The Lutheran Hour
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"Overcoming Life’s Fears, By Faith!"
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Text: Matthew 14:22-33
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Grace, and mercy, and peace to you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Whose strong hand of grace holds us through the storms of life. Amen.
Have you ever been in a storm that caused you to really be afraid? In a broken, sinful world, storms come, fears come. Think of the tragedies that we have witnessed just this last year….the tsunami of Japan, the tornadoes of the plain states, nearby Joplin, Missouri almost totally gone, the fires in Texas, the famines in Africa and the list could go on and on. Storms, fears come and they might not be so visible either, they might be personal, private, suffered alone….but just as painful, maybe it’s a personal tragedy of illness, or trouble. Maybe you’re really feeling the pressure of this economy, being “downsized” just when you needed your job to be your last refuge. Storms, fears come; they often leave us winded, without strength, like a boat battered by unceasing waves. We are tempted to believe then that we are totally alone, without hope.
That’s what Peter must have been thinking that day. There he was with his mates being thrashed about by the wind and waves. The glow of successfully feeding well over 5,000 people with a few fish and loaves is now overshadowed by the terror of this torrential storm. And sadly, when he and his fellow fisherman first see Jesus, they didn’t think He was there to bless and to save. They were afraid of what ill His “ghostly” presence might mean for them. Wow! They must have felt very small at that moment, totally at the whim of the waves in a boat insufficient for the task. And, deep down, they were probably also afraid that God Himself was unaware of their trouble or even unconcerned about their plight.
Where do you put your hope and trust when you feel that all you can do is sink?
Author Phyllis Ten Elshof says that when she faced her fearful storm, when told of the return of a recurring breast cancer, she tried to get a hold of her fears on her terms, she first tried to find comfort in statistics.
She recalls, “You’re gonna be okay,” whispered the lady in pink as she wheeled me down the hall. “Eighty percent of breast lumps aren’t cancer.”
“I stifled a sigh. So far, statistics had not been in my favor. My breast lump, which was big enough to be seen by the naked eye, hadn’t shown up on a mammogram. Mammograms are only effective 80 percent of the time.
“The volunteer’s prediction wasn’t accurate, either; I did have breast cancer. So why, years after surviving a mastectomy and treatment for breast cancer, was I still drawn to survival statistics like a mosquito to a lamp?
Phyllis continues, “The size of my lump plus five positive nodes drove down my five-year survival rate to less than 25 percent. What’s more, I, like so many other cancer survivors, had learned how senseless statistics were in forecasting survival. As one doctor said, ‘Maybe only 10 percent of patients with your type and stage of cancer are cured, but within that 10 percent, your odds are 0 percent or 100 percent.’
“So what drove me to statistics? Fear….cancer knocks us to the ground. We run to statistics (or the doctors that quote them) to ease our fears!”
Where do we go when we’re really afraid or when deep down you’re saying, “Lord Jesus, I’m scared, I’m nervous, I don’t have all the answers. I’m trying to live life to its fullest and I sometimes see it slipping away. I have felt at times like I’m walking on water, but more times I feel like I’m sinking fast. Jesus, what should I do when I’m really afraid?”
The message of this text is clear. It’s not about whether you, in the midst of your fears, can get to Jesus. It’s about whether Jesus can get to you. Jesus journeyed out to the disciples, in the midst of the same wind and waves, calling Peter out of the boat even to a confident trust in Him alone. When all you are capable of doing is sinking, believe in the most powerful words of the text. Peter says, “‘Lord, save me’ and immediately Jesus, (the one standing on the water, amidst the same waves), grabbed him!”
“Peter got down out of the boat, walked on water and came toward Jesus, but when he saw the wind, he was afraid and sinking, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?'”
There are some very important life lessons to learn in our Bible reading for today.
First, when storms come, when fears arise, most of us, like Peter, wrongly turn to our own resources when afraid!Our first inclination seems to always be, “I can handle this myself.” Or, let me just talk to a few people close to me and we’ll figure this thing out. I’m not against “self-reliance” and there are many times that even God Himself likes to see His people “roll up their sleeves and ‘get to work.'”
But our first turn, in all things, should be to the one who created and redeemed us. But sadly, most people almost never turn to God in simple faith.Somehow human beings have wrongly concluded that all problems are related to lack of money? Or that all big problems would be solved if we just learned to get along, you know, pull together all of our human resources and just make it work?
