Take Heart! It’s Me! – Sermon – 13 August, 2017
Take Heart! It’s Me!
Matthew 14:22-33
A woman was walking down a city street when she heard a voice in her ear say, “STOP!” Startled, she did and a brick fell from the roof above and fell right in front of her. She could have been killed. A few days later, she was again walking on a busy street and she heard the voice again, “STOP!” She did just as a car came whizzing by missing her. The voice had served her lift twice. Curious, she spoke to the voice asking who it was. The voice said she was her guardian angel and sent to keep her safe. Angrily, the woman replied, “Well, where were you the day I got married?”
In our Gospel reading today we are told the familiar story of Jesus walking on the water.
In this story we see the following important facts.
- “Jesus MADE the disciples get into the boat.”
I find the word MADE really interesting. Jesus ordered them into the boat.
It obviously was not storming when Jesus ordered the disciples into the boat. Nonetheless, they had to row across the lake which was a lot a work. I can hear the disciples complaining.
Why did Jesus send us out here? This is ridiculous! And just what is he doing while we are out here in this storm fighting our way across the sea?
Sometimes we are ordered to do things and we have to obey.
“Jesus made the disciples get into the boat.”
The disciples were out there for 12 hours or more. Why then did Jesus send them out there again?”
We sometimes have the filling of getting in the boat of life. We start rowing with a destination in mind. Yet the wind constantly beats against us and the waves of life wear us out. How do we get through the storm to the other side?
- Struggling against a storm and the wind, the disciples were frightened.
Fear plays a major role in this passage. It is a recurring theme in the story. The phrases, “terrified,” “cried out in fear,” “do not be afraid,” and “became frightened” all occur in just 11 verses.
Fear often plays a major role in our lives as well. Perhaps it is fear of getting caught that keeps us from breaking the law. Fear of being fired makes us do the ridiculous things a boss may demand.
Even after Jesus called out in “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Fear kept all the disciples but one in the boat.
III. Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Jesus comes to reassure the disciples that He is right there with them. He is in charge and has not abandoned the disciples. Neither will He abandon us in any endeavour to which we have been called.
In the story we see that Peter thinks, perhaps it is Jesus. Christ calls and Peter obeys. Come, walk on the water. Do the seemingly impossible and Peter is successful until he begins to doubt.
We may have faith and believe we are called; but, when the wind and waves of the storms of life distract us we, like Peter, doubt and begin to drown. We lose faith and fail to walk in confidence as Christ commands.
In the midst of their struggling and getting nowhere, Jesus comes and instead of being overjoyed, the disciples are terrified. Jesus wasn’t laughing at himself as they were screaming in fear.
Sometimes we feel frustrated, tired and fearful and in the midst of all that, Jesus comes to reassure us as He did the disciples. Christ Jesus is in charge and has not abandoned us.
- “Lord, if it is really you”.
Jesus called to Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water and do the seemingly impossible.
If you were in the shoes of Peter, would you abandon ship and walk on the water or stay in the boat because it was safe? Even when we stepp out of the boat we are often like Peter.
When the wind and waves of life distract us – difficult family situations, illness, the death of a loved one or mountains of bills, whatever the case, when we see the wind and waves of life, we doubt that our Lord will take care of us.
You can walk on water. But, first you have to get out of the boat! Trust that Jesus will be there for you. Look how quickly Jesus acted, “Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.”
While Peter was out taking risks, the rest of the disciples, the sensible ones, stayed in the boat. They stayed in their comfort zone. They would rather go down with the ship than trust Christ Jesus to lead them. The others were focusing on the crisis instead of the Christ. The moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink.
If we let fear of failure keep us in the boat, we may be sensible; but we will never accomplish the mission to which Christ Jesus calls us.
It takes FAITH not FEAR to accomplish that to which God has called us.