The Mighty Compassion of Christ Part 2

Introduction

When God created mankind, he expected one thing from us: faith. Trust that he is the loving and compassionate God he shows himself to be and an obedience and submission to his will that displays that trust. Everyday this trust is tested as we face trials and temptations, and everyday God reveals his character to us so that we may look to him in faith and follow him to life. The command and promise to Abraham back in Genesis 12 was to be received by faith, the law was to be obeyed by faith, the prophets were to be listened to in faith, and now that Christ has come we have this decission: will we respond through trust and submission to the powerful authority of Christ, or will we continue in our sinful nature to disbelieve?

Last week we saw Jesus’ compassion demonstrated to the hungry and eager crowds. Today, we will focus on that same compassion, which both comforts and challenges, shown to the disciples.

The Setting

“made the disciples get into the boat”. The word is strong and can be translated “compelled” or even “forced”. This is for two reasons: first, Jesus must be alone to pray, and second, Jesus is sending his disciples into a test to see if they learned the lesson he wanted to teach them with the feeding of the 5000.

Jesus dismisses the crowds, and in John 6:15 we are told that part of the reason of this quick dismissal is because the crowds were going to make Jesus King. Jesus was not trying to establish a human kingship in rebellion to the current human authorities, but rather establish the Kingdom of God in the hearts of believers. This is why there is such strong language of Jesus immediately forcing his disciples to leave, lest they get caught up in this attempt to make him a worldly king.

After this, the disciples have left on a boat and Jesus goes alone on a mountain to pray for several hours. Mountains were seen by the ancients as the places closest to heaven and the gods, and throughout the OT this theme is used where God shows himself on mountains.

Psalm 121:1–2 ESV

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The point is not that God hears our prayers better on mountains, but rather that Christ seeks a place of prayer where he can be close to and commune with the Father, a communion he opens to us in himself. This makes prayer for the Christian a great privilege of communing with the Father through Christ. We remember Jesus’ command to let our personal prayers be private so that we do not fall into the temptation of showing off our wonderful prayers to others. Prayer is for God alone, and Christ in his humanity gives us the example of the necessity to commune with God alone, who is our true rest.

The Storm and Jesus’ Coming

But while this is going on, the disciples are met with a storm that has a strong headwind. So after hours of rowing, they are about 2/3 of the way across the lake. They are a long way from land and beaten by the waves.

Remember that the ancient people in this area, aside from the Philistines, hated the sea. To them, the sea represented chaos and the demonic powers of death. It was a place of terror, sea monsters, and unpredictable forces.

In the forth watch of the night, which would be between 3-6 AM, Jesus comes walking on the waters. This is not a random supernatural sign, but rather one that solidifies who Jesus is from the text of the OT. Listen to how the following passages from different parts of the OT describe God’s relationship to the sea:

Job 9:8 (ESV)

(God) alone stretched out the heavens

and trampled the waves of the sea;

Psalm 77:19 ESV

Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.

Isaiah 43:16 ESV

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,

This symbolism also is found in the creation account in Genesis 1:2

Genesis 1:2 ESV

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Also, in the story of the exodus, God famously parted the Red Sea to make a way for the Israelites to escape the Egyptians.

With all this in mind, this sign is a remarkable statement about who Jesus is. Not only he is the one who commands the seas, as we saw back in Matthew 8:23-27, but he is the one who makes paths to walk on through the sea. Jesus is showing himself to be who he truly is: God in human flesh!

If that doesn’t convince you, this is affirmed as we continue to read. The disciples see the figure of Christ and fear he is a ghost. Again, the superstitious fear of the sea among ancient people included beliefs about evil supernatural powers that called the sea their home. After fighting the storm, they now fear they have encountered a supernatural being of death rising from the chaos itself. Ironically, the sign of hope that comes to them in the form of Jesus’ walking on the water is interpreted as their doom.

How often we see the plans of God working out in our lives and fear the very thing that God has sent to be a help to us. If we believe the words of Romans 8:28, we are required by faith to interpret everything as a good thing from God, even if in the moment it does not appear as such.

