From the Sea Faith & Doubt

Matthew 14:23-34
Keith E. Hollenberg, February 21, 2016
Second Sunday of Lent
Theres an old camp song I learned many years ago that
fits our theme today so perfectly that I cant NOT open
my message without teaching it to you. It is one of
those songs that has motions, which I know how much
you all love those kinds of songs.
With Jesus (Point up) in the boat (cup hand)
you can smile (point to smile) in the storm (blow, blow)
smile in the storm, smile in the storm.
With Jesus in the boat, you can smile in the storm,
When youre sailing (wiggle fingers back and forth)
home (touch fingertips together over head)
Sailing, sailing home. Sailing, sailing home
With Jesus in the boat,you can smile in the storm
When youre sailing home.
Did you ever smile in a storm? My family of origin spent
a lot of time boating when I was growing up. I
remember a storm when we were trying to get back to
port and a storm blew up. Torrential rain began to fall,
gusting wind began to blow, and three foot high waves
which were crashing over the side of the boat
threatened to swamp the boat. Thanks to the excellent
seamanship skills of my father and I believer, the hand
of God watching over us, we made it through that
storm. We werent smiling, however. There was huge
concern written across our faces. We had to work
together as any crew should on a boat and with
Page 1 of 7

everyones help, including Gods help, no one was lost

at sea that day.
If the truth is to be told, most people find it difficult to
smile during the rough storms of life. So why on earth
would we teach such a song to our children?
One answer might be, to prepare them for the storms of
life that they will undoubtedly encounter. As adults we
know that storms are a part of our lives. Weve all
experienced them. Those times when life just seems to
hand us a bunch of junk and we have to figure out how
to make a life out of all this junk.
Ive noticed a tendency at times for people to approach
the storms in their lives with such negativity and doubt.
Honestly, Ive done the same thing. It seems that a
storm just brings out the worst in us. Ive even noticed
that at times a tiny little downpour can often set a
person reeling as if the little downpour were a typhoonsized storm in their lives.
What we have to learn to do is this instead of reacting
to a small storm and making a hurricane out of a gentle
rain, we need to project faith into the storm. We need to
trust in the Lord of the storm. We need to learn to say,
Jesus, Im going to trust you in the storm. Im not going
to fear the wind and the waves. Im going to trust in you
Jesus, because you proved that you can walk on stormy
waters.
This is, in fact, what Jesus is attempting to teach his
disciples in our lesson today. In the gospel of Matthew
this is the second storm Jesus and his disciples have
been through. I do not want to talk about the first one
Page 2 of 7

very much today, because we will be looking at that

storm in a couple weeks. But let us be aware as we
examine this storm, that Jesus and his disciples have
already experienced a storm at sea, where Jesus was
sleeping in the bow of the boat, the disciples became
fearful for their very lives as they fought the storm,
and Jesus awoke and stilled the tempest and challenged
them regarding their faith.
I made a very interesting discovery several years as I
studied this particular passage. How is it that the
disciples find themselves out on the sea, while Jesus is
on land. Remember that in this story, Jesus comes to
them sometime in the wee hours of the morning as they
had been battling the storm for many hours. How did
they get there?
The answer can be found very early on in this passage
of scripture, in the opening words of vs. 22.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat
and go on ahead of him to the other side.Now the good
bible scholar will examine this sentence of scripture and
come to the appropriate conclusion. Hey!! Jesus set his
disciples up.
Often times, good parents will let a child fail in order to
have a teachable moment. Jesus made the disciples
get into that boat and journey out into the sea without
him. Actually, many scholars believe that the phrase
Jesus made the disciples, is rather tame. The Greek
word could actually be interpreted as Jesus compelled
them, or Jesus forced them to get into the boat.
Perhaps the disciples balked at leaving Jesus behind.
Jesus, where do you want us to go? What are we
supposed to do once we get there? How will you catch
Page 3 of 7

