Matthew 14.22-33

When my boys were younger, they took swimming lesson every summer at our neighbor’s house.  One year, my younger son could not wait to get in the pool for the first time.  He talked about it for weeks leading up to his first lesson and he even counted down the days to his first refreshing dip in the cold water on a hot day.

At this point in time, my younger son had taken swimming lessons for several years.  So, he was more than capable of treading water and swimming without a flotation device.

However, after several years of lessons, something scary happened.

In his overzealous anticipation of getting into the water on the first day of swim lessons, he ran to the deep end and did a cannonball off of the diving board.  

There was no warm up, no wading in the shallow end, no slowly building up to swimming in the deeper side of the pool.

So, off of the diving board he went.  As soon as he hit the water, he began to panic and forgot how to swim.  

The water was splashing and he was screaming as he tried to stay above water.  He was capable of swimming, but in those moments, surrounded by deep deep waters, his fear led him to sink.

His older brother, a complete 4 years older, immediately rushed to his side and gently helped him to the edge of the pool where he could grab on and find safety.

His older brother then reminded him that he knew how to swim and he was just letting his fear control him.  

Shortly after the tears and fears subsided, he was back at it—diving, cannonballing, and swimming, in the deep end of the pool.

In those moments of life, my younger son was saved from sinking and given the confidence that he wasn’t a failure.  He could get back out there and live his life to the fullest.

In this morning’s Biblical text from the Gospel of Matthew, or in other words, Matthew’s biography of Jesus, we once again find ourselves in the middle of a moment between Jesus and the disciple Peter. 

In this Jesus and Peter moment, Peter finds himself splashing and screaming and trying to keep himself from drowning when he is afraid of the  surrounding deep deep waters.

Today’s interaction between Jesus and Peter has us looking into a moment where fear, forgiveness, and freedom all take place.

Let’s hear together what Matthew records for us.

Matthew 14.22-33 says this:

[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.” (ESV)

Peter’s moments of life were very similar to the moments of life that my younger son experienced a few years ago at his swim lesson.  He was in the water.  He was under the water.  He was out of the water.

What brought Peter into the water?  

His faith did.

What put Peter under the water?

His fear did.

What brought Peter out of the water?

God’s grace did.

And, God’s grace gave Peter forgiveness and freedom.

When Jesus revealed himself as the one miraculously walking on water, Peter, who would be the first to publicly confess that he believed Jesus was God in the flesh, God’s Messiah, the Christ, God coming to rescue us, trusted Jesus to hold him up so that he too could miraculously walk on water.

So, Peter gets out of the boat, and with complete faith and trust in God’s presence and power in Jesus, walks on water toward Jesus.

However, as he is walking with faith and trust in God’s power and God’s presence and God’s ultimate control of all things for his ultimate good, Peter gets distracted by the situations and events immediately surrounding him.

You see, when Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus and looks to the left and to the right and up to the sky and down to his feet, all Peter can see in that moment is the waves rising up and crashing down around him, the clouds and lightning and rain in the sky, and the dark shifting water beneath him.

Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus’ person and work for him—the work that is currently helping him do the impossible—overcome the brokenness and dangerous world—and immediately forgets all of that and lets worry, doubt, and fear consume him to the point that he begins to drown and move toward death.

Does all of this sound familiar?

It should sound familiar because it is the ebb and flow of our lives.

It is easier to get into the water and trust in Jesus when we are in church on Sunday or in Bible study throughout the week because those times are designed, if the pastor and church are doing it right, to point our eyes only to Jesus’ power and presence which gives us hope in the midst of life’s difficulties.

However, when we start to take steps out of the Christian boat and into the water of this world—in our homes, in our schools, at our jobs, in our recovery groups—we often forget everything that we were initially trusting in—God’s goodness, grace, power, provision, and protection—as the problems, difficulties, insecurity, and threats of the sinfully broken and damaged world creep up on us.

And, we begin to worry, doubt, and fear to the point we begin to drown and move toward death (defined Biblically as separation from God and eternal torment).  

But, what does Jesus do in these moments for Peter and for you?  He immediately reaches out and gives you his hand and rescues you by pulling you back up above water and helping you get back into the boat where there is safety and security.  Jesus’ mercy gives you hope that you will make it through the storm to the other side of the lake.

That is nothing but pure unconditional grace.

Jesus does not tell Peter, nor does he tell you, to show him that you can swim a little bit and tread water in order to make your way back to him, no Jesus comes directly to Peter, and to you, and gently reaches down to raise you up through forgiveness for looking away from Him and not trusting His promise to care for and protect you.  This forgiveness allows you to find yourself once again with faith and freedom for life today, tomorrow, and forever.

