Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 (also in Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21)
Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus walks on water
The account of Jesus walking on the water comes immediately after the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 by the shores of the Sea of Galilee. John and Mark also record this in their writings (Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21) with minor differences in detail. It’s helpful to read all three to get a better understanding of the passage and what’s going on. A careful reading of all three accounts helps you get a clearer picture of Jesus as Lord and Saviour and shows how he uses the storms of life to deepen our faith and trust in Him.
Let’s take a closer look at our gospel reading.
The first thing to note is that Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side. Both Matthew and Mark say he did this immediately after the feeding of the 5000. But why the hurry? Why did Jesus compel his disciples to leave in the boat while he stayed back to dismiss the crowd?
There are two reasons for this. The first reason is recorded for us by John. In John 6:14-15 we read the crowd wanted to make Jesus king by force. They saw Jesus as a great prophet; someone who would rescue them from Roman occupation. The motive was political and they’d begun to get restless. Jesus of course knew what they were thinking. He knew their minds were set on earthly things and not the things of God. Their purposes were not in line with God’s will. Jesus knew the danger facing the disciples. They would have easily been swept up with the crowd because they did not fully understand God’s plans yet.
Some of the disciples would have been very happy at the prospect of becoming famous and powerful. Judas might have been named treasurer and Peter prime minister of the new kingdom! But this was not in God’s plan and purposes and so Jesus immediately sends them off to the other side of the lake. Why? Because he does not want them to be swept along with the crowd. Jesus in his goodness rescues them from this situation because like the crowd, the disciples’ ideas of the kingdom of God were still too national and political.
At this point we might ask if Jesus knew a storm was coming. Yes of course he did! Then why did he deliberately send his disciples, His friends even, into danger? Well, that brings us to the second reason for sending them into a storm. And it is this. Jesus wanted to teach them a lesson in faith and what it means to trust Him even in the midst of the storms of life. And he does this to prepare them for the work that lay ahead of them after He was gone.
It is good to remember the disciples have been with Jesus for a while up to this point. They’ve seen him preach and teach with great authority. On Jesus’ command they had gone out and returned from a very successful mission of preaching the Gospel and healing the sick. They were buzzing with excitement. And only a few verses earlier they had experienced and been part of a great miracle. They were on a spiritual high.
And Jesus knew this was dangerous. Why? Because mountaintop experiences can lead to pride and self-reliance very easily. We are prone to being fixated by blessings which can blur faith and trust in God. And this is precisely what Jesus wants the disciples to avoid and so he sends them into a storm to learn trust in God.
Perhaps some of the situations or circumstances we find ourselves in is because Jesus wants to deepen our faith in him. He wants us to grow in our trust and dependence on him.
This is not the first storm they’ve been in. In Matthew 8 we read how the disciples are led by Jesus into a storm. Remember how he’s fast asleep in the boat and how he gets up and rebukes the wind and the waves and all is calm.
Here they are again, struggling in the middle of the lake, being battered by the wind and waves, but Jesus is not with them. Incidentally, storms rose up quite frequently on the Sea of Galilee due to its location. Even for seasoned fishermen (we know 4 of the disciples were fishermen), this was hard work, battling against the wind and waves, fearing for their lives.
But Jesus hasn’t forgotten them. He’s been watching and praying for them. And when it seems the situation is really desperate and the disciples can’t do anything to help themselves, Jesus comes to them, walking on the waves.
Now, you’d think they’d instantly recognise him, jumping for joy. But instead, they are gripped with fear – they scream in terror. They think he’s a ghost. Imagine you’re in the boat. How would you react? I think I’d be terrified and fearful too.
How does Jesus respond? He reassures them immediately,
‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’
Jesus didn’t come to the disciples to trouble them or make them afraid. Instead, He came to rescue them. Jesus didn’t abandon them to the storm. He hadn’t forgotten about them. He came to their rescue even when they didn’t expect it. The waves that threatened to overwhelm the disciples in their boat became the stairway for Jesus to walk on. That’s something to think about!
Jesus is saying to you and me,
‘Take courage, it is I. Don’t be afraid’.
No matter what challenges and struggles we face, Jesus says do not fear. He walks with us. He doesn’t leave us to hang-out and dry. No, he comes alongside. We can be assured of God’s help in our time of need – he protects, provides and is present with us. Psalm 23 is a good reminder of this.
This should be a great source of comfort and encouragement to us. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t exempt one from the storms and trials of life. But what it does do is give us an assurance in the goodness of God who is our rescuer, our protector and a very present help in time of need.
We need to remind ourselves that there is no storm too big or beyond God’s control. We need to remember that even the winds and waves obey Him.
We don’t really have time to fully consider Peter’s actions here. But very briefly, Peter says to Jesus if it’s really you then tell me to come to you on the water. Jesus says to him come. And Peter, full of faith, steps out of the boat and walks towards Jesus. Wow! Can you imagine how he must have felt? But then he takes his eyes off Jesus, sees the wind and waves and fear kicks in. He begins to sink and cries out ‘Lord, save me!’. And immediately Jesus reaches out and catches him.
Sometimes we too can be a bit like Peter. We step out in faith, excited about what God might do. And then something knocks us off guard. We falter and feel like we’re sinking. It doesn’t mean we’ve failed. When Peter’s faith faltered, he reached out to Jesus, the only one who could help. Yes, he was afraid, but he still looked to Jesus. And we should too because Jesus is always reaching out to help us.
Let me conclude by encouraging you to keep your eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus, being reminded that sometimes, he will send us into ‘storms’ to refine us, to cause us to grow in our faith and walk with him. But while he sends us, he also sees us wherever we are. You and I are never out of his sight. He is the one who comes to seek and save. He is our deliverer, our strong tower, the One in whom we can find refuge and grace for our every need. He is the one who calms the storms of our lives. The One who walks alongside us, ever ready to reach out and take hold of us should we falter. So let us trust in him wholeheartedly and remember God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).
Amen.