On Removing Ships

The Lord Jesus challenges his disciples twice in Matthew 14. First, when the disciples advise Him that the hour is late and He must send the people away in order that they may go into the surrounding towns and get food, the Lord Jesus says, "You feed them." Later, He sends them on ahead in a ship to cross the lake while He goes up into the mountain to pray, knowing that they would be caught in a storm.

In the first instance, they look only to themselves to meet the need. "We have here but five loaves and two fishes." What does Jesus say to do? "Bring them hither to Me." They should have confidently brought the need to Him to meet.

While they are tossed about on the ship, Jesus comes to them and says, "Be of good cheer; it is I: be not afraid." Peter, ready to trust, calls to the Lord and He bids Peter, "Come." Come to Me, Peter. I am your hope and stay in the storm. Not the ship. That ship nor all your skill on the sea will be able to save you. Learn this. Come to Me. Bring the need to me.

Peter comes, but then he doubts. The word doubt in this passage is the Greek word, distazo: dis - double; stasis - a standing. Peter was standing in two ways. What were those two ways? He could have continued toward Jesus, hoping only in Him to save him in the storm. Or he could have looked to the ship and his skill to direct it through the storm to save him. To Peter's everlasting credit, He boldly looked to the Lord Jesus and got off the ship. But then the crisis. Was I foolish to get off the ship? Was I mad? I just let go of the only tangible safety net I had. Standing in two ways, Peter sinks.

We often do this in the storm. We stand in two ways, hesitating about which one to cling to and trying to walk in both. And so we sink. It goes against every grain to trust only in Him for our day to day needs. Often we don't realize we aren't trusting Him until we are brought to a point of need so great that we are like Peter, too far from the ship for it to be any help. But that is exactly where the Lord wants us. Most of us can't even claim to be like Peter. He may have sank, yet of his own volition, Peter got off the ship. We (or maybe just me) are like the other disciples who clung to the ship, not daring to look to Jesus alone. For us, He must tear down the ship around our fearful, knocking knees, and it is a frightful, naked feeling. Nothing but Jesus to save us. Nothing to hold onto. If He doesn't save, we will sink beneath the waves.

It is precisely because Peter didn't have a ship to grasp onto that he cries, "Lord, save me." He knew in that moment that his deliverance was completely dependent on the Lord. There was no ship, no help apart from the Lord. So the Lord had to let him begin to sink so that he would know that the Lord Jesus is his only hope and stay, that He is trustworthy.

"And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him." I love that. Peter was never in any danger. Only in his own mind. The Lord was always there even if Peter lost sight of Him. It's all about learning. Whether we jump ship of our free will or whether the ship is removed, the lesson remains the same. He alone is our hope and stay.