Obeying Jesus and Getting Nowhere: Matthew 14:22-33
Sermon Title: “Obeying Jesus and Getting Nowhere”
Matthew 14:22–33
Scripture and Sermon
One step forward, two steps back! Would that describe your life right now? Does there seem to be a constant headwind against everything you are trying to accomplish? You try to get our kids in the best schools or the best classes only to discover that they are miserable with our decisions. You change jobs with the potential of better promotions and yet the new people we have to interact with make our days so long and difficult. Why can’t life be easy like we see so many others enjoy on Facebook? I mean when we look around so many others have it good. What’s wrong with me? I am trying to follow the Lord. I might not be at church as often as others, but I am doing the best I can. If you feel like you are stuck in a “one step forward, two steps back” world, I have “a day in the life of Jesus” story for you. It’s found in Matthew 14:22-33. These guys were literally being held back. Once again this will be a narrative sermon.
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. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn 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. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “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.”
Thank you for inviting me back. It’s Andrew again. Wasn’t that the most incredible miracle Jesus performed that I spoke about last week? Feeding more than five thousand people with a few fish and five loaves of bread. I will live a thousand years and never forget that miracle. But this morning, I would like to talk to you about the next day or actually very early the next morning. Something occurs that probably you have heard about and maybe had a hard time believing. But I was there. And it is true.
After everyone had their fill of fish and bread and after we spent a significant time enjoying this holy moment, it was time to wrap things up because it was getting dark. For us, we expected it to be another night camping under the stars. We had kind of gotten used to it by now. But that’s when Jesus surprised us and ordered us into the boat and headed back toward Caperaum, which was where I lived with my brother Peter and James and John. I thought to myself that I just might get to sleep in my own bed. So you can imagine, we were ready to go. You didn’t have to tell us twice.
Now it was getting dark, but we had spent many nights fishing on this lake, so it was no big deal to make the 3 to 4 mile crossing. The only thing that gave any of us pause was when Jesus said he was going to stay behind and dismiss the crowd. You see, we didn’t want to cross the lake without Jesus. It was just a few months earlier that Jesus told us to cross this same lake and a horrible storm came up on us. We thought we were going to die so we woke Jesus up who was sleeping in the back. Talk about a heavy sleeper! Needless to say, He got up and calmed the sea and looked at us and said “Why are you so afraid?”. But we, fishermen, knew what those wicked storms could do. They came up so unexpectedly. People had drowned on this lake, but the skies were clear and this night we shouldn’t have any problems. At least that is what we thought.
I still wasn’t too comfortable leaving Jesus behind. When he was with us, it made us feel secure. But I knew He needed to be alone with God. He was still hurting so much about the news of John the Baptist’ death. At least, now He had time to process it and grieve and most importantly talk to the Almighty about it. And it was going to be okay. We have four experienced fishermen on board. We were confident in a safe voyage. Certainly we can get this motley crew across a lake we knew so well.
And at the beginning, all was well. We had divided our group up so that half would row for a while and then the others would relieve them. No one was going to have to work too hard. And for the first couple of miles out to sea, the waters were calm and it was easy sailing.
But about the time of the first line switch, a breeze began to pick up. And just my luck, it was my turn to begin to row. It also didn’t help that my brother, who thought he was in charge, kept barking out orders about when to paddle. But it seemed like the more Peter shouted, the stronger the winds got. I finally told him to stop talking and grab an oar. That didn’t go over well. But here we were more than halfway across the lake and now we couldn’t make any progress. It was a strong headwind.
Fortunately for us, there was no rain or lightning, but as a fisherman, I can attest how frustrating a headwind can be. You row and row and don’t get anywhere. What’s worse is the wind produces the waves. They were now battering our boat and tossing us from back and forth. Did I mention that we had just stuffed ourselves on fish and bread earlier in the evening? There were a couple of guys that were about ready to lose their suppers. And I hate to hear and see people throw up. It’s disgusting. But after about an hour of our best efforts, it was obvious we weren’t moving and if anything we were being pulled back out to the middle of the lake.
What really concerned me was how much more the boat could take. At this point, the waves were like hammers pounding against the side and water was spilling over into the boat. It doesn’t take a storm to sink a boat, just some powerful winds and waves.
I could tell this fear was concerning Peter as well. We had spent so much time on the lake and now it seemed like it was going to take us out. Some of the disciples thought we should just turn around and go back to Jesus on the other side of the lake. But it is not that easy to turn a boat around with such powerful winds and waves. Such a maneuver could capsize the boat and then we would be in real trouble. The only answer was to make it to the closest shore which was ahead of us. We just needed to hold on.
But that is scary when the waves are hitting you in the face and no matter how hard you row, the boat isn’t moving. But what could we do? We can’t give up. Our lives are at stake. All of us just wished Jesus was in the boat. We wouldn’t be having this problem if He was here. Even if He was sleeping, we knew it would be okay. But Jesus wasn’t with us. He was on the mountain, getting some much deserved time alone with God to grieve the passing of his dear friend, John the Baptist. It appeared we were going to have to do this one on our own and it wasn’t going well.
The wind and the waves lasted throughout the night. Get this: there was no rain or lightning, just the wind. But it wasn’t giving up. We had never seen such a long sustained breeze. With each big wave, I thought, “Is this the one that turns our boat over?” How much more could our ropes take? This boat was going to break apart. You could hear the men begin to pray. “Lord, save us! Don’t let us die on the lake!”
By now, all of us are exhausted. Fear began to creep in. My hands were bleeding from the ropes. Every muscle in my body burned. The others had bailed water until their arms were numb. Peter wasn’t shouting anymore…even he had grown quiet. Nobody had any more ideas. We had tried every trick we knew to rescue ourselves and it wasn’t working. I remember wondering…is this where our story ends? We couldn’t outrun the wind. We couldn’t outwork the wind. We couldn’t outsmart the wind. The only thing left to do…was to wait. And that is not a good feeling.
