The disciples spot someone coming on the water. They assume it's a ghost and cry out from fear.
At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared to death. 'A ghost!' they said, crying out in terror. — vv. 25–26 The Message
They didn't expect Jesus to come to them this way.
Neither did we. We expected Him to come in the form of peaceful hymns, or Easter Sundays, or quiet retreats. We expected to find Jesus in morning devotionals, church suppers, and meditation. We never expected to see Him in a divorce, death, lawsuit, or jail cell. We never expected to see Him in a storm. But it is in storms that He does His finest work, for it is in storms He has our keenest attention.
Jesus replies to their fear with an invitation worthy of inscription on every church cornerstone and archway:
Courage! I am! Don't be afraid!
I like that translation by Frederick Bruner. More common readings, such as "It is I!" or "I am here!" lose the full force of Jesus' pronouncement. Jesus is not merely announcing his presence on the sea; he is declaring his power over the storm. He's not saying, "I am here." He is saying, "I am." He is saying what God said to Moses through the burning bush:
Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I am has sent me to you'. — Exodus 3:14 NKJV
This is what God said to Abraham in the desert:
I am the Lord. — Genesis 15:7 NKJV
and to the Hebrews in the wilderness:
I am He, and there is no God besides Me. — Deuteronomy 32:39 NKJV
This is no cry of identity; it is a claim of divinity. Is anyone in control of these winds? I am. Who is in charge of the torrent? I am. Is anyone coming to help? I am.
"Courage! I am! Don't be afraid!" With these words Christ claims the position of Chief Commander of the Storm. Peter, much to his credit, takes Jesus at his word.
Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. — Matthew 14:28 NKJV
Peter would rather be out of the boat with Christ than in the boat without Him, so He calls on the commander to command. And Jesus does.
So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. — v. 29 NKJV
For a few historic steps and heart-stilling moments, Peter does the impossible. He defies every law of gravity and nature: "he walked on the water to go to Jesus."
I can't help but wonder how Matthew felt as he wrote that sentence. Surely he had to lower his pen and shake his head. "Peter... walked on the water to go to Jesus." My editors wouldn't have tolerated such brevity. They would have filled the margin with questions: "Can you elaborate? How quickly did Peter exit the boat? How cautious was his first step? What was the look on his face? Did he step on any fish?"
Matthew has no time for such questions, however; he moves us quickly to the major message of the moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment