What Sort of Man is This? (Mt. 8:23-27)

Jesus asked his disciples "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" He got up and rebuked the wind and the sea.  They were amazed saying "What sort of man is this that even the wind and the seas obey him?"

Coptic Priest, Fr. Zakaria Botros is a man not of little faith.  He knows who calms the wind and the sea.  Fr. Botros is in the middle of the storm.  He is a priest in a part of the world dominated by conflicts.  It is said that his minsitry and writing has resulted in a $60 million bounty on his head.  Yet, Fr. Zakaria Botros continues to write, continues to make television, and continues to evangelize..  He continues to convert non christians to Christianity.  One newspaper in the region called him, ". . . public enemy number 1."

Fr. Botros, who is from Egypt, weathers the storm of his ministry.  His ministry is to open the truth to all.  His evangelization opens exposes the truth with commentary on other beliefs.  It is often found offensive by his opponents.  They denounce his ministry as treason against their faith and the government.  Those opposed to Fr. Botros have asked that his citizenship be renounced and that he be exiled.  Despite the constant storm of death threats and civil actions, the 79 year old priest is not afraid.

The storms faced in life are made from our fears.  Even the disciples faced this storm, they were afraid!   Fr. Botros' storm comes from those he challenges with his ministry.  He faces a great storm, but he is not afraid and continues his journey.  Hopefully, we live in a country where we are not threaten by a storm of the magnitude of Fr. Botros.

Maybe, we are afraid for some other reason.  In the world today, we are most afraid of the loss of our comfort.  For this reason, many of the storms we face as Christians are within ourselves.  The storms are made in fear of what others will think or say, fear of ridicule, or fear of the unknown that can arise from illness or some other loss.  Like the disciples, we become afraid.  The answer, is the same one the disciples had.  The truth to calming the storm is to turn Jesus Christ.  His voice calms the wind and the waves.  When we hear Christ, it calms the storms in our lives.

The people Fr. Zakaria Botros challenges ask,"What sort of man is this" This is asked about both Jesus Christ and Fr. Botros.

"What sort of man is this?"  Fr. Botros answers this question about himself and Christ with his beliefs.  In evangelization, he answers with, "But Jesus Christ, son of Mary is the messenger of God, and His Word, and the Sprit of Him, that He gave to Mary."  He shows in this statement the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son (Word), and God the Holy Spirit.

This is where the storm arises.  A storm of fear from this simple message of his ministry.  It is not Fr. Botros words and is not from the Bible.  This is a passage from Islam's holy book, the Koran.  ("God is One in the Holy Trinity" by Fr. Zakarias Botros; www.fatherzakaria.com)    Fr. Botros only shares the truth that is available for all.