Fear makes all of God's creatures do strange things. Once adrenalin hits the bloodstream, who can predict the ways of fight or flight? For example, unlike other bears, grizzlies merit extreme caution from hikers because they have a highly unstable adrenal gland and are "high" on this fight-flight drug most of the time. Imagine having your insides - your nerves, stomach and heart - jangling, reeling and pounding all the time like you'd just seen the latest Halloween movie. Poor bears! And poor anyone who gets in their way!
The disciples experienced that mouth-drying, heart-thumping, knee-buckling kind of fear many times. The disciples could not fathom the magnificence of the divine presence. The mystery was far beyond their ken and kin.
No wonder the disciples often reacted by curling into defensive little fear-balls at Jesus' feet.