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

In their fear they cry out, but look at how Jesus brings comfort to them. “Take courage; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Again, we see implied Christ’s claim to divinity. There is one person in the OT who talks like this over and over again, and it is God. Gen 15:1

Genesis 15:1 ESV

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

Isaiah 51:12 ESV

“I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,

Often in the Bible, God comforts his people simply by telling them that it is he who is with them. Beyond this, however, is the greek phrase ἐγώ εἰμι. That is, I am. This reflects the holy Name God gives himself to Moses, which is translated the same way in the ancient Greek translation of the OT. Ex 3:14

Exodus 3:14 ESV

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

Similarily, Jesus famously says in John 8:58

John 8:58 ESV

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

So much could be said about this title, but here it serves two purposes. Jesus is comforting the disciples in an immediate sense by revealing that he is no ghost, but their Lord and teacher. Beyond this however, Jesus is pointing to the fact that he is the “I AM” who spoke to Moses all those years ago. This is a name that brings comfort to God’s people, for he is the God of the Heavens and the Earth and all things in between, and he has come in peace and goodwill.

In Mark’s account of this story (Mark 6:48) we are told that Jesus was going to pass them by. This is not to abandon them, but to go before them as the one who makes a path in the sea. Like God going before Israel as a cloud and pillar of fire, he will make a path through the chaos to land them safely ashore. However, their faith is too weak for even this, and he must come and comfort them with his presence.

Christian, do not be discouraged if the presence of the Lord seems to pass you by. You know his heart towards you is love, and he would never abandon you. He goes ahead to make ready a path through the storm. He is the God who sits over the sea of glass, he has complete control of all chaotic and evil factors in life, and he will make a path that you may follow.

Peter with Little Faith

Peter’s response is precious to us, because it is a display of an eager, albeit weak, faith. The faith of Peter is small, but it is so real and he acts on it by his request: Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

1600 years ago, the great Christian preacher John Chrysostom pointed out the wording of Peter’s request. He does not say, “command me to walk on water” as if Peter’s ultimate desire was to experience a miracle himself. No, he says “command me to come to you on the water.” See how great Peter’s love for Christ is. His desire is not to walk on water, but to be with Jesus, where it is safe. Even though the boat is his only place of safety in a physical sense, his heart is drawn to true safety. He knows that to be in the water with Jesus is safer than to be in the boat without him.

Jesus commands him “come”. The call to follow Jesus is simple, and yet requires such a sacrifice of faith. Jesus would not hinder anyone from coming to him, and he will make a way for it to happen. However, the test of that faith is right before you. He says “Come”, he always says “come”, but will you go? Do you believe that to be with Jesus is safer than the worldly comforts and securities that surround you? This is the decision Peter has to make, and he does. He steps out of the boat and in faith walk to Jesus on the water.

Although Peter’s faith is very real, it is also very weak. Eventually, Peter’s focus wanders from Christ, his safety, to the waves around him. Although he is now with Christ, fear overcomes faith and he begins to sink. John Chrysostom says:

“So (there is absolutely no benefit) to (simply) be near Christ, (if you are not) near Him by faith.” -

Faith is to believe that in Christ we are secure and safe from all evils, that our lives are in his hands and thus faith becomes the antidote to all fear. However, we are weak and strong faith takes time walking with Christ to become realized. Weak faith gives into doubt, and yet it is not God. For in his sinking, Peter cries out “Lord, save me!” Although doubt has created fear in Peter’s heart so that he no longer finds comfort in the presence of Christ, the faith still exists enough to know that Christ is a powerful and faithful Saviour. He will not abandon him, even in the weakness of faith.

Let me highlight the difference between unbelief and weak faith plagued by doubt. Unbelief does not follow Christ, weak faith follows with stumbling. Unbelief does not rely on Christ, weak faith relies on Christ though that reliance is often dulled by fear. Unbelief rejects Christ’s heal and insists on its own way, weak faith calls to Christ from a place of doubt and fear with humility and knowledge of its own weakness. In a word, unbelief stays in the boat, weak faith gets out though it sinks.

