Caught
Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Trusting God can be difficult. Sometimes we want to test God's call to us, God's comfort of us. Jesus is trying to tell the disciples not to be afraid, but Peter's reaction is to ask Jesus to do something miraculous with him. In some ways, Peter asks Jesus to "prove it" by allowing Peter to walk on water.
Jesus seems to not make a big deal about it. Some recognition, perhaps, that sometimes people do need some evidence, something to hold onto. And, Peter did walk on water. Peter did an amazing thing, as long as he was focused on Jesus.
It's when he's distracted and stops trusting that he begins to sink.
I get distracted. Easily. I get distracted by tasks and by my own diversions. It's sometimes easy to look away from the purpose or base of something (Sharing Christ's love) because of all of the details or because outside things seems so big.
Personally, I know that I regularly need that hand of Jesus reaching out, catching me from sinking into the details of what seems to be a deep sea.
What distracts you?
How do you test God?
When have you been "caught" or helped to have things be put in focus, by God?
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Trusting God can be difficult. Sometimes we want to test God's call to us, God's comfort of us. Jesus is trying to tell the disciples not to be afraid, but Peter's reaction is to ask Jesus to do something miraculous with him. In some ways, Peter asks Jesus to "prove it" by allowing Peter to walk on water.
Jesus seems to not make a big deal about it. Some recognition, perhaps, that sometimes people do need some evidence, something to hold onto. And, Peter did walk on water. Peter did an amazing thing, as long as he was focused on Jesus.
It's when he's distracted and stops trusting that he begins to sink.
I get distracted. Easily. I get distracted by tasks and by my own diversions. It's sometimes easy to look away from the purpose or base of something (Sharing Christ's love) because of all of the details or because outside things seems so big.
Personally, I know that I regularly need that hand of Jesus reaching out, catching me from sinking into the details of what seems to be a deep sea.
What distracts you?
How do you test God?
When have you been "caught" or helped to have things be put in focus, by God?
I looked up the meaning of "distracted": it is to be "pulled away" from the main focus. What distracts me often is too much focus on me, my feelings, my inclinations; whenever that happens, I miss seeing how God is working to buoy me up.
I don't, at least consciously (I hope) do this to test God, but if it is a test, it's one in which I've been "caught" by God countless times.
For me, this brings up the question of "cheap grace" - how do I know that I'm not relying on that in a way that keeps me from ever progressing beyond this cycle? I'm hoping that my dissatisfaction with my behavior, and the pain it brings, means that I'm not being exploitive of God's love. And maybe(I hope), I'm not paying attention to those times where I break this pattern. Guess I'm definitely a "work in progress" here.
Peter's eager attempt and immediate failure is reassuring in this regard. I don't want to walk on water, though: I'll be happy to just be more surefooted in the day to day stuff.
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I'm always easily distracted. As a matter of fact I was trying to read our new book for bible study at McDonald's and a lady was talking to someone about all the work she puts in her home. her conversation was somewhat across the way to the next person who was only half listening. Well I couldn't read so I then engaged into the conversation myself with some of my own experiences of work being put into a home. I always hate myself for it because I need to do what I'm set out to do.
I suppose I test God also when I'm not acting obediently in the word. As a matter of fact, I was walking down Greenfield and a man called me a cursing name. Instead of being a christian about it, I turned right there in the middle of the street and called him a few choice names and ready to throw my bag at him, The man was so scared he backed away and I wasn't even close to him yet. In my mind I'm tired of being treated with such direspect by some I know but even those I don't know. A week later the very same thing happened again only a different person. I handled it like a christian and there was no drama over it. God's ever reaching hand was apparently there to keep things from getting out of control and showing me that I too took my eyes off of him for a moment and handled things a wrong way instead of his way and that is what he put into focus for me a little bit later and I got a second chance to redeem myself.
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