and the sins of every single person (John 1:29). During His ministry, Jesus often assured His disciples of that very power to overcome all the challenges in the world. “Jesus shared in our humanity so that through His death He could break the power of the devil, who held the power of death, and set free those who lived in fear of death”. Hebrews 2:14-15:  

Just as Jesus rebuked Peter for mistrusting Him, in the midst of the storm, He rebukes us for similar mistrust. Fortunately, once we call upon Him, just as Peter did, we shall surely be saved. Ultimately, Jesus invites us to relate to Him in good and bad times, rather than seek Him for miracles on demand. Jesus expects us to regularly commune with Him through prayer, meditation on God's Word, a sacramental life, and acts of charity.