This difference is so crucial, for there are many who think they have faith and yet do not step out in that faith at all. They have no evidence that such faith exists. They stay where it is safe, relying on hypothetical knowledge of God’s Word but never taking a risk by obeying it. They praise the Lord on Sunday, but the rest of their life is full of reliance on the world and their own strength. These claim to know Christ, but they never get out of the boat. They never step out believing that the Lord will catch them. They never taste and see that they Lord is good. They are quite comfortable living a double life of claiming to follow Christ while never risking their worldly means of comfort and security to walk out to him in faith.

There are also many who fear they may have no faith at all, but they do in fact have real faith, though it is weak. They step out towards Christ, although they soon sink. In their sinking, the devil plants the lie in their mind, “your faith was never real. Look at your failure, you really think that God is pleased with such pitiful and compromising faith?” And yet, they in their despair call out to Christ, even if they swim in doubt that he hears them. Their only hope for comfort and rest is in Jesus, and in the midst of their failures they desperately cling to Jesus. They are in great distress, but they humbly turn to him who they know is the only one who can save them. Such faith is weak, and Jesus does chastise Peter for his weakness. But remember this, Jesus does not let Peter drown. He responds to Peter’s desperate call and lifts him up from his own failure.

So we see these key differences: the unbeliever is proud, the weak believer is humble. The unbeliever speaks but does not act, the weak believer acts and yet fails. The unbeliever never experiences what its like to be saved by Christ, and so has no experience on which to build true faith. The weak believer learns from his failures and is picked up by the Lord and disciplined so that he might try again. Search yourself to see which of these you are. If there is unbelief in you, repent and turn your heart desparate to the Lord in faith. If your faith is weak, take comfort that you do, indeed, belong to Christ. Repent of your weakness and failure and try again. Jesus has much patience and will endure from you a thousand failures if necessary, always picking you up until you are strong in faith enough to stand in the storm with confidence by faith in He who is your true safety and comfort.

Think of those at the end of our text who simply touch Jesus’ clothing and are made well. Such minimal contact with Christ, and yet their faith is proven by their healing. Christ rejects no one’s faith as long as it is true faith. You may be weak in faith, you may be drowning is doubt and your own failures, but if you are calling upon Christ, if you are stepping out in faith, if you are pushing forward, you are his. He doesn’t want your faith to remain weak, and if it does your road to glory will be far more difficult and far less rewarding. And yet, you are his. Reach out to him and know that you belong to Christ.

This story concludes with the worship of the other disciples on the boat. This is remarkably different from their reaction in Matt 8 where they simply wondered, “who is this man, that even the winds and the seas obey him?” Here, they know the answer. They declare “truly you are the Son of God.” So we see a development in the faith of the disciples. As they walked with him, though the way was not easy, their faith is growing and they are coming to realize who Jesus is: God come in human flesh to save them and lead them to himself by faith.

Conclusion: Faith in a Compassionate Christ

Jesus compassion to us is meant to be met with a response of faith. This story of Jesus walking on water provides us with a taste of the love for which Christ has for those weak in faith. He is there to help and to push us on to greater faith. In other words, Jesus is kind and faithful to those with little faith, but he will not have them content with small faith. Rather, he would have us strive for greater faith in which we may walk blessed in this world and enjoy eternal rewards hereafter.

here is an application here for three kinds of people:

For those weak in faith: be comforted at the compassion of Christ for you and strive on with effort and endurance to greater faith.

There are Christians who are struggling with doubt, shame, and sin. They feel trapped because, although they desire to draw near to Christ, their faith is weak. They have true faith, but that faith is not enough to keep them from falling for the traps and lies of the devil or their own flesh. They try over and over again, using different tactics to try to come closer to Christ, but all the while they keep sinking.

The problem here is that, although they have a genuine faith, they do not rest in that faith and nurture it. Instead, they believe that they will never

(?) Grant Osborne:

Matthew 3. Victory through Depending Totally on Christ

victory over sin and temptation is completely related to the degree to which we are centered wholly on Christ.

For those strong in faith: show the compassion of Christ towards the weak and stumbling, seeing how you can gently build them up to be strong.

For those still in unbelief: will you not finally trust in Christ?