Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognised Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all who were ill to him and begged him to let those who were ill just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Matthew 14:22-36 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.22-36.NIVUK
It was early December 2001. Typhoon season. You'd think I'd have known better, but I was determined to visit my girlfriend and get engaged, so I'd ignored the weather predictions and flown to the Philippines. We were with her family and had to get back to Cebu City for work and so I could fly back home. However, a typhoon was blasting the north of the island and most sailings of light craft and catamarans were banned. So we had to wait for a day. My future brother-in-law, though, was not to be deterred. Like us, he cancelled his ticket on the catamaran, but he decided to sail with the slower and heavier overnight ferry instead. We thought he was crazy and hard-headed, but he insisted he would be fine. We anxiously called him the next morning. He was fine. The crossing was smooth. No issues. So we returned to the port, re-booked our catamaran crossing and sailed. The catamaran pulled out of port and turned as it normally did. A huge wave struck it. It tilted by what felt like thirty degrees and then slammed back into the surf. That crossing was the worst I have ever experienced. Two and a half hours of constantly being chucked around like food in a blender. My niece hardly left the bathroom for the entire trip. It was awful. Storms in life happen. If anything, Coronavirus has reminded us that none of us are immune. We need to prepare for them. That's why large passenger ships and cruise ships have mandatory safety drills before they sail. That's why airlines must show the safety demonstration before they fly. Perhaps the biggest problem with Coronavirus is that it has hit us when we were not prepared. In any storm you need shelter. You need somewhere to see it out. Where better than the arms of God? But these verses are not just about surviving the storm. No, they are about growing and thriving in it. They are about being able to walk through it in ways that others cannot. There are three aspects of God's character displayed here that help us when the storms of life hit us hard. The first of these is that He is A GOD WHO IS THERE.
A God who is there
As Matthew recorded: After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew 14:23 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.23.NIVUK
Now, you're probably wondering, "What does this prove? People pray to all kinds of gods all the time? How is this any different?" I don't just mean by this that God exists. Of course He does. The letter to the Hebrews states the two basic premises of faith: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/heb.11.6.NIVUK
No, by this I mean that he is THERE... for us. That He cares for us and is there to listen to us. I don't believe that Jesus retreated up that mountainside just to carry out a dry ritual, or to do something that He just always did because it was a habit or because it looked good. The context tells me that this would have been a pretty intense night of prayer. What context? How about this? The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. Matthew 14:9-12 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.9-12.NIVUK
John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin. Not only was he Jesus' cousin, but they shared the limelight together, to the extent that some of Jewish leaders tried to say they were in competition with each other: They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – look, he is baptising, and everyone is going to him.’ John 3:26 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.3.26.NIVUK
But that was never the case. John Himself stated: He must become greater; I must become less.’ John 3:30 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.3.30.NIVUK
And now Herod had murdered him. Jesus evidently needed some time to Himself to spend in prayer, but it didn't happen: When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. Matthew 14:13 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.13.NIVUK
Do you know how many people followed Him into the remote place? Five thousand men. No-one counted the women and children too. And Jesus fed them! But John records that the situation was becoming even more critical: Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. John 6:15 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.6.15.NIVUK
The crowd had seen Him heal, heard Him speak and watched as He performed an outstanding miracle and they wanted to put Him as their ruler instead of the Romans. But that was not Jesus' intention. Not at all. Bereaved, pressured in the limelight and facing incredible demands to deviate from His plan, you can see why Jesus had to escape. Most of us would feel the same. In fact, there is a glorious truth here that we all need to grasp. It's not wrong at all to need to spend time in prayer. Some ignorant people labelled prayer and faith in God as a crutch, something for the weak and emotionally crippled. Really? So if two men are next to each other in hospital with a broken leg, which one is stronger: the one with the crutch or the one without? What am I saying? I'm saying that this crisis has wounded us all. We are all broken. The so-called prayer crutch makes us stronger, not weaker. Never, never, never be ashamed of praying. There was no human being stronger than Jesus Christ, yet this was His habit: But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/luk.5.16.NIVUK
In fact, He instructed His followers to do exactly the same - to withdraw to a private place so they could be alone and 'real' with God, where their spirituality and connection with God would not be affected by any possibility of performing in front of others: But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.6.6.NIVUK
