There's a message that I heard at an LST training last year that has meant a lot to me these last few weeks, and I thought that it was worth sharing. It was about the story in Matthew where Jesus walks on water:
“But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"; and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; be not afraid." And Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.” Matt 14:24-32 NKJV
There are a lot of people who would give Peter a hard time because he was afraid and started to sink; but more importantly, he was the only one that got out of the boat. I'm sure that there were 11 other guys in the boat telling him how ridiculous it was to jump out of a perfectly good boat and that the safest thing to do was to stay put. It would have been ridiculous even if the skies were sunny and the seas were calm, but it was the middle of the night and they were in a storm in the middle of the sea. Jesus didn't say “Wait Peter, let me calm the waves and stop the wind before you step out”. He just said “Come.” And even though Peter took his eyes off the Lord, just a minute before he started to sink he did walk on water - a story I'm sure he told for the rest of his life.
It is really hard to jump out of a perfectly good boat- a good job, a nice house, family close by. And there are people who are quick to point out just how ridiculous it seems to them. They are afraid for people who step out of the safe zone. When the Lord says “Come” it is not always when the seas are calm or when you finally have all of your ducks in a row; but you jump out into the water anyway because, as Peter would say, that's where Jesus is.
Please pray that our family will be able to ignore the guys in the boat, and that we will not be distracted by wind and waves, but keep our eyes on the Lord. -K-
"Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time – houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life." Mark 10:29-30
3 comments:
Jeff and Kristina, you are continually in our prayers and we will pray you through the storms and calm as you continue walking toward Jesus...no matter the weather. We love you, support you and admire your faith and vision!
The Morgans
great post!
your words have made me stop and think about this story very much. i have some questions about this particular passage that maybe we can talk about. i don't think i fully understand the intent of this scripture, but hope to.
1. what are the meanings/possible meanings of the original text - particularly the words, "afraid" and "doubt"?
2. it is impossible, because of human nature, to 100% ignore the people in the boat (and the voices in your head). it seems that the important thing is that you make an effort and then rely on Jesus to pick you up when you fall.
3. in applying the implied principles of this passage to today's environment, how can we differentiate "God's Will" (depending on your denomination/church flavor, this could be called "God speaking to you", "God's Will", "the Will of the Holy Spirit", etc.) from our own desires/subconscious leanings? notice that in this story, *Peter* is the one who proposed that he should follow Jesus onto the water. obviously Jesus affirmed his wish and told Peter to "come," but how would this story play out today? with so many people claiming that they have "heard from God" that they should be doing this or that or the other thing, it's very easy to become desensitized, and in my case, skeptical of the idea of "following God's will."
please, please, please understand this is not directed at you guys - just my own ignorance of the subject and desire to understand. i am so proud of you guys that you are "stepping out" to do what you believe in. bravery and stupidity are divided by a very thin margin - and you will have people that put your actions on either side - but as you correctly point out, it's not their points of view that matter, now is it?
lots of love,
jeromey
Caleb and I were reading your blog tonite and we noticed the bumbo. He's a little too much of a bobble head for his so we're jelous of Julianna. Noah looks bigger in every picture. Tell him that we say hi.
We are praying for your classes to go well. I hope you learn lots of cool things that will build your faith.
Caleb is crying gotta go
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