Take Courage
(NIV) Matt 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Take courage: whenever we are told to “take” anything, it means we do not already have that thing in our possession, so we must grab hold of it, gain control of it.
Jesus follows up with “It is I, don’t be afraid.” Have you ever heard such words of comfort?
I heard an old evangelist say, “what was Jesus supposed to say when asked if it was Him? Of course it was Him, so He had to answer, come.”
So Peter, rash, impetuous Peter, jumped right out of the boat and walked…on…WATER!
But then it happened—Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. He felt the water lapping at his feet, then his ankles, and then he was sinking. But Jesus reached out immediately and caught him. Just like He told Peter to grab hold of courage, He grabbed hold of Peter.
May each of us turn our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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