Purpose:
To grow in faith by learning the lesson the Apostles were taught, to learn to surrender and trust the Lord more deeply, to know Jesus is in control in stormy times.

Scripture:

Would-Be Followers of Jesus
¹⁸ Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. ¹⁹ And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” ²¹ Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Stills the Storm
²³ And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:18-27

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some different ways we can read scripture? 
2. What is the setting of the different scenes in the story? 
3. What could be a metaphorical reading of this structure? 
4. Is there anything odd or different about Jesus’ behavior? 
5. Why is it that Jesus has nowhere to lay his head? Where is Jesus’ true home? 
6. Did Jesus know about the storm’s approach? 
7. Why does He still take the disciples into the boat knowing there’s a brewing storm?
8. Why is uncertainty necessary for faith? 
9. How can Jesus sleep on the boat? 
10. Does God sleep? 
11. Why does Jesus rebuke the disciples first before the storm? 
12. What is the significance of the last question the disciples ask? 
13. Is there a difference between knowing a person and knowing a fact? 

Prayer:
Begin the Surrender Novena as a group and pray Day 3 together:

"How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me, 'You take care of it,' then closes its eyes and rests. In pain you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. You do not turn to me, instead, you want me to adapt your ideas. You are not sick people who ask the doctor how to. So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the Our Father: 'Hallowed be thy Name,' that is, be glorified in my need. 'Thy kingdom come,' that is, let all that is in us and in the world be in accord with your kingdom. 'Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,' that is, in our need, decide as you see fit for our temporal and eternal life. If you say to me truly: 'Thy will be done,' which is the same as saying: 'You take care of it,' I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations."

Pray on Hallow

Resources:

“While the Son of Man cannot rest in material nests and lairs like birds and foxes, he finds his rest paradoxically on the high seas of divine obedience and adventure.” Way of the Disciple page 67