Peter has gotten a bad rap for his behavior in the story of Jesus walking on the water. The story involves chaos and fear and doubt and faith and ultimately, power. Psalm 107 contains concepts in both of the stories in Matt, the feeding of the 5000 and the calming of the seas.
We’ve had some raging storms around us lately. Jesus forced the disciples into the boat, the storm whips up and they can’t get to where Jesus commanded them to go. They are in the middle of doing what Jesus commanded them to do and they find themselves in a mid-faith crisis. They did nothing wrong, nothing to bring this calamity upon them. And they are terrified.
Peter sees Jesus. Why would he not want to go to Him? This story is about:
1. Jesus authority. This section of scripture is all about His authority. He shows His wisdom in the parables He tells. The feeding of the 5000 is a story of undeniable power and authority. The Canaanite woman behaves just like Peter – she sees Jesus, knows He has the answers, and goes to Him. Peter isn’t doubting, he just hesitates. He knows Jesus has the answers, He’s the power. Peter enters a tumult when he leaves the boat. The amount of faith it took for Peter to put himself in this perilous situation is enormous.
2. Man’s struggle for faith. It is not a story of faithlessness. This is in the midst of faithful obedience. Sometimes the faithful struggle in the midst of crisis. Sometimes when we respond to Jesus things don’t go perfectly. All of us are trying to get to the other side, just like Peter was. The existence of obstacles doesn’t mean the absence of God. Sometimes in the midst of a storm we wonder – is this the right thing to do? Look at Abraham. He does what God asks him to do and things don’t go perfectly for him. His faith wavered occasionally, he had doubts, and yet he was a man of great faith. It’s hard to face our doubts when we’re in crisis. If we don’t keep our eyes on Jesus we can lose sight of the overall plan God has in mind. We just need to trust God. If Peter was to be in a storm, he wanted to be with Jesus. That’s a simple, yet powerful, message. We live in a fallen world in which bad things happen even to those faithful to God.
3. Jesus abundant grace. Grace is where authority and faith come together. Once Jesus calms the sea they are immediately on the other shore. Jesus power is amazing. Just as amazing is His grace.
There will be righteousness when we reach the end of the path we are walking. Righteousness, no more tears, no more crises to face.
What fears keep you from coming to Jesus?
Sermon by Brent Moody
