Define Christian: Answers Doubt with Faith

What is the worst news you have ever received? Bad news often makes for a bad day, and we’ve all had them. Jesus was dealing with a terrible day. It began with the news that his relative and fellow preacher, John the Baptist, was dead. King Herod had John beheaded at the request of his step-daughter Salome, encouraged by Herod’s wife Herodias. After John’s disciples buried their teacher, they told Jesus what had happened.

How do we react to the news that we have lost a loved one? We cry, we remember, we tell stories. Jesus wanted some alone time. He and John had not been close, but they were both vital to each others’ ministries. Jesus had even said, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11 NIV). Jesus needed some quiet time to process John’s death and its meaning for his ministry. He also needed to contemplate Herod’s fears that Jesus was John the Baptist back from the dead. At the beginning of our gospel reading last week Matthew wrote, “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns” (Matthew 14:13 NIV). The solitary place wasn’t so solitary!

Even so, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14 NIV).

Jesus also made sure that he provided for their physical needs. He fed everyone who came to see him – over 5000 people – with just 5 small loaves of bread and 2 fish. Remember how much was left over? 12 baskets full – more than he started with! Jesus powerfully provided for the crowd’s needs and filled their stomachs with plenty to eat.

The crowd was so enamored with Jesus and his miracle that they came up with a plan – a conspiracy. They wanted to make Jesus the king instead of Herod. That way they could have bread and fish every day and wouldn’t have to work for it. The crowd was so convincing that the disciples were tempted to join in. They didn’t understand what Jesus had done any more than the crowd had. In fact, John recorded, “They had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened” (John 6:21 EHV). Jesus knew exactly what the crowd had planned, so he put his own plan into action. First, he sent his disciples back to the boat and told them to go back to Capernaum. Then he sent the crowd away. There would be no rebellion, no usurping the throne, no Bread King ruling over Israel. Jesus hadn’t been able to get his quiet time.

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23 NIV). Notice how Jesus handled his hard day with bad news. He took some time – hours – to be alone. He needed to open up with his Father about John’s death; bemoan the foolishness of the crowd; acknowledge how tempting it had been in the moment to sidestep the plan and go straight for the glory and the throne; and express his frustration at the hard heartedness of his disciples. Jesus had time to thank his Father for the blessings of the day. Lives changed with the healings he had performed. Hearts touched by the powerful words he shared with the crowd. Stomachs filled to the top with a simple, yet miraculous meal of bread and fish. When Jesus had a bad day, he turned to prayer and laid everything out for his Father to hear.

Is that where we turn after a hard day and bad news? It’s hard when sleep evades us no matter how hard we try. The day replays itself in a loop and we lie awake, unable to quiet our minds. Here are some suggestions to help people fall asleep and that work well.

1.Get rid of causes of stimulation before bedtime – especially electronics

2.Breathe deeply in through your nose, out through your nose.

3.Mindfulness – slow steady breathing with focusing on the moment

4.Progressive relaxation – tense and then relax each group of muscles starting with your head and working your way down to your feet

5.Imagery / Visualization – picture a relaxing place and focus on all the details

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FugkLgoq_yc&ab_channel=LifeNoggin

Sometimes even the best suggestions don’t work. The best one I’ve heard came from one of our Wednesday night Bible studies. “Instead of counting sheep, I talk to the Shepherd.” Jesus talked to his Father when he needed encouragement, support, and strength. We can talk to Jesus for the same reasons. He’s listening intently, and knows what we need before we even ask. He’s ready to bring all of our requests to his Father, and he will answer. Most nights that’s enough to calm our heart rate, make our breathing even out and deepen, and sink into restful sleep, “because God grants sleep to the ones he loves” (Psalm 127:2 EHV).

Jesus’ disciples needed to talk to the Shepherd, but they didn’t realize it. They were still caught up in the crowd mentality and thinking about Jesus and thrones and power and kingdom. Jesus sent his disciples back to Capernaum to get them away from the crowd and the temptation. He also sent them out into the storm to confront their hard heartedness.

They were confronted. The Sea of Galilee is known for its rough seas. “The wind has a singular force and suddenness…speeding swiftly above a long and level plateau, gathers much force as it sweeps through flat deserts, until suddenly it meets this huge gap in the way and it tumbles down.” Wuest, K. S. (1997, c1984). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (Mk 4:37). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. The seasoned sailors strained at the oars, barely able to move against the force of the wind and waves battering the craft. Every time they raised an oar it acted like a sail, catching the wind and pushing them back. After several hours they had only gone three or four miles. It seems a bit cruel, doesn’t it, to send his friends out into the teeth of a storm?

Early in the morning, sometime between 3 and 6 am, Jesus walked out onto the sea – walking on water. He walked over the waves and through the wind toward the boat. As Jesus started to pass the boat, the disciples caught sight of his ghostly figure. It had to be – no one could walk on the water! They had been rowing for hours, barely getting anywhere. Shoulders and backs aching, exhaustion reigned. The ghostly appearance pushed them over the edge. They screamed in terror, “It’s a ghost!” (Matthew 14:26 NIV). Doubt and fear reigned in that little boat.

