Matthew 14:22-36
Jesus Walks on the Water
²²Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.
²³After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
²⁴But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary.
²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.
²⁶When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.
²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
²⁸Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
²⁹And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
³⁰But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
³²When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.
³³And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
³⁴When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; ³⁶and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.
Devotional
The apostle John mentions in his Gospel that the miraculous feeding also posed a danger to Jesus.
Jesus did not want to die prematurely as a martyr, but He also did not want to be proclaimed king prematurely by men (John 6:15). His Father’s will and time alone decided in His life (John 4:34; 5:19,30; Hebrews 10:5-10).
That is why He first sends His disciples away in their ship, and then He sends the people away. Then He goes up the mountain to seek fellowship with His Father in solitude (Matthew 14:22,23).
From the relationship with his Father He will receive the strength He needs in this situation, the strength to be obedient in surrender to Him.
He has known the same temptations as we have, but never sinned in them – by God’s help (Hebrews 2:17,18). That is why it is so necessary for us in every circumstance to first go to God in prayer and entrust ourselves to Him. If Jesus needed it, how much more we do!
Then that night, in the midst of storm and high waves, the meeting with the fearful and struggling disciples takes place.
At first they mistake their Lord for a ghost. Thus difficulties can mislead our view of Jesus! Sometimes people experience God or the Lord Jesus as an ‘adversary’.
But in the midst of that need, Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, it is I” (Matthew 14:27).
At Peter’s cry, “Lord, if it be You, bid me come to You on the water,” Jesus makes clear what faith actually means. His disciples know only one certainty in the storm that they experience here: you must stay in the ship, because your ship is your salvation.
Jesus however challenges his friend Peter to let go of all human security and to come to Him in faith at the word of his Lord.
And so Peter does (Matthew 14:28,29)! And when things seem to go wrong, Jesus immediately seizes him (Matthew 14:30,31).
“Whoever looks to Jesus in faith fears death nor hell!”
Question
- How does your faith in the LORD function in practice? (Compare Hebrews 11:1,6.)
Prayer Suggestion
- Thank the Lord that He will be present in every situation.
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