The Titanic was, at its time, the largest passenger steamship in the world. It was one of many modern industrial revolutions’ marvels exhibiting the potential of modern man’s ability to do the unthinkable. In reality, though, the story of Titanic has become a modern epic tale of humankind’s overreach and bravado. It was called the “unsinkable ship,” a floating testimony to modern mankind’s ingenuity and skill to overcome any obstacle that was in one’s way. Who could even imagine such a massive, luxurious edifice floating so gracefully and so powerfully on the water? But who could imagine still a simple iceberg, lazily floating in the ocean, even walking on the water, that would be able to tear Titanic open like a disposable aluminum can and on her maiden voyage, no less.
What happens when the ship can’t be big enough? What happens when you’re standing in the middle of a powerful storm, standing tenuously, not even in a boat, but on water no less, with no physical, emotional, or mental strength to overcome what you face, what then? What do you do when the only real, true emotion you have is fear? What then?
Real fear, you know, is a capacity issue when your resources, your moral courage, wisdom, protection, and leverage, when those are not up to the danger. What then?
To the unlimited human potential crowd, this lesson says, “The wages of sin is death; there is a day for all of us when all we can do is sink.” What then?
Sadly, when we realize that we are overwhelmed or we are defeated, that’s finally when we turn to God. But even here, like Peter, we’re not turning to God in faith, but in fear. It’s as if we’re saying, “Excuse me God, but don’t you see the wind and the waves? I’ve done everything I can do. When are you going to help?”
But that, too, is a false understanding of Who God is and what the blessing and power of faith in Him is all about.
The Bible says, “That while we were ‘yet’ sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s provision for life and salvation comes by His effort, as a gift of His grace to the world. Faith believes in God’s goodness and mercy before, in the middle, and even after the storm. But storms come, fear comes, and with them we are tempted to take our eyes off of the One Who walks on the water for us.
Today, like Peter then, we’re called to leave our fear behind, to remember again Who really is in control of all things. Faith is knowing that faith and life are God’s work. Faith is knowing that we are in God’s hands and only faith in Jesus can finally overcome life’s greatest fears.
“But when he, Peter, saw the wind, he was afraid and sinking, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?'”
When all else gives way and real fear grips our hearts and we begin to see how vulnerable, we are, what then?
Well, know this. Know that fear doesn’t incapacitate Jesus. It doesn’t stop Him from saving you.
The most powerful words in the text… “‘Lord, save me!’ and immediately Jesus grabbed him.”
So, to those of you who are afraid, personally confronted with some tragedy, evil, or crisis, listen. To those of you who are worried about our communities and where they are and where they are headed, listen. To those of you battling issues in your heart and mind, listen!
In the middle of our incapacitating fears, God acts!
You know, I wanted to say that the next important lesson of this text was, “When afraid, look to Jesus!” But that’s not what Peter did; when afraid; he took his eyes off of Jesus. He sank. That’s all he could do and he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Most people believe that faith “makes” God act….It’s the other way around…God acts so that you can have faith! Christmas, Easter….God acts. Jesus comes to them in a boat on the water, God acts. Jesus comes to us in His Word, with His Name in the waters of Baptism, in His body and blood miraculously in His Supper, God acts.
He acts so that you can have faith in Him. He acts and calls us to faith in Him.
The power of this lesson is that Jesus grabs a sinker and that means that He can grab you and He can grab me, too. His grip is one of grace. His grip is one of forgiveness and mercy. His grip is a strong promise that God is for us in Christ. There is never a doubt in this lesson or in the Bible as a whole, as to Who is caring for whom.
On the cross of Jesus Christ, in the power of His resurrection from the dead, Jesus not only grabbed Peter, saved Peter, He grabbed the world by the grasp of His grace.
He pays the ultimate price so that we can live confidently, even boldly through the storms of life, to a life in Him that never ends.
I often wonder why so many people miss the incredible message of this text, that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is coming for you, to save you, to see you through the storms of your life, to empower you to help others through the storms of their lives, to bring you to Himself forever, in the new heavens, the new earth, the day-after-Judgment-Day, new world. But, I think I know why many people today can’t get past the simple picture, the miraculous picture of Jesus walking on the water.
