Why is it so important for the Lord to teach us about fear and faith?
If there was an issue that reared its head over and over again with the disciples, it was the issue of fear and faith. How often do we read in the Bible of Jesus saying to his disciples: “You have so little faith;” “why do you doubt me?”
Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Matthew 14:28-31 (NLT)
The thrill didn’t last, however. Jesus saw this one coming.
Up to this point, Peter was doing great. He had the faith to get out of the boat. He had the faith to take some steps. Then “reality” hit. Instead of focusing on Jesus, he focused on the storm – the strong wind and the waves. Once he took his eyes off of Jesus, his “common sense” kicked in. The world’s reality and truth; and our human common sense will get us into trouble every time. We rely on ourselves instead of Jesus. We rely on our “experiences” instead of God’s Word.
But before you judge Peter, you have to admire him for seizing the moment. Let’s face it – even though he was humiliated and screamed like a little girl (no sexism intended), he was the only person other than Jesus in all of history to experience the thrill of walking on water!
Jesus allowed Peter to reach panic mode. He waited until Peter screamed for help. Then Jesus immediately saved him. To make sure the lesson was sinking in, he asked the obvious question. (Important note: Jesus never asked questions because he lacked information.) He asked questions in order to get us to think -- to make sure we are asking ourselves the right question. “Why did you doubt me?” Is Jesus asking you the same question today? When you fear, he may be asking you the same question -- “Why do you doubt me?”
What fear is causing you to doubt?
