I wrote this for the October 1997 issue of our local Mother of Preschoolers Newsletter.
This month I’d like to look at a passage I love, which has been a source of encouragement for me many times. I love my children but some days their needs seem overwhelming.. If you, like me, find yourself overwhelmed at times, then keep reading!
This account is taken from Matthew 14:22-33 (from the New International Version of the Bible)
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”And 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.”
The first thing I like about this passage is that Jesus does what our September speaker on friendship advised. He doesn’t allow himself to be overloaded. He takes time to be alone and to pray, to recharge his batteries. Last month I mentioned the importance of making prayer a priority in our lives as we see Jesus taking time to pray. Sometimes that meant dismissing the crowd so he could have that time. We need to prioritize so that we have time to rest and time with God and those people closest to us. As soon as Jesus has finished praying he goes to the disciples, his closest friends. His next priority is to help them and they certainly need help, being alone in a boat on a stormy lake, in the dark. His first words to them are words of encouragement, to calm their fears. And Jesus is still here today to say “don’t be afraid” and to reassure us of his presence and help when we are afraid.
Peter is quick to see an opportunity here and take it. Children are wonderful at doing this too; they are attentive and rarely miss opportunities (and that does not make our job as Moms any easier!) but we can be lost in thought, worry or planning and miss what’s happening right in front of us. It’s worth making an effort to be as attentive as our children so that we can share special moments with them – things as simple, perhaps, as noticing some pretty flowers or being thankful for a beautiful fall day.
Peter is able to walk on water, something which would have been impossible for him to do without Jesus. And although I have never done that (!) I can think of times when Jesus has enabled me to do what I could not have done on my own. Jesus made it possible for Peter to do something against the physical laws of nature. It is just as much a miracle, as far as I’m concerned, each time Jesus has enabled me to do something against my own nature, such as forgiving and being kind to someone who has hurt me.
I am intrigued that Peter had enough faith and courage to begin walking on water, but then he started to sink after a little while. I think what happened is that Peter began to look at the waves and took his eyes off Jesus. Sometimes the circumstances of life can be very hard and will overwhelm us unless we remember that God is greater than our circumstances and is in control of every detail of our lives.
I’m very encouraged to see that as soon as Peter cried out to Jesus, Jesus took hold of him. Jesus’ words imply that Peter need not have sunk, but Jesus’ actions say “but I’m here to help you as much as you need”. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray, but clearly Peter’s short simple desperate prayer was all that was needed to get an immediate response from Jesus. Our prayers don’t need to be elaborate or perfectly worded to be heard by God.
The disciples’ response to this episode is to worship Jesus. Jesus did not ask or tell them to worship him but his actions show that he is worth worshiping. And I know that it is natural for me too to respond in worship when I learn something new about him or he helps me in a difficult situation. I hope that we can all turn to him for strength and help when we feel like we are sinking. He will answer in a way which will increase our faith in him and will cause us, just like the disciples, to respond: “Truly you are the Son of God”.