Pastor, theologian, and prolific writer, John Piper, has an uncanny ability to capture both God’s awesome unmatched power and God’s gentle, humble love within a single thought, over and over again.

In what is probably his magnum opus, Desiring God, he shares the following scenario:

Suppose you were exploring an unknown glacier in the north of Greenland in the dead of winter. Just as you reach a sheer cliff with a spectacular view of miles and miles of jagged ice and snow covered mountains, a terrible storm breaks in. The wind is so strong that the fear arises that it might blow you and your party right over the cliff. But in the midst of it you discover a cleft in the ice where you can hide. Here you feel secure, but the awesome might of the storm rages on and you watch it with a kind of trembling pleasure as it surges out across the distant glaciers.

At first, there was the fear that this terrible storm and awesome terrain might claim your life. But then you found a refuge and gained the hope that you would be safe. But not everything in the feeling called fear vanished. Only the life-threatening part. There remains the trembling, the awe, the wonder, the feeling that you would never want to tangle with such a storm or be the adversary of such a power.

God’s power is behind the unendurable cold of Arctic storms. Yet he cups his hand around us and says, “Take refuge in my love and let the terrors of my power become the awesome fireworks of your happy night sky.”

2 Corinthians 5:1, 6–7 tells us this:

[1] For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

[6] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. (ESV)

Here are a few takeaways from this morning’s text:

First, the will of God sometimes leads us into difficulties.

Jesus told his disciples to get into a boat that would encounter a storm.

Second, focusing on and trusting in Jesus Christ’s sovereign rule and control of all things releases supernatural strength, power, and peace, into our lives, enabling us to walk with God in Christ amidst the storms of life. 

The very familiar Psalm 23 reminds us of all of this.

The author of Psalm 23 says:

[1] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

[3] He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

[4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

And, third, when our faith fails, and it will as we have seen in this Biblical text (and if we are honest, as we have seen in our own daily lives), a cry for help brings deliverance. 

We are told this good news in the New Testament book of Hebrews, when the author reminds us that Jesus knows our feelings and thoughts and needs, because he once walked in a body with a mind like ours, and is therefore able to answer us and help us in the exact way we need.

Hebrews 4:14–16 tell you this:

[14] Since…we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (ESV)

I love Psalm 143, because the Psalm writer, who could have been Peter after this morning’s experience, knows God’s grace and mercy and His desire to help him as quickly as possible.

Psalm 143:7–8 has the author praying this:

[7] Answer me quickly, O LORD!

My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

[8] Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul. (ESV)

In describing the value of the piece of history that we have recorded for us in this morning’s Biblical text, Matthew Green says this:

“It was a pattern both of unbelief and faith.  They were called to go to Jesus, to direct their lives to the walk of faith.  But storms often beset them, and fear chilled them.  In his power they could for a while do what would otherwise have been impossible—until they considered what they were doing and reflected on the size of the waves.  Then, of course, they could begin to sink—until they cried out to the Son of God for his powerful hand to catch them and hold them up.”

What brings you confidently into the stormy and uncertain waters of everyday life?  

Your faith does.

What puts you under the water fighting the feeling of drowning in life’s hardships and heartbreaks?

Your fear does.

What brings you out of the water and puts your feet back on confident ground?

ONLY God’s grace does.

And, it is only God’s grace that brings you the experience of forgiveness and freedom.

When you are in the water of everyday life in a sinfully self-centered body in a sinfully self-centered world and you are splashing and screaming trying to stay above water, Jesus, immediately rushes to your side and gently helps you to the edge of the pool where you can grab on and find safety.

Jesus, in pure grace, reminds you that you know how to swim and that you were just letting your fear control you. 

Shortly after your tears and fears subside, you are confidently back at it—diving, cannonballing, and swimming, in the deep end of the pool because you were saved from sinking and given the confidence that even though you are a failure, Jesus died on the cross to be your forgiver, even forgiving the sin of struggling to trust HIs promise to care for you and protect you and save you.  Knowing you are eternally forgiven and accepted and loved by God sets you free to get back out there and live your life to the fullest.

Jesus daily leads you from fear to forgiveness to freedom.

With Jesus, you are capable of walking above the darkest and stormiest waters of life.  

With Jesus, you are free to call out for help at any moment and have the God of Creation strengthen you in your fear.

Worship and praise him today, for surely He is the Son of God come to save you.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Reverend Fred Scragg V.

September 27, 2026.