A good friend of mine is a brilliant science teacher at Concordia University, Irvine. He is also one of the most spiritual men that I know. Professor John Kenny says, “Modern man is skeptical of miracles, but I contend that this skepticism is unwarranted.” He said, “Just look at Jesus walking on water. In science, in the last 100 years, our scientific understanding of the nature of water has increased dramatically. We know why liquid water is more dense than ice and thus why ice floats in liquid water. We know why snow crystals are shaped the way they are. We not only know the chemical formula of water, H2O, but we know exactly the oxygen-hydrogen bond length, bond strength, and the H-O-H bond angle of the water molecule. We know a truly incredible amount about the hydrogen and oxygen atoms that comprise water. We know that there are over 12 forms of ice and we know how to use high pressure to get each one of these forms. Based upon our knowledge of water and the modern scientific instruments and technology now at our disposal, we have the power to do things with water that would appear nothing short of miraculous to a highly accomplished scientist living merely 150 years ago.”
He goes on, “Now, consider Jesus Christ-God and Creator-Whose knowledge and understanding of and power over every aspect of His creation-including those water molecules immediately underfoot on the Sea of Galilee, far exceeds anything that the world’s best scientists know about and can do with water even in the year 2011. We should therefore not be surprised at all that God can walk on water! Thus, modern man’s skepticism about the miracles of Jesus Christ rests on two failures-(1) a failure to exercise the scientific imagination and (2) a failure of logic.”
Well, let’s use our imagination then today, the Jesus who created and redeemed the world, the one who easily makes the molecules of H2O work for His good pleasure and your blessing, He is the One saying “Don’t just give Me your fears, give Me your faith, give Me your life, give Me your possessions, give Me your talents and abilities, and then ‘Enter into the storms of others so that they too might see My hand of grace for them, too.'”
And don’t fear. I will see you through it all!
Do you remember Phyllis Ten Elshof, the cancer patient, the one who found no comfort in statistics? Listen to what she finally concluded.
“So what drove me to statistics?” she said. “Perhaps it’s the kind of fear, the reality of cancer that knocks one to the ground. Still, rather than running to statistics (or the doctors that quote them) to ease our fears, we should trust in our Heavenly Father, who alone knows how long we will live.” And I’d like to add, how long we’ll live here and forever with Him!
Storms come, fears come. It’s that kind of world. But the juggernaut of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ says that “even in the most fearful of storms, they’re temporary, they’re momentary for those who trust in the One Who comes for them with grace, and mercy, and peace.” In fact, the joy of this side of heaven is not only that our personal storms are overcome by faith in Jesus, but we get to be extensions of God’s strong hand of grace to others as we willfully share in their struggles and storms with the encouragement that can only come by faith in Christ, through fear, by faith in Christ, for others.
Did fearful Peter ever walk on water again? I don’t know, but let’s ask it this way, did he ever face fear again, life in danger and instead of looking at the proverbial terror of the wind and waves, did he keep his eyes on Christ? Did he, in that sense, ever walk on water again?
I believe he did…when? Well, on Pentecost, when the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection, when like other occasions, Peter could have felt alone. Instead he stood up and he preached. He warned his countrymen of judgment and called his friends and his countrymen to faith in Christ alone. He walked on water!
*When Peter stood before the rulers of his day, those who hated Jesus and the people of faith and yet he boldly proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Savior even for them even in the face of certain death, he walked on water!
And when Peter ultimately gave his life for the faith and never stopped preaching it so that even we today would know that it is God Who really cares for us and Who holds on to us. He walked on water.
I know I’m going to be afraid in this life, I know that many things in this world will let me done, even myself. But I’m beginning to realize the One Who really holds on to me, even in my fears. The Bible says, “even through the valleys of the shadow of death….Goodness and Mercy will “chase us down.” Jesus delivers His blessings, His peace, His forgiveness to you and me, even if He has to walk on water to do it.
And that certainty challenges us all to risk love, to live life on His terms alone, to be His church, His people by faith for others in this time and place.
His love grabs me when I’m sinking and I don’t even mind when He asks the question, “Why didn’t you trust me more?” Because I know even in that question He is just strengthening my faith in Him!
