“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid’ ” (Matthew 14:25-27).
The disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat and Jesus wasn’t with them. He was off to Himself praying. A storm was threatening them and they were facing its fury—strong winds and high waves.
Maybe we’ve faced the same circumstances—out of control winds and waves that keep us from making progress. Those conditions can be a life-threatening situation when you’re in the middle of a lake in a small boat. To their surprise Jesus came to them, walking on the water. They didn’t recognize Him and were frightened. Who wouldn’t be if we saw someone walking on the water in the midst of a violent storm? His words were reassuring. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
I can’t read this account without personalizing it. I’ve been in the middle of a storm too overwhelming for me to handle it. You have, too. It’s hard to be spiritual when you’re fighting for your life and doing everything you can to keep from drowning. When our world is our boat and our focus is on the storm we tend to concentrate on the crisis. Our world then is about the size of our small boat.
This story is in the Gospels to remind us that Jesus will find us in our most desperate moments. Nothing can keep Him from us when we face insurmountable problems. High waves and strong winds are not enough to prevent Jesus from coming to us. Even if we’re surprised because we don’t expect to see Him His words are the same, “Take courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid.” May each of us hear these words in those times when we are overwhelmed. Even in the midst of a storm Jesus will find us and He is the Master of every situation we may face.
