What Manner of Man is This?
#God’s Best Man
But the men marveled, saying “What manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Matthew 8:27
A Real Man
Do you enjoy the title of “being the man?” It sounds good. What if you were to hear God say, “you are the man.” By the way, He will use that phrase one day, for better or for worse. But you must decide what manner of man you will be. As a matter of fact, why not be the man you wish you were? What is hindering you from becoming that man that you desire in your soul? Is it habits? Is it your environment? Or is it your will?
The first thing we should ask ourselves is what is a real man? When the Disciples decided to awaken Jesus, they had no idea that He would speak as He did. They were anticipating something different, maybe protecting them from the storm. They were perhaps thinking that Jesus would pilot the ship. They had no idea that Jesus would speak to the wind and the sea and command them to be still? They obviously did not know His Power and they certainly could not answer “what kind of man is this?” They were amazed. To put it in modern terms, they were blown away. Jesus was like no other person they had ever encountered. They had never met anyone who did what He did. At that moment, “Jesus was the Man.” Newsflash: He was not just The Man in their eyes, He was God’s Best Man. Jesus was the real Man.
At one point, someone asked this question to Jesus: “what do we need to do to work the works of God?” In other words, “what does it take to be God’s Best Man?” Jesus answered, “Have faith in God.” Sounds simple, but why can’t we be that kind of man that has faith in God? It is a matter of our will? Do we even want to become God’s Best Man?
Settling for the Wrong Man
Believe it or not, some men do not choose to become like Jesus. They instead, choose to be like other men. Rather than becoming God’s Best, they start down that path of becoming the wrong man by imitating wrong men. In my own life, I was influenced by men who did not necessarily display God’s character. On one occasion while riding with my ‘Uncle Mack’ I was influenced to start down that path of the wrong man. He was driving a cool car, dressed in cool clothes; and while driving down the street, I heard girls screaming his name, “Hey Mack.” I said to myself, “he’s the man.” So, for several years – I tried to be “the wrong man.” Obviously becoming a cool guy was not the notion my mother had in mind nor was it the notion my wife had in mind when we got married at age nineteen. That cool man cannot fit the bill when there are family duties.
This brings us to the second reason why some men don’t strive to be like Jesus and become God’s Best man. Some choose to become the wrong man in order to avoid responsibilities. You may never be in a situation where God wants you to calm the sea or quiet the wind, you may be in a situation as a dad where you will have to calm a crying child and provide for their needs. One of the greatest callings a man can have in life is the calling to be a father. Make no mistake about it, it is one of the hardest jobs you will ever have. Don’t be disheartened, God never expected you to take the task alone. He will be with you to help you be “the man” as a father and husband in your family.
Some make poor choices and become the wrong man by giving in to their human nature. That is what happened to the man after God’s heart. King David was the man who wrote songs to God, led God’s people Israel, was a worshipper of God. But one day, David gave in to his passions and sinned with Bathsheba. To take it even further, this man had Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle to cover up his adultery. What happened to God’s chosen man? He gave in to his human nature. Even in that, God never gave up on David. The Lord sent Nathan the prophet with a message, “you are the man.” This time the term meant; you are the one responsible for this evil. You are the one who sinned against God. At that point, David recognized his sin and repented. God restored him and forgave him. Psalm 51 is a song that reflects restoration and hope. It is a psalm to help all to come back to God and find forgiveness. No one has to be the wrong man; you can become God’s best man through repentance and commitment to God.
Becoming God’s Best Man
Let’s face it, if we depend on our own motivation and drive, we will never become God’s Best Man. Here is the good news, God has covered us. Jesus said to His Disciples, “Why are you so fearful, O Ye of little faith.” Faith is the key to becoming God’s Best man rather than giving in to our fears. When we trust God, love God, and seek to honor God through living, we overcome the evil and the fear.
One day, you and I will look at ourselves in the mirror. We will have a day of reckoning and ask, what kind of person did I become? Some will look with regret while others will look with rejoicing. It all boils down to one thing. Who influenced your life? This is where I admire the Disciples because they gave Jesus a wake-up call.
When they saw their boat filling up with water and the storm still raging and threatening to destroy their lives, they called on Jesus. They did not know what to do as the called out of fear. At that point, they experienced the Power of God. You and I may never be on the Sea of Galilee, but you will travel the Sea of Life. I can guarantee there will be storms and you will have times of fear. You can either let the storm talk to you or you can talk to God. The storm will always give you bad news. The storm will always remind you how weak you are. The storm will remind you of its destructive power. So, you must decide if you are going to listen to the voice of the storm or if you will listen to the Voice of God. God’s Voice will remind you that He is your Maker and Keeper. He is your Shade upon the right hand. God’s Voice will remind you that He did not bring you this far to leave you. When you listen to the Voice of God, you will be persuaded that nothing can separate you from the Love of Christ.
There are three things the Voice of God will tell you. The first is get up. Second, God’s Voice will tell you to speak up. Lastly, God’s Voice will tell you to stay focused.
If we are to be that ‘best man’ that God wants us to be, we must stand up. The Bible says in Matthew 8:26, And He said to them, “why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose … Jesus did not sit down, fold under pressure, or give in to the fears of others. He got up. He got up to conduct Kingdom business. He got up to set them free from their fears. Throughout Scripture, we see Jesus getting up. Why? Because that’s what God’s Best Man does. Jesus got up when He was teaching in the Synagogues of Galilee and Capernaum. That is what the Best Man does. He stood up when the scribes and Pharisees was trying to stone an adulterous woman but were ignoring their own sins. He stood up. He stood up to the religious leaders and Priests who had defiled His Father’s House with merchandise and money changers. Jesus stood up. Not only that, but after He had died for our sin and was buried in the Tomb, Jesus got up and stood up on that third day morning. He arose and got up and said, “All Power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth.” He got up.
Not only did Jesus get up, He also spoke up. Matthew 8:26, And He said to them, “why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. Jesus spoke out against the raging winds and the tempestuous sea. Jesus spoke up and spoke out against the self-righteous Pharisees and religious hypocrites. Jesus spoke up and spoke out against demons and rebuked them for taking up God’s space in human lives. We ought to be like Jesus. We ought to talk like Jesus and speak up. If you see wrong and when you see injustice, iniquity, and insensitivity, you must speak up. To help you speak up, you must allow the Holy Spirit of God to use you. Speak up for Jesus because He spoke up for you.
Thirdly, you must stay focused. Have you ever wondered why the Disciples could not see that Jesus was God’s Best Man. They could not see because they were more focused on what was going on around them rather than what was going on within their heart. Jesus asked them, “how is it that you have no faith?” He gave them faith and not fear. Stay focused child of God. Stop looking at the world’s terrors and start looking at the Savior’s Truth. Stop looking at the poison and focus on God’s Power. When you stay focused on Jesus, you will begin to see some amazing things. You will see that He is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. You will see for yourself that He is a Way-maker. You will see that He is a Storm Tamer. You will see that He is Almighty God. You will see that Jesus Christ is God’s Best Man and you will see for yourself that He is Your Lord. You will also see that if anyone is in Christ, they are new creatures. You will focus on becoming God’s best because you will be led by The Best. You will become the person God wants you to be despite the storms of life. God bless.