Afraid

There's something strange happening in Luke 8.

Jesus calms a storm, and the disciples are afraid. He casts demons out of a man, and the people are afraid.

Wait—shouldn't they be relieved? Grateful? These are good things, right?

But here's what strikes me: in both cases, the people had gotten used to their version of "normal." The disciples knew storms happened on the Sea of Galilee. The townspeople had accepted that the man lived among the tombs, possessed and screaming. It was terrible, yes—but it was familiar.

Then Jesus shows up and changes everything with a word. Peace replaces chaos.

And that's when the fear kicks in.

Not fear of the storm or the demons—fear of the One who can command them.

To me, this hints at what "fear of the Lord" really is. It's not being scared that God will hurt us. It's the overwhelming recognition of who we're dealing with.

Think about it: You might complain about your broken-down car, but at least you understand how cars work. Then someone comes along and fixes it by speaking to the engine. Suddenly, your relief is mixed with something else entirely—recognition that you're in the presence of power you can't comprehend.

The disciples had fished these waters their whole lives. But when Jesus speaks and creation itself obeys, they realize they don't know Him at all. "Who then is this?" they ask.

The townspeople had found ways to live with their local tragedy. His torment was awful, but it was contained. Manageable. Then Jesus restores the man completely, and they beg Jesus to leave.

Sometimes, it's easier to live with familiar chaos than to confront unfamiliar power. At least chaos feels random. Power this deliberate demands a response from us.

The fear of the Lord is recognizing that we're in the presence of Someone who can change everything we thought we knew about how the world works. Someone who doesn't just work within our systems—He rewrites them entirely.

What "crazy normal" have you accepted in your life? What chaos feels familiar enough that you've stopped asking God to change it?

The same Christ who calmed the sea and freed the captive is present to you right now. His power might leave you in awe. It might challenge everything you thought you knew.

But isn't that exactly what you've been hoping for?