Articles From Our Bulletins
"Lord, Save Me!"
The account of Jesus “walking upon the sea” from Matthew 14:22-33 is awash with pertinent points of emphasis and application. The miracle itself is an astounding demonstration of Jesus’ power over hydrological physics. Then too, there is much to be learned from Peter’s request to join Him in the feat of supernatural power over natural law. We may think of Peter as impetuous in his request, and even perhaps immature in his faith, but need to keep in mind that the other disciples neither asked to nor attempted to join him! And of course, there is a major point to be made from the fact that Peter began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus and began watching the wind and waves. We, too, falter and “sink” in life when we switch our attention from the goal of Jesus to the obstacles between Him and ourselves.
But give Peter his due. As mentioned above, he was the one with sufficient faith to step out of the boat and make the attempt to go to and, presumably, follow Jesus wherever He went (cp. John 13:37), even if that meant walking on water to do so. And, when he found himself in trouble, Peter knew the Source of salvation, and was not too proud to cry out to Jesus for help. Here are tremendous lessons to be learned and emulated.
However, the portion of the event that I’d like us to consider is Jesus’ response to Peter’s peril. Note carefully v.31, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” There should be no question that Peter’s doubt flowed from the littleness of his faith. Had his faith been larger, we can rightly infer that his doubt would have been smaller if not non-existent. Therefore, there is an inversely proportional ratio between faith and doubt. As faith increases, doubts decrease, and vice versa. Let that sink in the next time you find yourself dangerously close to drowning in doubt! Interestingly, James 1:2-8 makes the same connections between faith, doubt, and “the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” So, the prescription for doubts is increased faith. And faith, either initially or increased, “comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,” Romans 10:17. So, what should Peter have heard of/in Jesus’ words that would have increased his faith and decreased his doubt in this situation?
Peter had specifically asked Jesus “to command me to come to You on the water,” v.28. To which Jesus replied, “Come!,” v.29. Jesus commanded him to come- not to come if, or come unless, or come except; just come. What God commands, we, by faith, have the power to fulfill. So, if we are responding to a command of God (as Peter was), we should never doubt our abilities to perform it. Such is not only an unwarranted and detrimental lack of faith in ourselves, it is a lack of faith in God, cf. Philippians 2:12-13!
Finally, let’s also think about this: Peter’s perilous predicament was caused neither by the wind and waves, nor by the “impossibility” of doing what Jesus commanded. It was caused by Peter’s own littleness of faith, v.31. Now, think about the times we (you, me, and others) cry out, “Lord, save me!” Though we are right, as was Peter, to recognize the Source of our salvation and to cry out to Him, we need to also recognize the “how” and “why” of our predicament. It was the littleness of Peter’s faith that produced his peril, not the particulars of his physical circumstance or the spiritual difficulty of Christ’s commands. Oftentimes, we either fail to realize this, or fail to remember it when we are the ones sinking in doubt. If mustard seed-sized faith can move mountains (and it can, cf. Matthew 17:20), then it should have no problems overcoming the mere winds and waves of life’s seas! Thus, both the cause and the cure for situations that prompt the cry “Lord, save me!” are found in our own faith- either by lack or by increase, respectively.
So, if you’re sinking in a sea of doubt: 1) Know that your own lack or littleness of faith caused the problem rather than blaming the circumstances or the term/laws dictated by the world; and, 2) Understand that the long-term solution is, therefore, to increase your faith by greater knowledge, understanding, application of, and trust in the word of God. In the mean time, “Lord, save me!” is certainly the way to go!
- Lord_Save_Me.pdf (64.32 kB)
