A Heartily Desire

Reading: Matt 14:21-36

TITLE: "A HEARTILY DESIRE"

This was the second time that Jesus asks his disciples to enter the boat and cross over the lake. In chapter eight in the gospel of Mathew, we read "when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him v.23". But Jesus fell asleep, and a great storm arose. So they were afraid and woke him up saying: "Lord save us we are going to drown" and Mark quotes "Teacher don’t you care if we drown?" He names this reaction "LACK OF FAITH", They doubted that he cares.

But now he asks them to go alone. It is obvious that they were afraid. In fact we read in the K.J.Version "Matt 14:22 and straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away."

DEFENITION of constrain: Constrain means using force or strong persuasion

It sounds like Jesus was forcing them or convincing them to enter. They were not willing to go alone!!!

The disciples hesitation was due to a past experience. The storm they faced the first time was not a usual storm, but rather a spiritual warfare. When the Lord ordered the storm to stop, He was surely addressing the evil spirits that moved the waters at that time, for He was heading to the village of Gadarenes to release the demon possessed man.

That was a spiritual warfare, faced with a lack of faith, but now they are going alone in the deep without Jesus?!?

After this spiritual confrontation they learned how to have faith, holding fast the command of the Lord to cross over. The second time they faced another storm they did not shout in fear anymore, but persevered four watches of the night.

Not only a long period of time, but also the wind was against them.

This, what happens to us when we want to obey the Lord’s command, we face oppositions, a wind which goes against us. Then we have to learn from previous experiences, and stand firm.

This time the Lord frightens them instead, and we read in Mark 6:48 He intended to pass by them, or was about to pass by them.

So they said that’s a ghost! And they were afraid, to the point they shouted!

Peter seemed to be the only one who got the message. The Lord has good intentions. He is asking us to grow in his knowledge. We still don’t know Him as we should. Peter writes to the scattered; saying:" grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." He had already faced the challenge.

Then the Lord assures them: "It is I".

It is as if the Lord was asking:" Don’t you know me?" Or better "do you want to know me more? I walk on the waters, everything is possible to me, and I am who I am."

1- Peter had a heartily desire to know Jesus more

Peter responds to the invitation, by saying "Yes, I want to know you".

Maybe he thought by himself this way: "If this is you Lord, then you can make me do the same. I already know you can. I already confessed that you are the Son of the Living God, but there are still many things I do not know about you.You almost left us alone, for a long period while we were facing difficulties, so I want to be sure Lord that you really care. You gave us a chance to exercise faith, and then you frightened us!!!

I want to put this puzzle together and learn more about you".

A- I want to know you better, by learning.

We should grow in the knowledge of Jesus by learning.

We learn through the Word of God, and from our experiences.

Command me to come to you on the water, then this would be a confirmation for the lesson.

Because:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me".

Phil 4:13 KJV

What a challenge!!! Newton would complain.

B- I want to know you better, because many deceiving spirits came to the world.

Peter didn’t want to trust just any spirit. He wanted to make sure that Jesus is not a mirage, or maybe a hallucination!

"If you are Jesus Christ, then you should be walking on the water. You can change the waters and submit nature to your command. You can’t possibly be an image, a spirit or a ghost. Hence the only proof that it is You, is that the sea has become like a pavement. Then I can walk on waters as well!!!

If we want to experience something similar, just remember this was personal. Peter did not ask the Lord to command all the ones on board to walk on the waters, but only him.