You of Little Faith (Matthew 14:22-33)
In the first World
Baseball Classic competition, the Korean team beat the Japanese team in
both Round 1 and Round 2, then lost to them in the semifinal match. When
the Korean team beat the Japanese them twice, they could not believe
what they did: "How could we beat them twice when they are said to be a
better team than us? It is unbelievable!!"
Then, when they had to confront the Japanese team third time, they became nervous, thinking that it is almost impossible to beat the Japanese team in all three games.
In the first two games the Korean team did not look at the situation or the probability of victory but played their best games.
But in the third game, they saw the situation and improbable probability. So, they lost to them.
One late afternoon a train crew inspected a cargo train and entered into a refrigeration compartment. However, mistakenly the compartment door was locked. He could not get out of there. He knocked and knocked but nobody was near. As he thought, "I am inside a refrigeration compartment," he felt cold.
Next morning other workers entered into the refrigeration compartment and found a man dead there. He was not frozen to death as no electricity was on in that compartment. He was dead because he thought that 'it must be freezingly cold in a refrigeration compartment.' That is, his thought about his situation in the refrigeration compartment killed him.
There was a man who suffered from (pulmonary) tuberculosis. Doctors gave up healing him and told him that he could live for three more months at most.
He prayed God desperately everyday. And he felt that God answered his prayer and that he was healed.
He did not die even after a year. He gained weight and looked to be very healthy. He wanted to hear a doctor's word that 'his lungs are normal now and that he is completely healed.' He went to a hospital to be examined.
The doctor, seeing the X-ray pictures of his lungs, said to him: "It is very strange. Your lungs are still in a very critical condition. And I do not know how you can still survive."
Returning from the hospital, the man thought about his lungs: 'If my lungs are so bad, I cannot live. I must be dead now.'
Then, his face became pale again and he could not get up well.
A week later he died. His thought about his lungs' condition killed him.
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
And he himself went up on a mountainside to pray.
Jesus prayed God everyday to know his Father's will and to be guided by Him while he lived as a human being on the earth.
Meanwhile the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting against heavy waves.
It was about three o'clock early in the morning.
Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water.
When the disciples saw someone was approaching them walking on the water, they screamed in terror, thinking that it was a ghost.
Why did Jesus come to them?
He wanted to rescue them from the strong wind and heavy waves.
Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid!"
Then, Peter said to Jesus: "Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you by walking on the water."
As usual, Peter's saying was very brave and surprising.
How can you think of your walking on the water although you see someone walking on the water?
Average people will probably deny their seeing as it is impossible for any man to walk on the water.
But Peter was different.
He asked him, "If you are surely my Master, please tell me to come to you by walking on the water."
This statement itself was out of strong faith believing that his Master could do any thing even when it looked to be impossible or improbable to happen.
Then, Jesus told him: "Come!"
What was Peter's reaction?
Did he hesitate?
No.
He got out of the boat and placed his feet on the water.
It is reminiscent of the Israelite priests, bearing the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders, stepping on the flowing River of Jordan.
Then, Peter was walking on the water as his Master was walking on the water.
But when he saw the strong wind and heavy waves, he became frightened and began to sink.
At the moment when he saw his situation of walking on the water in the midst of the strong wind and heavy waves, he thought that 'it is impossible for me to walk on the water.' And that's why he began to sink.
Then, what did he do?
Did he try to swim not to sink?
He immediately shouted: "Save me, Lord!"
This was also out of his faith, trusting his Master that he could save him.
Although Peter's faith was not strong enough to keep walking on the water--the improbable surface to walk, he had a little faith to cry out to Jesus for help.
David confessed in Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they will comfort me."
Trusting God who is with us and fixing our eyes on Him makes impossible things turn to be possible things.
Jesus says in Matthew 19:26, "With God all things are possible"; and Paul says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things in him(=Christ) who strengthens me."
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and grabbed him.
And he said to Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
If Peter did not doubt, fixing his eyes continuously on Jesus, he could keep walking on the water.
Our doubts may hurt or harm our faith.
Thus, we need to get rid of our doubts.
How can we remove our doubts?
We should fix our eyes and our minds on Jesus continuously as Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
When Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
And the disciples said to Jesus: "Truly you are the Son of God."
Jesus is the Lord who can let even the wind and the waves obey him (Mark 4:25-31).