up to us? How long will you stay behind? One can

certainly appreciate their many questions, but Jesus
was firm in his response. Just get in the boat and leave.
Why would Jesus be so forceful about them getting into
the boat. Did he know about the storm? I believe he
did. I believe that Jesus knew their questions about
where they were supposed to go and what were they
supposed to do when they got there were basically
moot questions because Jesus knew they werent going
to get to the other side of the Sea of Galilee without
him. Jesus knew that he would be joining them during
the middle of the night. Now the passage doesnt really
say this, but this is my interpretation of Jesus
compelling attitude of making them get into the boat
and head out to Sea.
Knowing that his disciples were going to be rowing for
their lives half the night, Jesus forced them to get in the
boat and leave. The disciples didnt know it at the time,
but Im convinced that Jesus knew it all along.
That begs us to ask a very disturbing question. Does
Jesus send us out into the world, sometimes knowing
that we are going to encounter a storm and struggle for
our very lives? We dont like to think that way, do we?
That seems mean-spirited or at the very least
underhanded. But really it isnt.
As Ive already mentioned, we learn from failure just as
much as we learn from success. Jesus had already been
in a boat in a storm with his disciples and perhaps this
was a test of a lesson he had already attempted to
teach them once before.
The story tells us in Matthew that Jesus went off by
himself to pray. Have you ever wondered what Jesus
Page 4 of 7

might have been praying about? Ive wondered that

before and I think the answer is that he was praying for
his disciples. Now, lets be forewarned that sometimes
reading more into a passage of scripture is inherently
problematic. The passage does not tell us the subject
matter of Jesus prayertime. It simply tells us that Jesus
sent the disciples off in a boat, dismissed the crowds he
was teaching, and then went off by himself to pray. Yet,
it would seem logical that Jesus would spend time
praying for his disciples to finally get it as they
encountered the storm and experience Jesus walking on
the water.
Shortly before dawn the text says, Jesus went out to
them walking on the water. As he approached the boat,
the disciples saw him and were afraid because they
thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus
encouraged them, Take heart, do not be afraid, it is I.
Scholars believe that a more literal translation of this
particular greeting of Jesus should read, Take heart. I
AM. Do not be afraid.
In the Old Testament, when Moses is speaking with God
at the burning bush, he asks God what he should say if
Pharoah asks, who is it that sends you.. Gods reply is
tell him, I AM has sent you. This is equated with Gods
name. Gods name is I AM.
In this encounter on the sea, Jesus reveals who he is
and by whose power it is that he comes to them
walking on the sea. Jesus is God and derives his power
from God. In Psalm 89 the psalmist proclaims You rule
over the surging sea; when the wave mount up you still
them.

Page 5 of 7

Jesus embodies the Psalmists words and reveals that he

is truly God incarnate. Not only can Jesus still the
water, but he can walk on top of it. He has power over
the sea.
Still the disciples are frightened, thinking they have
seen a ghost. So Peter yells out to Jesus, Lord if it really
is you, the tell me to come out on the water to you..
Ive often wondered if as soon as those words were out
of his mouth, Peter muttered to himself, Why did I just
say that?Cant you see the other disciples with
shocked looks on their faces looking at Peter as if to
say, you are nuts, man!!
But Jesus said, Come on ahead. And Peter does and
for a few steps he walks on the water to Jesus, but then
Peter started looking more at that wind and waves then
he did fixing his eyes on Jesus and he began to sink. He
cried out to Jesus who then helped him back up to the
surface of the sea. Notice in the passage that Jesus
didnt carry Peter back to the boat. No, Peter fixed his
eyes on Jesus once again and walked back to the boat
next to Jesus. And also take notice that Jesus doesnt
calm the storm right away. It isnt until after he and
Peter are back in the boat the Jesus calms the storm.
Peter walked on the water in the midst of the storm,
because he kept his eyes and his faith on Jesus.
You see, there is a lesson in that from us. When we find
ourselves in the terrible storms of life, all we need to do
is keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Jesus gives us our
power over the storm. Jesus enables us to weather the
storm because he is Lord over the storms of our lives. If
we keep our eyes on Jesus, then we have no need to
fear the storm.
Page 6 of 7

In the gospel of Matthew, this event on the Sea is the

one that ultimately reveals to the disciples who Jesus
really is. Not only do they see the power Jesus has to
walk on the water in the midst of the storm, but they
also see the power Jesus has over the storm, as he once
again calms the storm and stills the waters.
Jesus is Lord over the storm. Truly that old camp song
has words of truth in it. With Jesus in the boat, we can
smile in the storm, because with Jesus in the boat we
are truly sailing home.
How can you learn to smile in the storm? Simply by
surrendering your life to Jesus. By surrendering your
fear of the storm and placing your trust and faith in
Jesus Christ, the Lord over the storm.
With Jesus in the boat, you can smile in the storm.
Make sure today that you have Jesus in your boat.

Page 7 of 7