MATTHEW 14:22-33

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

There’s a story which is told about General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.  According to the story the two World War II heroes were fishing one day when they got caught in a violent squall.  Eventually, their boat capsized and they found themselves gasping for air and grasping for the boat.  While they were holding on for dear life Nimitz turned to MacArthur and said, “Now, Mac, when we get back to shore don’t mention this to anyone. It would be really embarrassing if my Navy men learned I can’t swim.”  MacArthur nodded his head. “Don’t worry,” he said.  “I’d hate to have my men find out I can’t walk on water.”

Over the years I’ve learned that when there’s a crisis people react in a lot of different ways.  The crisis could be your boss telling you that you’re going to be laid off.  The crisis could be your doctor telling you that you’ve got a serious illness.  Or it could be someone telling you that they don’t love you anymore.

Hopefully, nothing like that happens to you this week, but what would you do if you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a crisis?   Would you panic?  Would you kick and scream?   Would you play the blame game? Or would you throw in the towel and invite everyone to a big old pity party?   I can name eleven disciples who probably did all of those things.  They were the disciples who went to the back of the boat to whimper while the waves were tossing them here there and everywhere.  They were the disciples who went to the back of the boat to whine while the wind was whistling all around them.

When you look at what happened that night it makes you realize that a crisis can bring out the worst in you but don’t forget.  A crisis can also bring out the best in you!  Just ask John Chambers. John Chambers is the CEO for Cisco Systems. A couple of years ago he said something very interesting.  He said that you should quote “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”  (USA TODAY, January 15, 2009) 

He made that statement in the middle of the financial meltdown back in 2009.  His point was that if you don’t panic or kick and scream or play the blame game or start feeling sorry for yourself the crisis can bring out the best in you. It can be an opportunity to grow and become a better person!

And that’s were good old Peter comes come in. In many ways Peter was like the little girl with the curl.   Do you remember that nursery rhyme?

“There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.”

There were times when Peter was absolutely horrid; times when he gave Jesus fits.   Just look at what happened at Caesarea Philippi.  When Jesus tells the disciples that he’s going to be arrested and crucified Peter throws a temper tantrum and says, “Far be it from you Lord! This shall never happen to you.” When Jesus hears that he quickly puts Peter in his place.  He stares Peter down and says to him, “Get behind me Satan!  You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but of the things of man.” (Mt. 16:22-23)

That was a crisis that brought out the worst in Peter.   There were also times though when Peter made Jesus very proud.   Let’s go back to Caesarea Philippi.  Right before Peter’s little temper tantrum Jesus asks the disciples “Who do you say that I am.”  Peter answers that question by boldly proclaiming, “You are the Christ.  The Son of the living God.”   In response to that declaration of faith Jesus says, “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…” (Mt. 16:16-18)

So, Peter could be horrid, but he could also be very, very good.  That night on the Sea of Galilee Peter was very, very good.   That crisis didn’t bring out the worst in Peter.  It brought out the best in him.  Instead of running to the back of the boat to whimper and whine Peter stands up and says, “Lord if it is you bid me come to you on the water.”   Notice that he doesn’t say, “Invite me to come to you on the water.”  He doesn’t say, “Suggest that I come to you on the water.”  He says, “Command me to come to you on the water.”

Now Peter didn’t say that because he had a big ego.  He didn’t say that because he wanted to show off and be the center of attention.  He said that because he wanted to be like his teacher, his rabbi. That’s what the relationship between a rabbi and a disciple was all about.  Back then if a rabbi called you to be his disciple it meant that he felt you had it in you to be like him.  It meant he felt that you could follow his teachings and live your life the way he lived his

So, in that crisis, Peter realizes that Jesus doesn’t want him to whimper and whine in the back of the boat.  Jesus wants Peter to be like him.  Jesus wants Peter to get out of the boat and go for a walk on the water. 

If your not sure about that listen to something else that Jesus says to the disciples in John’s Gospel.  Jesus says to them,  “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do…”  (John 14:12)  In other words you can be like me.

Jesus wanted Peter to be like him.   So, when Peter says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” Jesus doesn’t say, “I don’t think so Peter. It’s pretty choppy out here. You better put your life jacket on and stay there in the boat with the other disciples.”  No.  Jesus says, “Come” and that’s what Peter does.  He gets out of the boat and he begins to walk on the water.  In that moment my guess is that Jesus was incredibly proud of Peter!   Peter may have only taken a few steps before the wind and the waves got the best of him but he did get out of the boat.  For a few seconds he did walk on the water.  That night, he proved to everyone that he could be like Jesus.

That’s the key right there.   If you want a crisis to bring the best out of you then just be like Jesus,  Even if someone breaks your heart you remember what Jesus said when he was on the Cross.  So, you bow your head and pray, “Father forgive him for he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”  Even if the crisis has you scared to death you remember what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane.  So, you bow your head and pray, “Not my will but Your will be done LORD.”  Even if you’re furious with someone you remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.  So, you turn the other cheek and you go the extra mile and you let the other person take the log out of your eye first.  It may be difficult to do that but you do it because you know something very important.  You do it because you’re a disciple of the risen Christ and you know that Jesus believes in you.  You know that Jesus believes that you can be like him.

Abraham Lincoln was, by all accounts, a man of great faith.”   His faith and desire to be like Jesus is why the crisis of the Civil War brought out the best of him. One day Lincoln gave a speech.  In the speech he was very charitable and forgiving toward Southerners.   After the speech a woman rebuked him. She scolded him for speaking so kindly of his enemies when he should be thinking about how he could destroy them.  “Madame,” Lincoln replied, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”

There were twelve disciples in the boat that night. Eleven of them went in the back of the boat to whimper and whine.  The crisis brought out the worst in them.   The crisis brought out the best in one of them. Now you may never actually walk on water but the next time you find yourself in the middle of a crisis you can be like Jesus.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

August 7, 2011