When we look to Jesus at each moment every day, our faith will not die away. And we are safe and secure in him even though the surrounding conditions are so bad and insecure.
Let's pray God that He may help us to come closer to Him and to fix our eyes always on Him.
Then, when they had to confront the Japanese team third time, they became nervous, thinking that it is almost impossible to beat the Japanese team in all three games.
In the first two games the Korean team did not look at the situation or the probability of victory but played their best games.
But in the third game, they saw the situation and improbable probability. So, they lost to them.
One late afternoon a train crew inspected a cargo train and entered into a refrigeration compartment. However, mistakenly the compartment door was locked. He could not get out of there. He knocked and knocked but nobody was near. As he thought, "I am inside a refrigeration compartment," he felt cold.
Next morning other workers entered into the refrigeration compartment and found a man dead there. He was not frozen to death as no electricity was on in that compartment. He was dead because he thought that 'it must be freezingly cold in a refrigeration compartment.' That is, his thought about his situation in the refrigeration compartment killed him.
There was a man who suffered from (pulmonary) tuberculosis. Doctors gave up healing him and told him that he could live for three more months at most.
He prayed God desperately everyday. And he felt that God answered his prayer and that he was healed.
He did not die even after a year. He gained weight and looked to be very healthy. He wanted to hear a doctor's word that 'his lungs are normal now and that he is completely healed.' He went to a hospital to be examined.
The doctor, seeing the X-ray pictures of his lungs, said to him: "It is very strange. Your lungs are still in a very critical condition. And I do not know how you can still survive."
Returning from the hospital, the man thought about his lungs: 'If my lungs are so bad, I cannot live. I must be dead now.'
Then, his face became pale again and he could not get up well.
A week later he died. His thought about his lungs' condition killed him.
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
And he himself went up on a mountainside to pray.
Jesus prayed God everyday to know his Father's will and to be guided by Him while he lived as a human being on the earth.
Meanwhile the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting against heavy waves.
It was about three o'clock early in the morning.
Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water.
When the disciples saw someone was approaching them walking on the water, they screamed in terror, thinking that it was a ghost.
Why did Jesus come to them?
He wanted to rescue them from the strong wind and heavy waves.
Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid!"
Then, Peter said to Jesus: "Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you by walking on the water."
As usual, Peter's saying was very brave and surprising.
How can you think of your walking on the water although you see someone walking on the water?
Average people will probably deny their seeing as it is impossible for any man to walk on the water.
But Peter was different.
He asked him, "If you are surely my Master, please tell me to come to you by walking on the water."
This statement itself was out of strong faith believing that his Master could do any thing even when it looked to be impossible or improbable to happen.
Then, Jesus told him: "Come!"
What was Peter's reaction?
Did he hesitate?
No.
He got out of the boat and placed his feet on the water.
It is reminiscent of the Israelite priests, bearing the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders, stepping on the flowing River of Jordan.
Then, Peter was walking on the water as his Master was walking on the water.
But when he saw the strong wind and heavy waves, he became frightened and began to sink.
At the moment when he saw his situation of walking on the water in the midst of the strong wind and heavy waves, he thought that 'it is impossible for me to walk on the water.' And that's why he began to sink.
Then, what did he do?
Did he try to swim not to sink?
He immediately shouted: "Save me, Lord!"
This was also out of his faith, trusting his Master that he could save him.
Although Peter's faith was not strong enough to keep walking on the water--the improbable surface to walk, he had a little faith to cry out to Jesus for help.
David confessed in Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they will comfort me."
Trusting God who is with us and fixing our eyes on Him makes impossible things turn to be possible things.
Jesus says in Matthew 19:26, "With God all things are possible"; and Paul says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things in him(=Christ) who strengthens me."
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and grabbed him.
And he said to Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
If Peter did not doubt, fixing his eyes continuously on Jesus, he could keep walking on the water.
Our doubts may hurt or harm our faith.
Thus, we need to get rid of our doubts.
How can we remove our doubts?
We should fix our eyes and our minds on Jesus continuously as Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
When Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
And the disciples said to Jesus: "Truly you are the Son of God."
Jesus is the Lord who can let even the wind and the waves obey him (Mark 4:25-31).
When we look to Jesus at each moment every day, our faith will not die away. And we are safe and secure in him even though the surrounding conditions are so bad and insecure.
Let's pray God that He may help us to come closer to Him and to fix our eyes always on Him.
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