‌Only one thing could erase their doubts and calm their fears. Jesus’ voice carried over the howling wind and crashing waves, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” (Matthew 14:27 NIV). First, Jesus spoke to their faith the same way he had encouraged Joshua outside the walls of Jericho. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9 NIV). Only Jesus can offer that kind of strength for faith that is bending under doubts. Second, Jesus pointed to himself as the one who had always been there and always would be. He said, “It is I.” Literally, he said, “I AM.” The same LORD who had rescued his people in the days of Moses and Joshua was there to rescue his disciples. Finally, Jesus spoke to their emotions. “Don’t be afraid!” If the disciples had followed their emotions, they would probably have jumped out of the boat to try and escape the ghost. Jesus’ words touched their hearts and eased their fears, just as he had done for Joshua so many years earlier. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

Peter’s faith quickly took over, and Jesus’ voice tamped down Peter’s fear. He boldly spoke: “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28 NIV). Peter heard Jesus say, “I AM.” So he calls him Lord, not Jesus. He trusts him so much that he asks to participate in the miracle. Jesus’ lovingly answered, “Come!” With that, Peter did what no other human being has done or will ever do. He walked on water. The Lord of wind and wave allowed his feet to find solid steps on foaming, watery waves.

It didn’t take long for Peter to lose his focus. He took his eyes off Jesus, just for a moment, and saw the powerful wind driving the waves higher and higher. In that moment, “he was afraid.” Feet that had found a solid footing on the water now dropped below the surface. There was no life jacket to help him, and the boat was too far away to help.

Have you felt that way before – that you’re in over your head and sinking quickly? Some days we have clear sailing, on others, storm clouds build and threaten. We face roiling waves and howling, gale force winds. We see the new school year looming in front of us – new teachers, new books, new assignments – and we are afraid. We head into work with the entire day planned out and suddenly a hurricane of issues tosses the schedule to pieces – and doubt takes control. We walk into the store, confident that we’ll find all kinds of orange opportunities and we’ll invite so many people to church that we won’t have enough chairs for them. Until we look into someone’s face and suddenly, the tsunami of doubt comes crashing down. We don’t know what to say. The words stick in our throats. Sometimes God sends us out into the middle of the storm – maybe even because our own hard-heartedness is getting in the way of our relationship with him. He even lets us sink in over our heads so we realize we can’t deal with doubt and fear unless we have help – big help; Jesus’ help!

Peter recognized he was in over his head and cried out for help, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30 NIV). Jesus could have let Peter struggle for a while – see how long he could tread water. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him” (Matthew 14:31 NIV). Immediately! Jesus wouldn’t let Peter sink. He was there to save him! Can you hear Jesus laughing with Peter as they walk back to the boat? “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 NIV). Jesus had given Peter the incredible gift of walking on water. Step by sloshing step, Peter was walking to Jesus. Then he sank, pulled down by his doubt and fear even though Jesus was right there, the one who controlled all of nature, including wind and wave. Jesus didn’t condemn Peter for his fear and doubt. He simply saved him!

This is one of my favorite paintings of this story. Jesus, feet firmly planted on the water, reaches below the surface to pull Peter up. To pull us up. Whatever storm rages against us, no matter the size of the waves that hammer against our lives, Jesus is there. He has already pulled us from the depths of our sins when we came through the water of baptism. That water of life connected us to him and raised us up from the darkness of death and we are alive. We are forgiven. We are renewed. That wasn’t a one-time promise. Jesus is with us to pull us up when we are in over our heads at school, at work, at home, in our relationships, wherever we are. His words are there for us too. “Take courage! I AM. Don’t be afraid!” Jesus speaks to our faith life and offers us courage through the strength we receive from his Word. The Savior points to his eternal love whenever he reminds us, “I AM.” Jesus reassures us that no matter what storm comes, no matter how painful it might be, he is right there to grab us by the hand and pull us to safety.

I love the end of this story! “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down” (Matthew 14:32 NIV). John adds this in his account: “Immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading” (John 6:21 NIV). Then the disciples reacted to everything they had seen – the crowds, the miraculous food, the storm, the long night, Jesus walking on the water, Peter walking, then sinking, then walking with Jesus, and the instantaneous arrival at Capernaum. “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!”” (Matthew 14:33 NIV). No kidding! Jesus left no doubt as to who he was! Jesus helped his friends answer their doubt with faith, faith in him as the Son of God.

That’s what Christians do. We answer doubt by turning to the faith we have in Jesus. He is the Son of God. He is the Son of God. He is there on those really bad days to pull us out of the water when we are slipping below the surface. Faith focuses on Jesus and only Jesus. The apostle Paul said it so beautifully in Romans 8. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39 NIV). When Jesus pulls us out of doubt and fear, nothing can pull us back down! Amen.