After Jesus fed the five thousand, he went up on a mountain by himself to pray. No one had joined him. None of his disciples had bothered to stay. Instead, they were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. During the course of the night, a tumultuous storm arose against their boat causing violent wind and angry waves to toss the diminutive vessel precariously about the water. Jesus witnessed this scene from his position on the mountainside, but he was not alarmed. The Lord was not unduly concerned about his own safety, nor was he frightened for the security of his disciples—after all, he was still sovereign over his creation. Even the elements of the universe were created by him and to be controlled at his command. After moving down the mountain then to the water’s edge, Jesus did not stop there. He placed his holy foot on the water and began to walk. It is here during the narrative that we must pause and make a decision. We can either smile in unbelief, or we can believe that this event actually took place as described in the Bible. If doubt arises, it is not surprising. Even the disciples in the boat could not believe what they were seeing. "It is a ghost!" they cried out, their words reflecting their fears.
The disciples were not only afraid of the "ghost," but were also frightened of the weather. Being experienced fishermen, they knew that more than one boat had been destroyed upon these waters during violent storms such as the one they were encountering. The weather put them in a serious situation. The disciples knew their sailing vessel was no match for the majesty of nature. The disciples were afraid of the weather, and they were afraid of dying. Just imagine the grief of their loved ones back on land. Peter's wife would be expecting his return; the parents of James and John would be concerned about their sons. Now, it seemed as if life would soon end. To compound their fears, the disciples thought they were seeing an apparition. They did not recognize the features of the shadowy form on the water. All they saw was a human image walking steadily towards them. "It is a ghost!" they cried again. It was at that point that the disciples heard a familiar sound. It was the voice of Jesus. As he drew near the boat, the Lord called out, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." With these simple words, Jesus changed the dynamics of the whole situation. "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." Two commands can be gleaned from his words.
The first command is, "Take heart" or "Be of good cheer." Most people who find themselves in a distressing situation do not like to be told to "cheer up." There can be an emotional rejection of such counsel. In the midst of some very real problems, the command of Christ to the disciples could have seemed almost out of touch with reality. "LORD, do you not understand the desperate condition we are now in? LORD, look around. This boat is too small. The waves are too high. If the water does not drown us, the pounding waves will dash this structure to pieces."
The experience of the disciples is the experience of all God's people. We find ourselves overwhelmed with the circumstances of life, which are beyond our control. An unexpected injury, the finances are suddenly cut short, relationships fall apart, a promotion or position we wanted does not materialize and suddenly it seems that we are ready to perish.
We look up and see only dark clouds. We look around and see violent forces engulfing with a fixed determination to destroy everything in its path. We listen and hear only the howling of the wind. Faith flees, and fear takes control. What is to be done? Out of the blowing winds, if we listen, we can hear the Divine voice of Christ calling out, "Be of good cheer! Be of good cheer!" But is this really possible? It is not only possible, it is the command of the Lord.
The second command is, "Do not be afraid!" Fear was not part of the original creation. When Adam and Eve were created and placed in the Garden of Eden, they did not fear the Lord. They walked with him in sweet fellowship each day in the cool of the evening. Nor did Adam and Eve fear the animals. The magnificent display of reptiles and mammals brought them delight. But then came sin and with sin all of nature was changed. Fear became part of the human experience. Sin still brings fear into our hearts today. We are afraid of many things. Sometimes we are afraid of each other. While being socially polite we are afraid to speak freely and truthfully. Special relationships are never formed or they become broken, because we are afraid to talk about the things that burden our hearts. Sometimes we are afraid of losing things. God has given gifts and resources. He has blessed us and then we become afraid that it will be taken away. We are familiar with the trials of Job and do not want to experience what he had to endure.
Sometimes we are afraid of the future. We do not see how the bills can be paid. We do not know from where the resources are going to come. We plan many things, but our imagination only produces more emotions of fear. To these fearful hearts of ours the Lord says again, "Do not be afraid." There is a reason. There is a reason why Christians should be of good cheer and should not be afraid even in the midst of the storms of life. The reason is that we are not alone. Jesus himself is with us, just as the hymn-writer beautifully described in the song Never Alone. We can disobey the Lord and refuse to be of good cheer. We can disobey the Lord and cling to our fears. Or we can rejoice because we really believe there is the divine power and presence of Jesus. Despite the storms of life, Jesus has come to bring peace to our hearts and to bring calmness to our situations.