Jesus had a real sense, to quote the famous Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer, that 'God is there and is not silent'. He taught the disciples to pray recognising first and foremost that God is their Father. He taught people to bring their burdens to Him. He is the God who is there for every problem, every crisis, every difficulty. Prayer to Him is a 24/7 helpline that is never engaged. He is there. Jesus was in terrific difficulties and He sought Him. I've sought Him on numerous occasions. I've came to the secret place in times of difficulty more times that I can count. I can't say that God had always resolved my problems immediately - although sometimes He has. Often, like in this situation, I have received the means to face up to the challenge ahead. So what am I saying? Regardless of whether you are a Christian or not, this crisis is way too much for you, or indeed anyone, to face alone. If Jesus took his problems to the place of prayer, then you should too. We've seen that God is there. God is also A GOD WHO REACHES OUT:
A God who reaches out
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ Matthew 14:23-31 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.23-31.NIVUK
This is remarkable on so many different levels. Jesus sees them in difficulty and walks towards them on the water. Now I've heard of stage illusionists trying to recreate this. The only reason I can possibly see for them to do so is for their own foolish ego. However, they have all failed, because this happened in stormy conditions: and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Matthew 14:24 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.24.NIVUK
A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. John 6:18 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.6.18.NIVUK
The feat of walking on water was made all the more miraculous because the conditions were poor. Imagine! Jesus sees His disciples in trouble and walks on the water to help them! He bends the rules of nature just to assist His friends! We can almost forgive them for not recognising Him. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. Matthew 14:25-26 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.25-26.NIVUK
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. John 6:19 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.6.19.NIVUK
However, in the midst of a storm and what must have been a completely confusing experience, Jesus doesn't chide them for their reactions. Instead, He reminds them of who He is: But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Matthew 14:27 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.27.NIVUK
However, Mark's version has an interesting detail: He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Mark 6:48-50 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mrk.6.48-50.NIVUK
He was about to pass them by. In other words, He had confidence in their ability to deal with the wind and the waves! So what can we learn so far? Firstly, Jesus is able to break every rule, including the rules of nature, to save us. Secondly, that He believes in us and the abilities He has given us to deal with life's storms. Thirdly, that He is able to give us the courage to face them. But it is the little scene with Peter, only recorded in Matthew, that should give us the most encouragement: ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ Matthew 14:28-31 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.28-31.NIVUK
Peter had been impetuous again. For whatever reason, he had stepped out of the boat. But the wind and the waves caused him to fear and he started to sink. He lost faith when confronted by the storm. Is that where we are now? Do we look at all we are facing and feel terrified? Do we feel that it's too much to bear? Peter was a fisherman by trade. He would have fished in this lake many, many times since his youth. Mark is specific about this event taking place in the middle of the lake, three or four miles from the shore in no doubt its deepest part. Peter would also have been a strong swimmer. So the fact that he lost his nerve here tells you just how bad the conditions were. Yet when faced with a storm and a disciple whose faith seems to have gone, how does Jesus respond? He reaches out and saves him. He pulls him back from the deep. He saves his life. If we feel lost in the middle of this pandemic, if we feel like we are drowning and there is no way back, we need to reflect on these words: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’ Luke 19:10 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/luk.19.10.NIVUK
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/rom.5.6-8.NIVUK
We need to understand this: Jesus didn't come to save those who have their lives all together and sorted. He didn't come for those with a detailed escape plan. He came to save those who feel lost, who feel like giving up, who can't go on anymore and have no plan. He came for those whose hearts are broken, whose lives are busted, who feel like they can't continue. The Message has a beautiful rendering of one of the Beattitudes: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matthew 5:3 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/mat.5.3.MSG
Please understand: if you feel like you are sinking then Jesus is there to save you. If you feel like you're wounded, Jesus is there to heal you. If you feel like you're hanging by a thread, Jesus is there to lift you up. The Cistine Chapel had the famous mural of God touching man. Do you know why He did it? Not so Michelangelo could paint a nice painting, that's for sure! No, God reached out His hand through Jesus to save us! The famous (and some might say infamous) prophet Jonah put it rather poetically: He said: ‘In my distress I called to the Lord , and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, “I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again towards your holy temple.” The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in for ever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. Jonah 2:2-6 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jon.2.2-6.NIVUK
This can be your experience. Just as Peter was sinking beneath the waves, Jesus reached out and grabbed him. Jesus saved his life. If you feel like you are sinking right now, Jesus is reaching out to you too. Take His hand. He will save you from the storm.
