We are getting into that time of year where we start to pay a little more attention to the weather. We watch the sky a little closer when there are threats of storms in the area. We have an advantage today with all of the weather predicting tools, radar and the like. Storms to me are both fascinating and scary all wrapped up in one. I love the thunder and lightning but when the wind starts to come into play things can get interesting real quick. As a kid I was terrified of tornadoes.
I often wondered what it was like for the early settlers in the open plains when they didn’t have the forecasting abilities that we have today. There are times when a storm pops up seemingly out of nowhere and other times when you can see a storm coming.
I can remember a few years ago when we were vacationing in Wyoming and from our cabin we could see a storm coming across the hills. You could see a wall of rain and you could feel it coming. The wind picked up and I was busy trying to get dinner done over the fire and Missi and I were wondering if Tyler and Isabella were going to make it back on the four wheeler before things broke loose. As it got closer you knew it was going to hit you could even smell the rain before it began to fall. As it progressed towards us you could hear it coming and then a few sprinkles. As it began to rain the four wheeler came roaring down the hill just in time to beat the majority of the rain.
I’m sure you all have your storm stories as well. As a fisherman Peter would have had plenty of storm stories to tell. The Sea of Galilee was prone to storms. The climate around the sea is semi-tropical with warm moist air. The sea sits 680 feet below sea level and is surrounded by hills that can reach up to 2000 feet above sea level where the air is cool and dry. When these meet it can cause strong winds to come whipping down on the sea as they are funneled through the hills. They descend into the middle of the sea. The sea is only 200 feet at its deepest point and so there isn’t as much water to absorb that energy thus creating surprise violent storms.
It may have just been one of those circumstances that created the conditions for this storm that we are going to read about today in Matthew 14:22-33.
If you remember back a couple of weeks ago we started on Peter & Jesus. We talked about their first encounters. Jesus had Peter take him out in his boat so he could teach the people from the water and then he instructed Peter to let his nets down. Even though this is not when you traditionally did your fishing Peter obeyed Jesus and was rewarded with a catch, the likes of which he had never encountered before! When he got back to shore he realized that Jesus was something special and they he, Peter, was not. Jesus however called Peter along with others to follow him and that he would make them fishers of men.
Jesus has been teaching and healing and is getting quite a following. Just previous to this Jesus has fed the 5000. Think about this. 5000 is the number of men. If you add a spouse to each of them and one child you now have roughly 15,000 people. This is more than the population of Pella. Hilton Coliseum holds a little over 14,000 and Carver Hawkeye arena seats 15,400. It would be like feeding an arena full of people. I’ve been to Hawkeye basketball games and after a victory people are pretty lively. Imagine what this crowd that Jesus fed must have been like after this teaching and then being fed by him.
The disciples were probably bushed! Think of all of the servers they have at Hawkeye games to sell food to people. The disciples were attending to this large gathering and had gathered up all the leftovers. They had a busy and tiring day!
Disciples tended to stay with their teacher but the thought of getting away from everyone and getting a little head start on things was probably pretty attractive to the disciples. It probably didn’t take a lot of persuading to get them to go ahead.
This left Jesus with the task of dismissing the crowd. Maybe by the disciples taking off it was a signal to the crowds that it is over with – time to go home. In the book of John after Jesus feeds the 5000 the people began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world” and they intended to make Jesus king by force. Jesus knowing though that is wasn’t the right time or right way dismisses the crowd.
So off go the disciples and the crowd disperses and heads back home leaving Jesus with some much deserved quiet time with his heavenly father to pray.
The disciples had been out battling the waves for some time. They probably set out early evening. Again, they were used to finish at night so this wasn’t a big deal to set out at this time of the day. At the fourth watch it would have been around 3:00 am. The disciples even though experienced at sea had been out battling the headwinds and now the ever growing waves. They had probably gone some three to three and a half miles.
This wasn’t the first time that they had been together and caught in the waves the difference was this time Jesus was not in the boat with them. They were out in the sea all by themselves. They were left to fend for themselves or at least so they thought. I don’t know if you have ever been out in a boat in high seas but it isn’t much fun.
If this wasn’t frightening enough for them out of nowhere they see someone approaching them not in a boat but walking on the water. Surely now they were going to die, whatever was stirring up the waves was now coming to finish them off. No wonder they were terrified. Who wouldn’t be!
Jesus once again says to them, “Don’t be afraid.” In the middle of the storm Jesus tries to calm their fears, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Would that do it for you? I mean he had calmed the seas once before and he has performed many miracles. I’m not sure if that would have done it for me or not.
