Matthew 8:25

‘And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Save, Lord, we perish”.'

They would have fought on as long as they could (pride was at stake), but in the end, with hope gone (literally ‘we have perished'), they fought their way through the water that was filling the boat, clinging on for dear life as the howling winds swept continually around them, and made their way to where Jesus was lying unconscious in the stern of the boat. Once there they no doubt shook Him vigorously, and then they cried, ‘Lord, save us. We are perishing.' (Compare the cry of the leper in Matthew 8:2). They were experienced enough to know that the boat could not last much longer. It was their last despairing and rather hopeless cry. They were doomed. So in their terror they had turned to their last hope, although it must be considered probable that they were not even sure that He could do anything, for the storm was relentless and even possibly getting worse.

But how easily we do not stop to think when reading these well known narrative. We forget that this is conveying the idea of what happened. But there were a number of terrified men in that boat and as one they had fought their way to Jesus. And now they surrounded Him. And there would have been a number of desperate voices, not just one, and all panicking. And they would all be yelling different words. This is just the gist of it. ‘Save us, Lord, we're going down.' ‘Don't you care that we are perishing?' ‘Master, master, we're lost.' ‘Lord, do something!'