Matthew 14: 22-33
The Sunday supplement magazine…USA Weekend…ran a cover story sometime back titled:
- “Fear: What Americans Are Afraid of Today.”
- In a scientific poll…the magazine uncovered the things Americans fear most:
- A car crash.
- Inadequate Social Security.
- Not having enough money for retirement.
- Getting Alzheimer’s.
- Being a victim of violence.
- Being unable to pay current debts.
- Well…fear is a powerful force in our lives.
That’s why today’s lesson from Matthew’s Gospel is important.
- In last week’s Gospel Jesus had fed five thousand men and their wives and children.
- And now the Master needed some time alone.
- He sent the crowds home and the disciples out in a boat on the Sea of Galilee…
- While he went to a mountain to pray.
The Sea of Galilee is a large body of water.
- It is nearly eight miles wide at its widest point…and more than 12 miles long from north to south.
- Set in the hills of northern Israel…the Sea of Galilee is nearly 700 feet below sea level.
- In places…the sea plunges to depths of 200 feet.
- The sea’s location makes it subject to sudden and violent storms as the wind comes over the eastern mountains and drops suddenly onto the sea.
- Storms are especially likely when an east wind blows cool air over the warm air that covers the sea.
- The cold air (being heavier) drops as the warm air rises.
- This sudden change can produce surprisingly furious storms in a short time…as it did in Jesus’ day.
Of the twelve disciples…Peter… Andrew…James and John were all fishermen.
- They knew the Sea of Galilee very well.
- They knew that at this time of year…mid-spring…
- The Sea of Galilee was subject to strong gusts of wind.
- The late afternoon and evening were not a good time to be out in the middle of the lake.
- The four fishermen must have been wondering why their Lord was sending them out in the lake during this time.
- They must have been thinking:
- “Jesus must be up to something.”
The boat was being buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
- And shortly before dawn Jesus went out to the boat.
- Walking on the water.
- The rough wind was whipping the surface and large waves were forming.
- And when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the lake…they were terrified.
- “It’s a ghost” …they cried out in fear.
- But Jesus immediately said to them:
- “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Then…during it all…
- Simon Peter says:
- “Lord…if it is you tell me to come to you on the water.”
- “Come on” Jesus said.
- Then Peter got down out of the boat…
- Walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
- But when he saw the wind…
- Peter became afraid and began to sink…and he cried out:
- “Lord…save me!”
- Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
- “You of little faith…why did you doubt?”
On December 1, 1941…a now deceased friend of mine…Carl Nordin…
- Was sent to the southern Philippine Island of Mindanao to establish an air base with his unit.
- Less than six months later Sergeant Nordin was captured by the Japanese…
- Becoming a POW.
- For two years he was imprisoned on Mindanao before boarding a Japanese hell-ship destined for Moji, Japan.
- He spent the remainder of the war working on the railroad in Yokkaichi.
Throughout his time in captivity Carl detailed his imprisonment and conditions and his thoughts on the camps in a secret diary that became the basis of his book:
- “We Were Next to Nothing”.
- He wrote his words on the wrappers that packs of cigarettes came in.
- Carl recounts the horrors of the prison camps…
- The torturous journey on the hell-ship…
- His journey through fear…death…guilt and pain…
- That brought his mind and soul to joy…life…forgiveness and peace.
- And his faith in the Christ of God that provided him the strength to survive.
Carl’s homecoming back to the United States was shaded by a disease that he returned with…schistosomiasis…
- Bugs on the brain.
- This led to post-war brain surgery.
- And learning how to walk…talk and read and write again.
- He eventually became a postmaster.
What I want to recount to you is this:
- Carl Nordin stepped out of the boat.
- In fear and trembling.
- With his eyes on Jesus the entire time of his incarceration and torture.
- And when fear overwhelmed him.
- When he felt he was about to go under.
- When he felt he was about to sink.
- When he felt he was about to hit bottom.
- Jesus was there to catch him.
- To hold him up.
- To carry him.
Carl…my friend…taught me this:
- Let go of our faith…and we will surely sink.
- Just hold on and look for Jesus’ hand reaching out to us.
- We can make it through any storm.
Matthew concludes by writing:
- “When they climbed into the boat…the wind died down.
- Then those who were in the boat worshiped him…saying:
- ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
Here is a true key to life:
- We may be in the safest of places…but if Christ is not with us…it is the worst of places.
- And we may be in the worst of places…the most horrendous storms…sinking…and if Christ is with us…we are in the safest of places.
- It is in the storms of life we are most likely to discover who Christ is.
Jesus said:
“Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”