Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid

 

 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

 

- Matthew 14:22-36 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that Herod now suspected He was John the Baptist risen from the dead, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about give thousand men, besides women and children.

 

 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."   My study Bible comments that this is the second time that Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see this reading; verses 23-27).  The first time it happened He was with them; but here He had left them alone.  In this way, my study Bible explains, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  It is I is literally translated "I Am," the divine Name of God (see John 8:58, Exodus 3:14).  Christ reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"   My study Bible says that Peter's faith allows him to walk on the water.  It asks us to note that Peter does not ask to walk on water per se, but rather to come to Jesus.  Peter's desire is not to perform miracles, but to be with the Lord.  Peter can participate in this divine miracle so long as he keeps his focus on Christ.  But as soon as he is distracted, he begins to sink.  

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  My study Bible asks us to note that the Greek term for doubt here means "wavering" or "hesitation."  The cause of Peter's sinking, it notes, is not the storm but rather Peter's doubt; therefore Christ doesn't rebuke the wind, but He rebukes Peter.

 

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."   My study Bible comments that this is the first time the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  It says that they know that only God can be worshiped, and confess Christ's divinity by worshiping Him.  (The word for worshiped in the text means to bow down prostrate in reverence to, the act of worship.)  The boat is symbolic of the Church.

 

 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.  My study Bible says that Christ permits miracles through touch in order to show that His very body is life, and that contact with His flesh is life-creating (see Matthew 9:20-22).  

In accordance with the traditional understanding that the boat with Christ and the disciples is an image of the Church, my study Bible comments that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see God's protection more clearly.  Such storms also serve as images of the tempests within us that stir the soul, and cause frustration, dismay, anxiety, and a host of other feelings to come into ourselves and overwhelm us.  In that sense, the surging waters in the midst of a storm also symbolize such internal tempests that rock us.  We're reminded of the story of Genesis, in which "the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).  To be without form and void is an image of chaos, the deep waters a sense of being overwhelmed, and all the darkness gives us a picture of a time when we can't see our way through, can't think how we'll get through.  To use another metaphor, a time when we "can't see the forest for the trees."  But the next thing that happens in the Genesis story is that creative power that tells us that as long as the Spirit of God is hovering over, whatever we think we see and experience is not the whole picture, but God is also present, and so is the power of God.  Suddenly God the Word is present in the command, "Let there be light," and there was light.  And the Word in today's reading walks on the stormy dark waters to the disciples, the Word announces His presence, saying literally, "I am," the name of the Lord from the Old Testament.  And He also tells them "Be of good cheer!" and "do not be afraid."  In today's reading, it is Christ who brings with Him the light that changes everything, so that they can see what is truly what -- that they are not alone, and not abandoned, and that He is with them, wherever they are -- even in the dark stormy waters about the fourth watch of the night.  That is, midst the dark and unknown chaos of three o'clock in the morning.  If we can know in the midst of our own stormy and chaotic times in the darkness of 3 A.M. that Christ is present there in the darkness, how much is that worth to us?  If we know that the Spirit of God hovers over our times when we can't see the billows and waves coming at us, how much is that worth?  If we know the light is present to guide us, how much is that worth to us?  It means we aren't alone, that there is a force to guide us and help us, and that in even the darkest moments there is someone who knows us, who sees us, who hovers over and comes to us, that there is a source of the light we need to see our way through when the wind seems to blow against us no matter how hard we try.  When we're overwhelmed, it is hard to take refuge in hope, but nevertheless it is to prayer we must turn and know that this is what we can do and must not forget.  For although we might feel alone, oftentimes such storms are meant to help us to realize what is possible, and the strength and courage and endurance of which we're capable, the guidance and faith in which we need to put our trust even in times we can feel no trust.  For this is the way the disciples have gone before us and the countless faithful throughout the generations who've gone before.  It is the world in which we live, the life He knows we live, and the only way through it.