And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “Oh, you of little faith why did you doubt?”
– Matthew 14:28–31
Oh, I want a story, like Jesus walking on the water that’s amazing, awesome, in and of itself. And the way he tells his disciples, not to be afraid. As they see him walking on the sea, he says, “Take heart. It’s I don’t be afraid.” And right after that, Peter says, “Lord, if it’s you tell me to come out on the water.” And Jesus says, “Come.” And Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking on the water.
This Verse Reminds Us to Fix Our Eyes on Jesus
Let’s ask for grace that our eyes will be constantly fixed on Christ.
Put yourself in his shoes or sandals or bare feet or whatever at that moment, walking on water, coming towards Jesus. Imagine the rush, the adrenaline. What all is going through your mind, racing through your heart. As you were walking to Jesus on the water, taking a step, you find yourself in a situation you never could have imagined before.
And then verse 30 says, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me.” And just like that, he’s in total panic mode. And why? Because he saw the wind and he was afraid. I have walked through this passage numerous times. I’m guessing many of you may have too and the same reality comes back every time, everything changed when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus.
Matthew 14:28–31 Reminds Us to Have Faith in Jesus
When Peter was overwhelmed by what surrounded him, instead of the one who had called him, the one who had spoke to him, the one who he had placed his faith in. And how easy is it for you and me to do the exact same thing? I obviously don’t know what every single person who is listening to this, what you’re walking through right now, I’m guessing there are some who find yourselves in situations that are hard, challenging. You did not picture yourself in this situation. And there’s a temptation to look around you and to be afraid.
And I just want to encourage you to look up, to look in front of you at the Lord, the savior, the King, the ruler of the waves, the ruler of all creation for whom it is no thing to walk on water. The sovereign Lord of the universe is with, you all who trust in him. And as a result, you have no reason to fear, take heart and keep your eyes fixed on him.
Matthew 14:28–31 Leads Us to Praise Jesus
Jesus we pray, even right now, fix our eyes on your midst. Anything, everything going on in our lives, families, churches, whatever it might be. God fix our eyes on you, even right now in these few moments we have together turn our attention to you, our affections to you. Jesus, we love you. We trust you and rest in you. We look to you and lean on you. Jesus, we need you. Oh Jesus, we need you in every way.
I just think about my own life. I’m the most needy person in the world. I’m just constantly coming to you for help. And I am constantly crying to you for more grace and more help. And Jesus, I praise you for your faithfulness and compassion and love to answer that prayer over and over and over again.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for Others
So I just pray, not just in my own life today, but in the lives of people who are listening right now, I pray for them, that they would look to you and they would find all that they need, all that they want, all that they desire. They would know you love them. You are with them that you care for them. That you’ve died on a cross to save them from their sins. And through trust in you we know that we have nothing, nothing to fear. Jesus, please keep our eyes on you right now in this moment, all day long, all night long, keep our eyes fixed on you. We pray in your name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
