Last week’s article, based on Matthew 14: The Feeding of the 5,000, reminded us of Jesus’ compassion in supplying and satisfying the people with what was needed. Feeding the 5,000 was a heady miracle for the disciples who saw the loaves multiply–surely a faith-strengthener! But immediately afterward they experience what might be called paralyzing fear… like they were seeing a ghost, the text says (verse 26).
It began with Jesus dismissing the 5,000 and His disciples to be alone to pray. He instructed the disciples to go into the boat to cross the sea to go to the other side. Now, the text doesn’t tell us how Jesus was going to meet up with them again. We’re left hanging. But as some have said, “There’s always a purpose for what God says and does” or Scripturally, “’My thoughts are not Your thoughts, neither are Your ways my ways,’ declared the Lord.”
Well, by now it was dark outside. The boat had progressed a long way when all of a sudden the wind picked up and waves began to rise up and beat against their boat. And the wind and waves of our own lake that come sometimes in an untimely way, reminds us that it’s a frightening thing to sail on the “Gitche Gumee” when the weather gets rough and we remember another boat and crew, that of the Edmund Fitzgerald on the infamous night of Nov. 10, 1975.
And those seasoned fishermen were gripped by fear but not exactly as the result of high wind or threatening waters. They saw a ghostlike figure coming to them and it was walking on the water! And, they cried out. The text says: “They were terrified.” Well, what would you have done? Thus was their faith tested.
Here’s a lesson in faith for us, with faith being: “The assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
In our own boat, secure as we believe it can be, sailing along on a fair-weather day; on untroubled waters, or in our determined-to-be secure faith in God—faithful to Him in word and deed; content in His daily providence bestowed on us, just sailing along, there comes a time when stormy circumstances arise: difficult family situations, illness, death of a loved one, mountains of bills. We might feel surrounded by the eerie darkness of loneliness, become depressed, anxious about the future. As thought would have it, a shadowy figure appears and we surmise it must be God, come to judge us and settle accounts. We halfway suspected this day would come. And fear paralyzes us too. Our faith is tested.
But counter to what we think, through God’s Word declared, Jesus says to us: “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).
Yes, the darkness remains; the wind still blows and the waves buffet our boat, but we no longer need to fear. It’s a lesson in faith.
Jesus walks on the water in the midst of our paralyzing fears. He came into the world to be our Savior. He walked our walk in order to fulfill the Law for us; He was tempted like us and He suffered our troubles. But in the midst of it, He triumphed over sin and fear in the darkness of Good Friday. His death on the infamous cross settled our debts, our sinful accounts, our trespasses. It was for you and me and everyone else that this happened.
And with that, we are presently in our boat and today our faith is tested. There’s still darkness. The wind continues. The waves buffet the boat. But our Savior says, “It is I.” And by the assurance of His rising again, having conquered even our last enemy, death, we need not fear for Christ is with us. Let your faith in Him be steadfast to guide and sustain you all the days of your life.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Reverend Dean Rudloff, Life In Christ Lutheran Church (now located at 2017 West Hwy 61, Grand Marais), a church of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
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