Storms yes: but we have a miracle worker.
Matthew 14:22 -- 33. 11/16/03
Our text this morning comes right on the heels of another miracle of Jesus feeding over 5000 with just five loaves and two fish. Because of that, the multitudes wanted to crown him King. Not for who he was as much as for what he did. They were hungry and he fed them. He had met their physical need. Yet there was a greater need and it was spiritual in nature. Jesus could have continued to meet their physical needs but his mission was more important than meeting physical needs and it would mean his death that their spiritual needs might be met.
The disciples no doubt sensed the excitement of the time and also wanted to crown him as their King. It was a possibility that the disciples would even have been the ones to initiate the crowning. But Jesus had a more important task for them and that was to carry the gospel to the world. So, he sent the disciples away to the other side while he would dismiss the multitudes. Then the Bible says that he went into the mountain to pray. There to have COMMUNICATION WITH THE FATHER.
I realize that Matthew just states that Jesus went into the mountain to pray. It is as if it was so common for Jesus to pray to the father that it is something that the readers should be aware of. It wasn’t Matthew’s intention for the reader to pass over something as important as prayer with just a casual glance.
How was it that Jesus knew the will of God for his life? It was through communication with the father. It was as natural for Jesus to spend time in praying to the father and seeking his will as it was for him to walk. We can never know the will of God without communicating with God.
Proverbs 14:12 says, “there is away which seems right unto man, but end thereof are the ways of death.” There is man’s way of doing things and God’s way. We will not know God’s way without asking him. Jesus, as our example spent time each day to pray.
We see not only communication with the father but also the COMMOTION ON THE SEA. Look at vs. 23 B. -- 24.
The scene leaves the land and goes out to the sea. Jesus is on dry land and there is a stone on the sea. This had happened to them before but Jesus was on board the last time, though they had to wake him to get his help.
They were in a storm out in the sea. I am reminded of the time a small community was caught in a hurricane. There was a preacher in the group huddled together and he began to pray. Lord send to us to spirit of the children of Israel when they were in bondage. Lord send us to spirit of the children of Moses when facing the Red Sea. An old man over in the corner said, Lord don’t send nobody, you come yourself, this ain’t no job for children.
The disciples had been out on the sea fishing many a night. Going out to sea in the night was something they were familiar with. Something they ordinarily did became the place of the storm.
You have discovered you can’t run from storms that come in life. The disciples did not expect a storm but it came. Just an ordinary day doing the familiar things and the storm came. A crisis in the life of the disciples that pointed to death.
Storms do come in life don’t they? They seem to come when we really don’t expect them. At the most inconvenient time.
Mark’s account of this account says in chapters 6:48 “and he saw them toiling in rowing.” He saw! Hallelujah he sees. Jesus was in the mountain praying and the disciples were in a storm. He saw them toiling. Who was the praying for?
When we are in a storm, it is good to know friends and family are praying for you but it is so comforting to know there is a savior in heaven praying to the father for us. We are never in a storm that Jesus doesn’t know.
We see not only the communication with the father and the commotion on the sea but also the CESSATION OF THE STORM. This is found in vs. 25 -- 33.
When things seem to be the worst. At the darkest time of the storm, here comes Jesus. He comes walking on the very thing that they were afraid of. The water was a threat to their life, yet the water was under the feet of Jesus. The greatest storm that can come in our lives is under the feet of Jesus. He is in control. The storm is calmed.
Think about it with me. No storm was going to keep them from doing what Jesus had told them to do. Jesus had already told them to go to the other side. No storm was going to keep them from the other side. Any more than a cross was going to keep him from being the savior of mankind. Do you know Jesus as your savior?
