Matt 14:22-36
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. doesn’t be afraid." 28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replie’d, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." 34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.
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As I page through this piece of marvellous writing, I realize that there were real people in this boat. Characters that God has placed in this boat for a reason. Most probably this was his twelve disciples, and I would like to share a few words, regarding each one of them.
The first character you will find in the boat will be Andrew, the brother of Peter. Just like his more famous brother Peter he was a fisherman. A person that is manly, a person trusting on himself to do his daily work. A characteristic that is good, in life, however serving the Lord, it might be your downfall. Paul writes to the Assembly of Corinthians in his second epistle “but He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more in gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ power may rest on me.”
Somewhere on this boat I might encounter the two sons of Zebedee, John and James, most commonly known as the sons of thunder. It is these two persons that requested that Jesus promised them that in heaven, one to be seated on his right hand and one on his left hand side. (Mat 20:21). They were boastful in them self and it is all about Jesus. In his epistle James says to us to stay away from pride, “... God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6b). In second Chronicles 7:14 God Himself says to the earth that He will turn His face towards those who humble themselves in prayer. He will lift you up when you humble yourself, befor Him, (James 4:10)
A close friend of Peter and Andrew, where Phillip. He put his trust in men, whereas God Himself proclaim the following in Jeremiah, “Beware of your friends; do not trust brothers, For every bother is a deceiver, and every friend is a slanderer” (Jer 9:4 ). We must put our trust in God; He is no man that he would lie. (Tit 1:2), trust in Him alone, and you will rejoice in him alone.
Bartholomew, you will find somewhere in a corner of this vessel, he is not particular famous, no one knew him except the twelve; he is the shy character of the disciples. He never realized, that he is more than a conqueror in Jesus, (Rom 8:37), nor did he gasp the idea of the victory that Christ has given to him, by proclaiming, “I can do all everything through Him who gives me strength” (Fhil 4:13).
Thomas, the man of little faith, in the gospel according to John, Thomas says to his fellow disciples, that only if he put his fingers in His wounds, would he believe that Jesus has risen, a few verses later He appears to Thomas, and he declare that Jesus is his Lord and his God, (John 21:24-28). God, reward those who diligently seeks Him, (Heb 11:6), and blessed are those who believes, yet they have not seen, (John 20:29). Thomas evangelized modern day India, and it is said the his knees knobs is engraved in his prayer place, he diligently seeked the lord.
The tax collector was also on this ship moving towards the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee. Mathew was sinful, deceitful and a cheat, he took his share of the profits. And yet Jesus put him on the ship destined for failure, even though his sin were as high as the mountain, God forgave him. He reminded him of scripture in Isaiah, “Come now let us reason together, says the Lord Though your sins is like scarlet they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Is 1:18).
James, the brother of Jesus, he never believed that Jesus was the son of God. He just came along for fame. Jesus says, to lift Him higher for the world to see, so that he can draw all men to Him. James goes fourth and write his epistle, and glorify Jesus, everything is about him.
Simon the Zealot, a member of a fanatical political party, the “defenders” of the Jewish custom. Yet God, learns his followers it is “ not by might or power but by His Spirit” (Zec 4:10). Every time we want to defend Jesus, however is was soft spoken, soft hearted, he come a broke down yoke of the past traditions he gave us a better covenant, Heb 8:13 states, By calling this covenant “new” he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.”
Judas, would be sailing on this boat as well. He is condemning himself, whilst Christ has not come to condemn us, nor Judas. John 3:17 “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, furthermore “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Rom 8:1).Judas the saving power of Jesus was available for him too.
The last person, I want to discuss on this boat is Peter. The most famous disciple of all, he is a rock and upon him is build the church. (Matt 16:17). He betrayed Jesus, he was the one who chopped off Malchas’s ear. When the power of God come upon him, He lifted Peter up, he evangelized the whole of the middle east.
Jesus left them in the windy sea; He wanted them all to walk on the water, and leave behind their characteristics of shame in the boat. He wanted to give the all the yoke of softness and his light burden. Jesus prayed for them, alone, he mentioned their names, their characters, before his father.
In today’s life Jesus are aware of our problems, the winds that threatens our daily faith in him. But it is up to us to leave this boat of condemnation, this boat of unbelief. We need to trust him to fully believe in him, and become more than a conqueror. He will fight the fight for us. He will not allow us to be tested beyond our powers.
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