So, when I’m really afraid and when I’m not, I know the One Who is my strength and my source of life and salvation, Jesus Christ. I pray that this is your stronghold today as well. “Let your fears be overcome by a confident faith in Jesus Christ, today and forever.”
Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for August 7, 2011
Topic: Sent into storms by God?ANNOUNCER: Now, we’re back once again with Pastor Gregory Seltz. I’m Mark Eischer. Today’s lesson dealt with Jesus and His disciples out on the stormy sea. The question is, “Why did Jesus send His disciples into that dangerous situation? For that matter, why does He let us encounter or experience harm, danger, and even pain?”
SELTZ: That’s a great question from our listener, there are sure times when we don’t know exactly why things are happening to us, even as believers in Jesus.
ANNOUNCER: You know, it makes it even more difficult to understand when you think that God had a hand in all of this, in you facing a trial or a storm as it were.
SELTZ: Right. Absolutely. But before we tackle this question, I need to say that we’re not going to deal with the generic question, “Why is there suffering in the world?” We’ll deal with that another time. This question is more specific, “Why would God allow His people, even send His people into the middle of life struggles and life’s storms?”
ANNOUNCER: And, in the lesson for today it does appear that Jesus “compelled” them to get in that boat, doesn’t it?
SELTZ: Yeah. Good point. But, we’ve got to be careful here too. It may not be, in this particular event, that Jesus was willfully sending them into a storm. He may have “compelled them into the boat” because He wanted to dismiss the crowd of people by Himself. But, elsewhere in the Bible, we know that God allows storms to happen in the lives of His people…. so for the sake of argument, let’s assume a bit more than the text might demand.
ANNOUNCER: Now, why would God allow such things for His people to experience?
SELTZ: Well, one very important thing about life’s struggles and storms is that they tend to cause us to focus on what ultimately is important in our lives.
ANNOUNCER: That’s for sure, I can think of times when struggles made everything else seem of secondary importance.
SELTZ: Well, it is a common human experience in a broken, sinful world, isn’t it? It tends to cause us to focus on those basic questions of life.
ANNOUNCER: And how do these storms help in that regard?
SELTZ: Well, the Bible does talk about the “wages of sin being death.” And things like suffering, and struggles, and storms in life are “shadows of death.” So, when we experience those things, it reminds us of our utter need for God and His grace at all times.
ANNOUNCER: Something Christians today need to be reminded of.
SELTZ: Absolutely, and when you understand that Jesus lived and experienced all the hell of humanity’s sinful life when He died on the cross and then rose again to overcome it all for us, you begin to understand His grace in an even more profound way.
But, you know, it’s also important to remember that this “being in or being sent into storms” isn’t just about us.
ANNOUNCER: Now, what do you mean by that?
SELTZ: Again, in the text, the disciples are participating in ministry to others, they’re in the boat, they’re in the storm together. They are representing Jesus to the crowds and I think that Jesus is giving them a glimpse of what ministry entails.
ANNOUNCER: In what way?
SELTZ: Well, listen, when you love and serve others in Jesus’ name, you are not just sharing facts and figures, or even merely a message. You are entering into sinful people’s lives with the call to repentance and faith, speaking a saving truth but as one who dearly loves them the way that Christ loves you.
ANNOUNCER: And as one who is willing to go through that storm with them.
SELTZ: Exactly. The world is a messy place. People’s lives are broken and God’s people are not merely saved from that, we are called to carry His good news into other’s lives as well. So, if Jesus is there in our storms, He’s there in yours too!
ANNOUNCER: So when we experience storms and struggles, by faith in Christ it actually can help prepare us to be a blessing to others. And we learn that when faith in Christ is all you have, it’s still enough.
SELTZ: That’s for sure. And, when you see how hard it is to help people through their storms, even that can give you a glimpse of how much Jesus really loves you because He’s the One Who promises that life and eternal salvation will, that will be the last say in all of our lives.
ANNOUNCER: Certainly something to hold on to, something to share with others before, during, and after the storms and struggles. Thank you Pastor Seltz, and we thank you the listener for making this program part of your day. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode” public domain. Recording © 2011 Lutheran Hour Ministries.
“Peace I Leave with You” by Walter Pelz. Augsburg Fortress/SESAC
“Eternal Father, Strong to Save” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House/SESAC)
“Rejoice, My Heart, Be Glad and Sing” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House/SESAC)