Covered In Dust And Walking On Water

Covered in Dust and Walking on Water

by Larry LaDouceur

The Sermon is called, “Covered in Dust and Walking on Water.” Please turn to the Book of Matthew and we’ll read in the word of God that Jesus and the Apostle Peter both walked on water very early one morning.

Matthew 14:25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

The fourth watch, somewhere between three and six in the morning, the disciples see a man walking on the lake and they were fearful. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. When we add what John wrote in his Gospel we get the bigger picture.

John 6:16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. (English Standard Version)

It’s now dark, the disciples are together in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. The wind was blowing strongly enough that the lake became rough. They have rowed three to four mile’s, its now approximately three in the morning and they see a man walking on the lake.

Matthew 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Jesus knows the disciples distraught condition, immediately identifies Himself and tells them not to be afraid. Then Peter makes a surprising request and Jesus responds;

Matthew 14:28″Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (New International Version)

Walking on Water – My first impression to this group of verses is WOW! Jesus chastises Peter for his lack of faith, not for trying to do something impossible. Peter had the confidence to say, “Lord, ifs it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Certainly Peter had some confidence builders before he walked on the water;

Jesus turned water to wine at a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

Peter knew the woman at the wells testimony and that many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of her witness and the two days Jesus stayed over to be with them.

Healing of the invalid at Bethesda (Beth•sa•i•da)

Jesus had just finished feeding five thousand men, plus women and children with two small fish and five small barley loaves.

Another confidence builder for Peter had to be the Rabbi (teacher), apprentice (student) relationship he had with Jesus.

Mark 9:5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

Mark 11:21And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”

We can more completely comprehend the relationship between Jesus and Peter if we examine a much fuller meaning of what a Rabbi would have meant to Peter. Especially since that Rabbi was Jesus.

From records found in Jewish sources, we can form a reasonably accurate image of what Jesus was doing during His childhood. He was studying and committing to memory Scripture. Memorization of the written Torah was a large part of a Jewish education. The first five books of the Hebrew Scripture, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Professor and Rabbi Shmuel Safrai, who was professor emeritus of Jewish History of the Mishnaic and Talmudic Period at the Hebrew University, writes this: “The Scriptures were known almost by heart by everyone. From quite early in the Second Temple period, one could hardly find a little boy in the street who didn’t know the Scriptures.”

Please read with me the commands God gave the nation of Israel;

Deuteronomy 6:

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

6These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.