Peter is a take action guy. “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
Let’s stop and think about what Peter is saying here? What an unusual thing to say. Is Peter putting Jesus to the test here? Not at all! Out of all of them in the boat Peter is the only one that is actually reacting because of his faith.
At that time where is the most unsafe place to be? In the boat! Where is the safe place? With Jesus! Peter knows that Jesus can take care of all things. He’s seen him do it. Peter has incredible faith in Jesus and he knows that in the middle of a storm the best place to be is with Jesus. Remember Jesus is not with them in the boat. I think he just wants to make sure that it’s Jesus because if it is then Peter wants out of the storm and into the safe haven of Jesus.
Jesus acknowledges Peter but simply saying “Come”. Peter obeys and gets out of the boat. For a couple of moments Peter is out of the storm. Not literally but he is focused on Jesus and the raging storm around him has no power over him. His eyes are on Jesus and the peace that he brings.
The storms of life will come raging. It will happen. Sometimes you can see them coming and other times they seem to pop up out of nowhere. When you can see them coming you can make preparations for them. Seek shelter, bring in things from outside, and gather everyone in and so on. Life’s storms can be the same way. You can see it coming and you have a chance to get things together to protect you, to help ward off the storm. You might still get tossed around a bit but it doesn’t seem so bad because you are prepared. You surround yourself with brothers and sisters of faith and they support you. You are able to spend time in prayer and maybe get out of the way of the worst of the storm.
What about those storms though that come up quickly? These storms can be a result of your own doing or not. The fact is they come and you are unprepared and when you are getting tossed around it is terrible. You wonder how am I going to make it through this? I’ve got my faith my belief in Jesus?????
Remember the other men in the boat with Peter? They had all heard Jesus teach. They had all seen Jesus do incredible things. They too were also seeing Jesus walking on the water. They too had heard him say, “Don’t be afraid”. They don’t do anything though. They stay in the boat because it appears to be safer. This is what they know; this is what they are sure of. I’m better off in the boat doing what I do than getting out of the boat to where Jesus is.
We want Jesus to come get in our boat. Jesus, come to me. Peter says, “No, I’m not waiting, I’m going to Jesus”.
And for a moment it happens. Peter walks on the water. His focus is on Jesus. Notice the storm does not quit. It is still going on but Peter is okay because his focus is on Jesus. We know what happens thought, right. Peter notices that the storm is still raging and his focus on Jesus is distracted and he begins to sink.
I cannot even begin to tell you all the storms I have had in my life. Some of them were caused by me and others not so much. Some of them had big winds and waves and I felt utterly helpless being tossed about. I don’t think I’m a whole lot different than many of you. When the wind and waves began I looked to my own strength to pull me through. God has equipped me to handle things and I would get through this okay.
That is what the disciples were doing. They were accomplished on the seas and they were working to get through to their destination. It’s almost like they were so focused on solving or fighting the problem that they forgot about Jesus.
Jesus however didn’t forget about him and he doesn’t forget about me. At some point in the storm Jesus makes himself known and at that point I am faced with the decision to if I keep fighting on my own or if I get out of the boat and go to Jesus.
The problem with getting out of the boat is that it often comes with the unknown. While there might be that moment of peace the storm may continue to rage and we get distracted and we begin to sink like Peter did.
It was probably good that Peter sank because if he would have made it all the way to Jesus and back to the boat his buddies might have said, “Wow Peter, you did it.” Peter didn’t do it, Jesus did it.
Peter sank but the Lord didn’t let him die. Peter cried out to the Lord and Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him again.
I don’t know about you but that seems to be the story of my life. I focus on Jesus, I’m distracted and sink, I cry out to him and he rescues me again and again! Peter was walking on water, why did he lose his faith. God has rescued me time and time again, why do I ever take credit for it. I am a sinful man, we are all sinful people and we are in need of constant rescuing by our Lord and Savior.
When they climbed back into the boat the winds and the waves died down. They were still in the water but they were safe in the arms of the Savior and they worshipped him. “Truly you are the Son of God”.
What are storm are you in right now? Are you hanging out in the boat waiting for Jesus? Are you willing to step out when he says come trust in me?
Storms are going to happen. Jesus provides that peace in the storm. The disciples went on to face persecution and death for their belief in Jesus. Jesus gives you peace to face your storms and to see your way through them even if they don’t end the way we want them to.
Peter is beginning to get it. He saw that there was something worth following when Jesus called. He knows that the best place is by Jesus. They are beginning to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Do you believe in him this morning? Trust in his saving grace today.
Amen
