Don't Be Afraid

Matthew 14:22-36

Key Verse 14:27

 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Last week we saw how Jesus helped his disciples to feed a crowd of more than five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. This was an amazing experience for them. Can you imagine what it would be like if you participated in the miracle of feeding thousands? The disciples must have been very popular with the crowds. Another gospel tells us that they even wanted to make Jesus king so that they could have free food for life, and the disciples would probably enjoy high positions. In today's passage, however, we see that the disciples go from being on top of the world to being fearful. Although they had done amazing things through Jesus, the fact was that they had a lot of growing to do. We can consider this passage "Part 2" of Jesus' training for his disciples. In this passage, Jesus teaches his disciples how to live victoriously--even over the challenges we face in life. Jesus wants us to not be overwhelmed with fear but to live as "Captain and Commander" throughout the challenges we face.

Look at verses 22-23:

22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

Last week, we saw that Jesus went to a solitary place in order to secure some personal time with the Father, but the crowds interrupted his plan. Now, after serving the crowds all day, Jesus secured his prayer time. He not only sent the crowds away, but he sent his disciples ahead of him. His disciples might have been confused: How would Jesus get to the other side without a boat? Anyway, they went, and Jesus went on a mountainside to pray. We don't know what he prayed for, but it was probably related to the death of John the Baptists--maybe also to pray for his disciples. The fact that Jesus came to the Father to pray personally gives us a clear example to follow. We, too, need to secure such time.

Look at verse 24:

"but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it."

While Jesus was praying on the mountain, the disciples were struggling against the wind on the lake. The distance they had to go could not have been more than a few miles, so it shouldn't have taken them too long. Yet, here they were struggling late into the night, making little progress because of the wind. This was unexpected. It's interesting that they ran into this trouble when Jesus was not in the boat. Of course, several of the disciples were fishermen by trade. At first, they may have felt like they could handle things. Yet, as the night dragged on, fear probably began growing in their hearts. Thoughts like, "What if we don't make it?" might have started running through their heads.

What happened next? Look at verse 25: "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake."

The fourth watch of the night was between 3 and 6 a.m. This means that they had been struggling all night by the time Jesus came to them. For Jesus, it was no big deal to catch up with the disciples--he simply walked. But this was not so simple for the disciples. Look at verse 26: "When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear." How would you react if you had been out all night, struggling in the dark against the wind and waves, and then you saw a dark silhouette of a man walking toward them on the water? If it was me, I would have  terrified--just like the disciples.

The disciples were now in a very different situation than they had experienced a few hours earlier, when they were the heroes of the hour because they fed the people. Now, however, they were shaking with fear; they were tired; they were in despair mode.

What did Jesus do for them? Look at verse 27:

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

This message was a great relief to the disciples. Not only was he not a ghost, but he was the very one who could help them. One of the disciples, Peter, had a very interesting response to Jesus' message. Look at verse 28: "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." Why did Peter want to go out on the water? When Peter realized that it was Jesus walking on the water, it was an amazing revelation. He saw the power of God very practically. Previously, Jesus helped his disciples to experience God's power by feeding the five thousand. Now, Peter wanted to experience God's power personally. He didn't have practical need for walking on water at this moment, but he wanted to learn to be a person who can rise above the wind and waves and walk on the water. His desire was to be a "Master and Commander." Jesus was pleased with Peter's desire and faith, so he said to Peter, "Come."

Then Peter got out of the boat and stood on the water as if it were solid ground, and he started to walk toward Jesus. This must have been one of the most amazing experiences of Peter's life. Here he tasted victory in a way he had never dreamed possible before. Now the storm was not a problem--it was making Jesus and Peter look cooler (their hair and clothes were blown back by the wind).

We can learn something from Peter: the faith to rise up above the storm. People like to say, "Have faith," as if simply having faith will somehow make everything turn out all right. Peter's faith, however, moved him to act: he got out of the boat and practically began to walk on the water. This is what Jesus wants us to learn--the faith that enables us to practically overcome all the challenging situations we face. Very often, we face a situation like this: we are struggling hard to make progress, but no matter how hard we try, we can't go forward. When the winds rise, we become afraid. This fear is a huge problem. First, it's a problem because we cannot do the work of God if we are victims of the challenges of life? Second, if these challenges bring fear into their hearts, they cannot live as servants of God because they are ruled by their fear. If you lose your job, you can become overwhelmed by fear like the disciples struggling to survive on the lake. It's possible that you end up abandoning the work of God to secure bread. From Peter, however, we see that we don't have to live as victims of circumstance--we, too, can walk on the "water" and overcome the stormy conditions we face in serving God.

But then something happened. Look at verse 30:

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Peter had started out well, but then he took his eyes off of Jesus and saw the wind. Then, when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and then he began to sink. His fear of sinking actually caused him to start sinking. Then, in fear, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Notice that it was not until he had already taken several steps on the water that he began to doubt. Maybe thoughts came into his head, such as, "I'm getting pretty far from the boat." Then he saw the waves and thought, "Those look big," and doubt began to grow in him, and when doubt took hold, fear came into his heart, and he began to sink.

Look at verse 31: Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Jesus' rebuke shows why Peter began to sink: it was because he doubted. Jesus was disappointed. Peter's doubt revealed that he had little faith. His little faith had enabled him to walk a little on the water, but it was not enough to maintain him. Clearly, Jesus wanted Peter to have faith that would enable him to walk above the waters of this world and overcome any of life's storms.

Look at verses 32-33:

32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

When Jesus got into the boat, the wind died down. This revealed that Jesus was in charge of everything that was going on. Even the wind obeyed him. The disciples were amazed by Jesus' power. They realized that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

Look at verses 34-36:

34When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

One word: Don't Be Afraid