22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,[a] for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” [Matthew 14:22-27, NRSV]
Three evangelists – Matthew, Mark, and John – narrate the episode of Jesus walking on water towards the end of his Galilean ministry. The time line situates it right before the key turning points halfway through the gospel narratives where Peter proclaimed Jesus as Christ and witnessed his mountaintop revelation in glorious Transfiguration. In all three Gospels it follows the miraculous feeding of the five thousand at a deserted place to which Jesus, needing a quiet place to pray and commune with Abba Father after hearing of the death of John the Baptist, had withdrawn by boat. The crowds, however, desperate for redress in their needs and aspirations, had grown to pin their hopes in Jesus. So they travelled on foot around the edges of the Sea of Galilee to the other side to await Jesus’ arrival. Seeing their desperation and lack of spiritual leadership, Jesus was filled with esplagchnisthe (gut-wrenching compassion) and began to heal their sick and fed them by miraculous multiplication of fish and loaves.
At night, the disciples again got into a boat to return to Capernaum (John 6:17) on the other side of the sea, while Jesus went up the mountain to pray alone. Three or four miles out, the sea turned rough as a strong wind was blowing. They were “terrified” to see Jesus walking on water towards them, but his words calmed all fears: “Take heart, it is I; have no fear” (Matt 14:27; Mk 6:50; Jn 6:20). These words from the Lord are divine medicine that heals all troubled souls who open their hearts to receive words of assurance from the Lord. All who struggle spiritually and yearn for the Lord’s presence, his support and encouragement, know the power and grace in these words. At once their hopes are renewed and their spirit strengthened.
“Be not afraid; it is I” speaks to us about the tension between faith and fear.
- Persecution was hard on the early Christian community living in hostile surroundings. The boat represented a storm-tossed Church. Matthew wanted to strengthen the faith of the disciples who were caught in the constant struggle between faith and fear, because he knew that fear was the true enemy of faith.
- Fear narrows our vision. It limits our ability to hope and plan for tomorrow. It sends us hiding from the truth and keeps us back from positive actions. Fear, above all, causes us to doubt what is true about God and what is good in others and even in ourselves. We become uncertain and our search for security easily leads us to the idols of this world – material things, pleasure, ideology, power – the world of “Caesar”. We need to move from fear to faith.
- In Mark, the disciples were obtuse – having “no” faith. In Matthew, they were people of “little” faith, and needed to grow in faith. Even in the last chapter, when they met the Risen Lord up on the mountain in Galilee to which Jesus had directed them, “some doubted” (Matt 28:16). Matthew sends a clear warning to us all: There will always be doubt and faith in the Church and in the individuals. But Matthew also reminds all believers that faith is more powerful than fear because Jesus has such powers (miraculous healing, miraculous loaves-multiplication, and miraculous walking on water) which are powers that come from God.
- So the central message here is “be not afraid” because Jesus is never far even when the situation is threatening. He is ever present even though he is invisible.
Abraham Hunter, the artist who painted “Never Forsaken”, has posted a touching explanation of the painting:
I went to visit my grandmother for her birthday for lunch and I wanted to give her something special from my heart. Early that morning, I took out an 18×24 canvas that I had hand stretched and just let my heart guide my hand until I finished a few hours later. It turned into a painting with a very special message.
My grandma has been through countless storms in her life. The loss of both of her parents to cancer at a young age and the loss of her brother in the Vietnam War. Not to mention the pain and hurt from often serious health problems and years of tensions in the family. She and her strength have been a great inspiration in my life. This painting was a gift from me to comfort her through long nights and lonely times that strong and caring people endure more than they’ll ever admit. She and I want to share this painting and its message with all of you.
You will notice that your point of view is that of Peter. It makes this story come to life since you are the one walking to Jesus and not a third person’s view. Jesus’ hands are outstretched, gesturing for you to come to him. You can almost hear the Prince of Peace coaching you to keep coming. There are many waves and clouds to distract and frighten you, but he is the center focus of the painting. Your eyes are always drawn to him to help sustain your faith.
This painting has touched so many people who have seen it already, that I know in my heart that it’s more than paint brushed on to a canvas. It brings several phrases to mind, “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you” ~ “I will never leave you nor forsake you” ~ “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of time.” No matter how hard life gets, no matter what storms come your way, and no matter how lonely you feel, I hope you can always look at this painting and remember that you are Never Forsaken. ~ Abraham Hunter
Copyright © Dr. Jeffrey & Angie Goh, February 2022. All rights reserved.
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