It was at that moment, as the sun was about to peak above the horizon, that someone noticed something or someone on the water. From a distance, it looked like a figure but how could this be? We were in the middle of the lake. I believe it was Thomas who first proclaimed, “That is Jesus!”. Now this really scared us. We were about to die and this was the last vision we were going to see. We are divided. Some in the boat were convinced that it was a ghost. Others said, “No, It’s Jesus!” But the figure continued to move toward us. And as He got closer there was an eerie silence that came over us.
When the figure was about thirty feet from the boat, we could tell it was Jesus or at least an image of Him. Jesus had come walking on the water to us. That’s when we heard his familiar voice shout, “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid!” I have to admit I didn’t know what to think. People can’t walk on water but there was Jesus not sinking or even struggling to stand. And even though the wind and waves continued, they didn’t bother Him. I think most of the rest of the disciples were as dumbfounded as me.
That’s when our fearless leader Peter blurted out, “If it is really You, tell me to come to You on the water!” Had my brother lost his mind? The wind was still raging. Waves were still smacking against the boat and he wanted to walk on the water. Before any of us could tell him what a stupid idea it was, Jesus accepted Peter’s challenge and said, “Come”. And Peter took off his outer coat, and stepped over the edge of the boat. And I know you aren’t going to believe this but my brother began walking on the water. His feet didn’t sink. And he slowly began to take steps toward our Lord.
He had moved several feet from the boat, when a wave smacked against the boat, and my brother took his eyes off of Jesus and he immediately began to sink. By now he was too far for us to retrieve him and remain in the boat. It was obvious there was only one person that could save him now. Peter shouted, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and pulled my brother up. Then He said something that could have been seen as harsh, “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?” But the truth is, Peter was the only one with faith to get out of the boat. None of the rest of us had that type of courage. And I don’t even believe my brother was really doubting, it was just he took his eyes off the one who gave him strength. Anyway, it wasn’t by just a couple of moments and the two of them were in the boat. And as soon as they were safely in, the wind died down and everything was calm again.
Then we did what was the only responsible thing to do. We worshipped the Lord. “You are amazing!” “We aren’t worthy!” “Praise be to the One who calms the chaos!” “You are truly the Son of God”.
I told you that you wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it. But I am telling you that Jesus came walking to us that night in the middle of the powerful wind. His hair and clothes were drenched from the waves but He certainly didn’t swim out there. Once again he saved.
I guess that big question you might have is “Why?” Why when we are being obedient do we face such difficult times? It really seems like we are taking one step forward and two steps back? Why does God allow the wind to be so strong and persistent anyways? We are trying to follow Him and do as He has asked us.
You won’t like my answer, but Jesus never gave us an explanation. He never told us the reason we had to struggle for so long in the middle of the lake. Sometimes God doesn’t give us answers, but He will always send Jesus. When we need Him the most, He will show up. When He does, we will know that everything is going to be okay.
Our one-step-forward, two-steps-back experience only lasted a night. Some here this morning, it has been more than just a night. It’s been days, weeks, months and maybe even years. But your day is coming! Jesus hasn’t forgotten where you are! Please don’t give up! When He comes, it is going to be better than you ever thought possible. When He reveals Himself, you will know Him in such a more intimate way. Like we proclaimed, you will know that “He is the Son of God!” And He is by your side. Let’s stand.
For Reflection and Discussion
- The disciples were obeying Jesus when they encountered the headwind. How does that challenge the assumption that obedience should make life easier?
- Andrew and the others used every skill they had, but eventually they reached the end of themselves. When is it hardest for you to admit that you cannot solve a problem on your own?
- Jesus never explained why He allowed them to struggle all night. How do you respond when God does not give you an explanation for suffering?
- Peter was the only disciple willing to step out of the boat. What do you learn from both his courage and his fear?
- Andrew’s conclusion was: “Sometimes God doesn’t give us answers, but He will always send Jesus.” What would trusting that truth look like in your present situation?
One Question to Carry With You
Can I trust Jesus even when He does not explain the headwind?
Behind the Sermon
This sermon reinforced my belief in what Nazarene evangelist Stephen Manley called “Scripture saturation”—staying in the text until you know every part of it.
I had always pictured lightning and thunder when Jesus walked on the water. The text does not say that. I had also overlooked that Jesus prayed for much of the night and that the disciples were still struggling near daybreak. Those details made me feel the exhaustion of the headwind.
First-person preaching makes distances, time, weather, and physical effort matter. An expository sermon might move quickly past them. Andrew cannot. He has to row the boat.
The hardest theological question in the sermon was “Why?” Why would Jesus send obedient disciples into a headwind and allow them to struggle all night? Scripture never gives an answer. My own pastoral experience tells me there are plenty of painful situations for which I do not have an explanation either. I cannot explain something God has never explained to me.
So I let Andrew say, “I don’t know.”
Much of the boat-handling detail was imaginative, and fishermen in my congregation could reasonably question some of it. First-person preaching involves risk. Sometimes we may get a detail wrong. But the biblical truth must not depend upon that detail.
The truth that rose to the top was simple: sometimes God does not give us answers, but He will always send Jesus.
Give It a Try
Take one narrative passage and saturate yourself in it.
Read it slowly. Read it aloud. Mark every reference to time, distance, movement, weather, physical effort, and sequence. Then research only what helps you understand those details.
Ask: What have I always pictured that is not actually in the text? What small detail have I always skipped? What would this experience have felt like physically?
Do not rush toward an outline. Stay in the passage until one biblical truth begins to rise above the others.
