Jesus condemned the disciples’s fear of the storm as showing weak faith because although they (correctly) called upon him with the words Save us, Lord…,
they added, we are perishing,
demonstrating their fear and their lack of faith (Matthew 8:26). They forgot that they had been called as apostles to proclaim the gospel to the world, so that they could not drown even before beginning their work. All they had to do was to simply pray to save us!
Such a prayer would have shown their belief that salvation can be found with Jesus alone and that he would indeed save them. Jesus therefore calls them you of little faith,
because he sees how fear had replaced their trust in God, in contrast with the trusting faith of the centurion revealed just before (Matthew 8:10). His disciples should have been ready to follow Jesus into the depths of the sea in the assurance that he would lead them to life beyond death
In the midst of their confusion and fear the disciples still exhibited their trust in Jesus by realizing that he, as Lord, could save them from the storm. As such they called upon him with the words Save us, Lord; we are perishing.
Despite this, however, Jesus still rebuked them for being afraid (Matthew 8:26).1 In proclaiming the words we are perishing,
the disciples reveal their lack of faith. They have forgotten that they have been called as apostles to proclaim the gospel to the world, and that they therefore could not drown even before beginning their work. All they had to do was to simply reduce their prayer to save us!
Such a prayer would have testified to their belief that salvation can be found with Jesus alone and that he would indeed save them.2 Jesus therefore admonishes the disciples by calling them you of little faith,
because he sees how fear had replaced their trust in God.3 The defective faith of the disciples stands in stark contrast to the great faith of the centurion revealed just prior (Matthew 8:10). As his disciples they should have been prepared to follow Jesus into the depths of the sea in the sure conviction that he would be leading them to a glorious destination: that is, to life beyond death.4
25 Les disciples s'étant approchés le réveillèrent, et dirent: Seigneur, sauve, nous périssons!