Don’t be Afraid… It is I

17. December 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

I smiled when I read our text today.  It is such a familiar story in the life of the church and I’m sure we have all experienced it preached in some type of setting. Some of the more popular titles that I have heard preached from this text are; “Take the Limits off” , “No Limits,”  “Why did you Doubt,” “Walk on Water Faith,” “Keep your eyes on Jesus,”  “O Ye of Little Faith,”  and the list goes on and on.  If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am talking about the story of Peter walking on water.   

Let’s look at the context in which this “infamous” story took place.  Here is our text: 

Matthew 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is

I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 ”Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 ”Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

 

The “immediately” in our text picks up with after the feeding of the 5000 men plus women and children.   Jesus dismisses the crowd and then he goes into a mountain to pray.   Evidently Jesus stayed there for a long time in prayer for when he got up the boat was a considerable distance from land and the winds were pounding against it. 

The fourth watch of the night was anywhere between 3 and 6a.m.  Jesus simply got up and walked on the water to them.  I laugh every time I read this story.   Let me share something with you, I always laugh when God is ministering to me.  If you ever see me in a public setting and I’m listening to the word and you see me laughing, it is my way of saying that the word is ministering to me.  I think I picked this habit up from my spiritual father years ago.   I just laugh when God talks to me.  I don’t know why.   

Well, back to our story.   I laugh when I read this story because I think it was just so cool that Jesus would come out of prayer being empowered and refreshed as only prayer can do and then instead of summoning another boat to meet his disciples, he just starts walking on the water.   How amazing is our God. 

When the disciples see him, they immediately think that he is a ghost.  You must remember that the disciples are still trying to figure all this out for themselves.   Yes, they are walking with Jesus, and they have seen many miracles but Jesus continues to amaze them with his wisdom and miraculous abilities and they are still trying to figure out if this is the Christ, the long awaited Messiah. 

Jesus immediately tells them to take courage, it is I.  Wow, I’m smiling again.   I just heard God’s word speak to me and say “Take courage, it is I.”  In other words, he said, let fear go, it is I. You are safe.    

Then Peter says; Lord if it is you, then let me come to you.   Peter always has something to say.  I think if I was in the biblical days, I would have been a lot like Peter.   Jesus bids him to come and while many sermons have focused on the fact that he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink, he ran the risk to go.   I love that part of the story.      

Think about it, do you know how much trust and faith it took to get out of that boat when the text says that the wind was already stirred up against it.  Peter walked out in troubled winds.   He didn’t get out and the winds stirred up and he got scared, he walked out in the midst of the winds.   Yes, he then looks at the winds but he had sense enough to say, Lord save me!!!!!!! Preachers should give Peter way more credit than they do.  That really was an amazing accomplishment.   So we have this lesson from Peter, all we have to do is keep our eyes on Jesus and we can get there but check this out, even if we take our eyes off, Please have enough humility and lower your pride to say; “Lord save me.”   Jesus will.   He is willing.   We may have to hear about our lack of faith or why did we doubt, but if we keep stepping out, we’ll get it right.    

There are no limits in God.  We are our worse enemy.  We place the limitations and we doubt, and we walk in fear.   But it is so in us to take that step out of the boat onto the water. 

What is it that you are struggling with today?    This economy is terrible, life happens, we’re losing jobs, marriages are in disarray, children are lost; singles are lonely and think that marriage will solve their problems, businesses are struggling, companies are closing and fear has gripped the land.   A friend of mine told me the other day that watching the news scares her because of the “doom and gloom of this economy.”    

My friends, this is a wonderful time to know Jesus.  This is a wonderful time to strengthen our faith and hold on to every promise no matter what is happening to or around us.   God will satisfy his people in the midst of famine.    

In the words of Jesus, O ye of little faith, wherefore did you doubt.    

The text closes with worship.   The text says that those who were in the boat worshipped; saying “truly, you are the Son of God.”     Worship, it works every time.  It helps remove doubt, fear, and unbelief.  Worship builds faith and strengthens you to accomplish whatever task is before you. 

So in the words of Jesus,   “Do not be afraid, It is I.”   Jesus is near.   

 

Stay encouraged!!!! 

All is well, everything is safe, and everything is as it should be.

 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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