There are times in life when we all find ourselves in the storms of life. As we struggle in and with these storms we tend to think about our situation. We try to understand why we are in the storm in the first place. Was it because we’ve done something wrong or maybe it is because we were not in God’s will? While we are trying to understand the storm and the reason we are there, there is a thought that will usually never cross our mind and that is, “Maybe God sent me here.” While it’s true that the storms of life can come from our sinful decisions and are there to bring us back on the right path in our relationship with Jesus, there’s another reason we can find ourselves in those storms. Jesus sent us into them. That’s what we will be looking at today here in the 14th chapter of Matthew.
Jesus sends us into the storm because He knows what we need.
Matthew 14:22-23
22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
This account in Matthew 14 is a familiar one. It’s the account of Jesus’ walking on the water. Before we get too far along in the story, we need to understand what was going on before this event happened. Jesus had just performed the miracle of feeding over 5,000 people. In the account of this miracle in John, we are told that after this crowd saw the miracle, they were about to try to force Jesus to become their king. That’s the point we find ourselves in as we begin in verse 22 when Jesus immediately sends his disciples away, but why? I think to answer that question we need to go back and look at the disciple’s behavior all throughout the gospels. As we examine the ministry of the disciples for their first three years with Jesus there is one word that always comes to mind - immature. They argued, fussed, and fought over who would be the greatest. They missed the entire point of why Jesus had come (it wasn’t to set up a worldly kingdom, but to set up an eternal kingdom). They shooed away children when Jesus said “no, let them come to me.” It seems that all throughout their time with Jesus (before His resurrection) the disciples displayed immaturity in their understanding of exactly why Jesus came in the first place and who He really was. When there was a large movement of people trying to make Jesus their king by force, it’s perfectly understandable that Jesus would want them to be removed from that situation as fast as possible. It’s because Jesus knew they would have fallen right into that same crowd. Jesus knew they didn’t need to be there for their own good. He sent them right into the storm He knew was coming. Why would Jesus do that?
Jesus sends us into the storm because He knows we need to be outside of our comfort zone.
Matthew 14:24-31
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So, Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
I think verse 24 is very interesting given what we know about the disciples. We know that most of them on the boat that evening were fishermen. They knew how to handle a boat and they knew how to weather the storm. As a matter of fact, out on the water could be considered their comfort zone. Comfort zones are a lot like money - they make great servants, but make terrible masters. On one hand our own comfort zones are a great place for us to come and recover and refocus in life, but when we run to them too often, we find ourselves outside of the will of God. I think a good reason for this is because when we are in our comfort zones, we think we are in full control of everything that is happening. When a Christian thinks they are in control, they are in danger and that’s exactly where the disciples find themselves in verse 24 - in their comfort zone and unaware of the peril they were in.
It was in this moment of unawareness that Jesus shows up, telling them not to be afraid. But do you notice Jesus doesn’t get into the boat. He remains out in the dangerous water - outside of their comfort zone. Very rarely does Jesus ever meet us in our comfort zones, he’s always just outside of them. Why? He is in control and our faith needs to be in Him and not in ourselves because of the control we think we have. Jesus is there, waiting for us. Notice that Peter calls to Jesus. Jesus does not call to Peter. Jesus is not going to force us out of our zone, but rather He is waiting for us to call to Him. Peter calls for Jesus to call him out and Jesus does. Now we do give Peter a lot of grief because of what happens after this, but we really need to understand that there is something to be said about Peter having faith in Jesus. He was only one willing to step out of his comfort zone, out of that boat, to the place where Jesus is. Peter stepped out of his comfort zone.
Peter did great at first, Jesus had called him out of his comfort zone and Peter came doing exactly what Jesus had told Him, his eyes and faith totally fixed on Jesus. He was doing wonderful until the moment when his faith wavered. His eyes were no longer fixed on Jesus, but rather they were fixed upon his circumstances. They were fixed upon the storm around him. He might have even been thinking about the comfort of the boat that he had just left. He had failed, he started sinking, but Jesus was right there. Once Peter cries out to Jesus for help, he is immediately saved, but he is also rebuked for his lack of faith. That’s going to happen every time we take our eyes off Jesus. We are going to fail and it's not Jesus’ fault - it’s our own. We took our eyes off the one who called us out of our comfort zone, off the one who by His power alone we can do things we never imagined outside of our comfort zone. Something else amazing happens in the storms when we come out of our comfort zone, whether we fail or not. We grow!
Jesus sends us into the storm because He knows that is where we will grow.
Matthew 14:32-33
32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Very rarely do we ever grow in our relationship with Christ inside of our boat (or comfort zone). It might not be the most pleasant looking thing when we step out of it and by the time we get back into the boat we might be wet. Our hair might be a mess and we might smell of seaweed, but Jesus uses those moments (no matter how ugly) to help grow our relationship with Him. When we step out, the results aren’t up to us, they are up to God, and even when we make a mess of things God can bless it. Take for example verse 33. After everything that just happened, Peter stepping out, Peter messing up, and Peter almost drowning, God still used it for His glory. We see one of the first declarations by the disciples of the divinity of Jesus. That’s growth and that’s maturity. Are they totally out of that immature phase of their journey with Jesus? Not by a long shot, but they have taken a large step forward.
From time to time, we all find ourselves in storms in our lives. We find ourselves clinging to our comfort zones and the entire time Jesus is just outside of it telling us not to fear. He’s waiting for us to ask to come to Him. That’s when we grow. That’s when we develop a more intimate relationship with Jesus. That’s when we mature in our faith. Is it fun? Sometimes. Is it comfortable? Never. Is it what we need? Always.
