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Step Out and Go To Jesus
“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:28-29
Immediately after the feeding of the 5000 in Matthew 14, Jesus was determined to go spend time alone in prayer to God. Meanwhile, He told His disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee ahead of Him. It was on this journey, sometime in the predawn hours of the morning, when the apostles were being “battered by the waves” that Jesus walked to them on the sea. We learn several things about Jesus from this miracle.
Jesus sees our troubles (Matthew 14:24-25). In Mark's account, we find that Jesus saw the apostles struggling with their oars (Mark 6:47-48). Interestingly, Jesus does not stop the wind and the waves immediately. He let them struggle a while longer, while also making His presence known by passing by.
Jesus can look unfamiliar (Matthew 14:26). For one reason or another - maybe because they simply did not expect Him to come walking along on water - Matthew 14:26 reveals the apostles did not recognize Jesus! This much should be clear, if Jesus looks unfamiliar to you, that’s not a problem with Jesus, that’s a “you” problem. The only way we can know what Jesus “looks like,” so to speak, is through the Scriptures. Any misunderstanding you have of Him is a result of misunderstanding the Scriptures.
Jesus is our reason for courage (Matthew 14:27). After crying out in fear (v. 26) Jesus tells them to “Take courage” (v. 27). What reason does Jesus suggest for them to take courage? He simply says, “it is I;” (v. 27). When we face troublesome times, Jesus is our reason and our source of courage.
Jesus invites us to do hard things (Matthew 14:28-29). It is worth noting that at this point in the story, the wind and the waves are still going crazy! It’s not clear what Peter is thinking at this moment. Maybe he’s thinking, I’d rather be out there with Jesus than in the boat without Him! Or, maybe he just thought it would be really cool to walk on water! Whatever the reason, Peter only asked because He believed it was possible with Jesus! You may not be able to walk on water, but you can accomplish things through faith in Jesus that you cannot accomplish without Him! Jesus can help you overcome sin! Jesus can help you teach the gospel to the lost! Jesus can help you find the courage to speak the truth in love, even in uncomfortable situations!
Jesus lifts up the aspiring faithful (Matthew 14:30-31). We often read Jesus’ response in v. 31 as a sort of rebuke, and perhaps it is. However, it is also simply an accurate diagnosis. In that sense, this could be more of a teaching moment than just a scolding from our Lord. At the end of the day, Peter was the only one with the faith to step out of the boat! When Peter gets distracted and takes his eyes off Jesus, instead of swimming back to the boat, or asking his brother Andrew to throw him a life preserver, he calls out to the Lord, “Lord, save me!” Peter may have had “little” faith, but he had enough faith to call out to Jesus! At this point, Peter was aspiring to have great faith. “Little” faith is better than no faith. Also, Jesus was more than willing to “immediately” reach down, and lift Peter up. When you are willing to step out and go to Jesus, even when you stumble due to insufficient faith, Jesus is willing to lift you up as long as you look to Him in earnest.
Jesus solves all of our problems (Matthew 14:32-33). Once Jesus climbed into the boat, the wind stopped. Not only that, John’s account in John 6:21 tells us that when He climbed into the boat, “immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” Now, many problems may not just instantaneously vanish away. Make no mistake, though, when you welcome Jesus into your life, walk faithfully with Him, step out, and go to Jesus, your biggest problems - specifically, sin - will be taken care of.
What a remarkable Savior we serve! He has given us every reason to put our faith and trust in Him. In whatever challenges you face in life, remember to step out and go to Jesus.
