Matthew 14
v.2
and he said to his attendants , “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
v.14
When Jesus landed and a saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
v.23
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
Those are not Christ’s followers who cannot enjoy being alone with God and their own hearts. It is good, upon special occasions, and when we find our hearts enlarged, to continue long in secret prayer, and in pouring out our hearts before the Lord. It is no new thing for Christ’s disciples to meet with storms in the way of duty, but he thereby shows himself with the more grace to them and for them.
v.28
“Lord if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
Christ bade Peter come, not only that he might walk upon the water, and so know his Lord’s power, but that he might know his own weakness. And the Lord often lets his servants have their choice, to humble and prove them, and to show the greatness of his power and grace. When we look off from Christ, and look at the greatness of opposing difficulties, we shall begin to fall; but when we call to him, he will stretch out his arm, and save us.
This is me for open-air preaching. Needed this reminder today. Take my eyes off the difficulties and keep it fixed on Christ. 4/4/2022.
v.30
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
On 9/23/22 I woke up looking at LinkedIn (it was a horribly lazy day and it all started with me using my phone in the morning) and saw that Katie Miya got a SWE job already. This was the moment I saw the wind. If she could get a job, how much of a lazy bum I am! I need to keep my eyes on Jesus.
v.31
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Jesus mirrors the Father’s heart in Matthew 12:11-12 in his rescuing of Peter.
He had less real faith than he supposed, and more ardor than his faith would justify. He was rash, headlong, incautious, really attached to Jesus, but still easily daunted and prone to fall. He was afraid, therefore, when in danger, and, sinking, cried again for help. Thus he was suffered to learn his own character, and his dependence on Jesus: a lesson which all Christians are permitted sooner or later to learn by dear-bought experience.