And that is our third point. Our God is not just a God who is there and who reaches out. He is also A GOD WHO SAVES:
A God who saves
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ Matthew 14:32-33 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.14.32-33.NIVUK
Have you ever saved anyone or experienced being saved? I'm a terrible swimmer. I am very skilled at drowning, but I've learned the hard way that this is not a useful skill. I was sitting with my wife in a hotel pool when I decided to go a little further. It was roasting hot. The water was cool. You know how it is. The problem is that I'd totally underestimated the depth of the water in the pool. Within seconds it was over my head. To be fair, it didn't have to be very deep to be over my head. However, I'm not a fan of standing up with neither my feet on the bottom of a pool nor my head breathing fresh air, so I quickly became an unedifying spectacle of a slightly reddish-pink man thrashing about in the water. My wife saw what was happening and within seconds pushed me back to safety. She saved me. And also reminded me that it might be better to eat a little less because I was quite heavy. Jesus saved these disciples from their storm. That shouldn't surprise us. From His birth He was born, and named, to do exactly this: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ Matthew 1:21 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.1.21.NIVUK
Saving people was why Jesus was sent to the earth. And all versions of this event concur: the elements calmed immediately as soon as Jesus got into the boat: Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:51-52 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mrk.6.51-52.NIVUK
John even added a bit extra, saying that not only did Jesus calm the storm, He even got them right out of it by taking them immediately to their destination: Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. John 6:21 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.6.21.NIVUK
So what can we learn from this? Jesus has power over the elements. Jesus calms the storm they were in. Jesus saved them from it. Absolutely. Which causes to ask: why doesn't He calm our storm? Why doesn't He remove Coronavirus and let us get on with our lives? In answering this question, we need some context. The Jews were under Roman domination. They believed that their Saviour, their Messiah would rid them from Roman tyranny. He did not. As we read earlier, Jesus was sent to rid them of an even greater tyranny - their own sin; their own failures and wrongdoing. Our perspective is that we need a Saviour to change our circumstances and make our lives better. But what if our perspective is too narrow? What if God has a wider purpose in the Coronavirus storm that means we have to stay with it for a while? What if God's purpose is to remove us from the greater tyranny of our sin rather than the biological tyranny of this virus? We also see here that Jesus rescues His disciples from a relatively small storm. However, they were in the middle of a much larger, much wider storm from which He did not rescue them. They were a sect within Judaism, following a Messiah at a time when the country was dominated by the Romans. Within less than a year they would be the leaders of a new, unrecognised religious movement, hounded by both the Jews and the Romans. One of them would commit suicide after betraying Jesus. Ten of them would either be crucified or fed to the lions in the arena. Only one of them would die a natural death, and even that was in exile. Jesus did not save them from that storm. Not because He couldn't, but because there was a wider purpose which would lead to the Gospel reaching out across the earth. So, you see, God has a wider purpose we often don't see. There are times when our outward situation does not change immediately. But we cannot avoid the fact that their storm calmed as soon as Jesus got into their boat. What could this mean? Jesus' birth was prophesied hundreds of years before it took place. One of the most famous of these prophecies is from Isaiah: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/isa.9.6-7.NIVUK
Twice in these verses it mentions peace in connection with Jesus. In fact, even a casual reader of the Gospels will notice that Jesus is connected with peace quite a lot. If you speak to someone who has become a Christian, peace is a common 'side-effect'. If you speak to someone who has brought their troubles to Jesus, they experience peace. Even Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Philippians: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/php.4.6-7.NIVUK
The storm that Jesus can and will calm for all of us if we let Him into our lives is the storm in our minds and our hearts. He promises peace: He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. Ephesians 2:17 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/eph.2.17.NIVUK
Peace in the middle of life's storms. Peace that will guide us through the waves to where we need to go. Peace that will calm and soothe our deeply troubled minds and hearts. That peace comes because He has conquered our biggest fear - death - and its root cause - sin. That peace comes because we know that our future is completely secure, no matter what happens. That peace comes because we have a God who loves us and promises that He is working for our good in every situation - even this. So tell me this: would you not want this God in your life? There are so many religions and philosophies in this world. But not all of them work. Many are cheap counterfeits. Some are terrible fakes. Most of them require us to achieve something, whether it's good deeds, hidden knowledge or even a state of non-existence. Christianity is completely different. The Bible teaches that we have a God who is there for us in every situation. It teaches that this God is aware of our situation and reaches out to save us. It teaches that He is also the God who saves. A number of years ago, I walked into a huge mega-church in the Philippines. It had ten thousand members. They started to sing an old chorus that really meant something. You see, some of them were dirt poor day rate workers, if they even had a job. They had lived through typhoons and earthquakes. They had no state healthcare, no insurance and benefit system to help them if they lost work. They were incredibly vulnerable. And what were they singing? "With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm." That really touched me. But do you know what? It's true. It's true for them. It's true for me. It can be true for you. Jesus Christ is there, He is reaching out and He can save you. You just have to let him into your life. Why don't you do it today?
Comments