St Nicholas

Dear Friends,

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Greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is always there in the middle of our stormy and life-threatening experiences calming the extreme situations. 

Jesus walking on water, enabling Peter to do the same, and stilling the storm is the second of two ‘nature miracles’ recorded in Matthew 14. Combined with the prior one, feeding of the five thousand, the two serve to reveal Jesus’ true nature to his disciples.

 

They confirm messianic identity and pave the way for three declarations ‘You are the Son of God,’ at the end of this pericope; ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,’ in 16: 16, ‘this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him’ at the Transfiguration in 17: 5.

 

It is not entirely clear what prompts Peter’s desire to come to Jesus across the sea. Love, boldness, bravado? Perhaps all three - but also a measure of faith: ‘Lord, if it is you, command me… (v28). Faith enables Peter to participate in Jesus’ divine power to tread underfoot, for a few moments at least, the forces of destruction.

 

Then doubt arrives. Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and ‘sees’ instead only the force of the wind. His plea for rescue, ‘Lord save me!’ This can apply to members of our contemporary Church.

 

So friends, let us always have our focus on Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour and have faith in Christ Jesus and be attached to Jesus always.

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Shalom

 

Fr. Christo