"THE sea is His, and He made it." By ages and earthquakes He scooped out its deep canyons and soundless valleys, within which its green waters rest and the sea monsters disport themselves. By heat and gravity He set in action its mighty currents—rivers in the ocean. By wind and sun and moon its mighty wave and resistless, everchanging, constant rolling swells pulse on forever. Yet it is His, and all is within His control. He measureth its waters in the hollow of His hands, and taketh up its continent isles as a very little thing. Mighty as are its proud, swelling billows, He has set the shifting sands as a decree that the mighty surges may not pass.
SUCH is our God; and God was in Christ. Therefore in the miracles wrought by Christ we shall find those which manifest the various attributes of God's wisdom, power, and love. After the feeding of the five thousand, the people were determined to make Christ a temporal king. Surely one who could provide bread by a word could make the Jewish commonwealth all that the Jew's highest ambition could ask. Jesus saw their purpose and perceived their blind misconception. He therefore sent away His disciples to the other side of the sea, and He sent the multitude—sadly disappointed were many—away. Then for the poor, ignorant people, for His dull disciples, He went up into the mountain to meet and plead with God alone. (Read Matt. 14: 21-33, and parallel accounts in Mark and John.)
IN the meantime the disciples had started to cross blue Galilee. But they found a contrary wind. The "prince of the power of the air" was determined to thwart their going. A great tempest swept down upon the lake, and the boat was "distressed by the waves." Darkness settled upon them, and the angry sea and rising tempest increased their peril.
O, thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
THE fourth watch of the night came, that which precedes day dawn. All night they had been rowing, and were but half-way across, only about three or four miles. Row as they would, they seemed to make no progress. Their minds were filled with anxious forebodings. Why did Jesus turn them away? Why would He not reign as king? Why did He insist on their leaving Him at such a time? Was He now with the multitude? Many such questions must have forced themselves upon their minds. As the night wore on, old superstitions and fears arose. The fabled storm wraiths were real. The spirits of the sea had decreed their doom.
BUT the Master had not forgotten them. Alone with God His heart was upon His chosen ones. Through the night's storm and darkness He saw them far off upon the sea, laboring in vain to reach the land. Refreshed in His communion with the Father, He goes to their relief. There is no boat, but Infinite Power needs none of man's devices, tho they are sometimes used. He uses the soft rolling waters as a highway, and walks King on the surface of the sea. He reaches the troubled disciples, and acts as tho He would go farther. They see Him and cry out for fear. They declare, "It is an apparition." They are "greatly troubled," and like many others by the very One who comes to save them.
BUT the Master does not leave them to their fears. Straightway He speaks: "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."
THEN Peter, the Impulsive, answers: "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee upon the waters." And Jesus responds, "Come."
Then Peter went down from the boat, "and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus." As long as his eyes were upon the Master there was no trouble. Firm beneath his feet as the eternal rock, the waves bore him up. But he looked away, saw the waves and wind, the turmoil and tempest; and Jesus was forgotten. The footpath was rock no longer, but water. "And beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O, thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" The word was as sufficient as was the hand; but faith must use it.
JESUS and Peter enter the boat. The wind ceases. The storm demon is defeated. The Master of the sea is Conqueror. Then they that were in the boat worshiped Him and de4clared, "Of a truth Thou art the Son of God." Yet as great evidence had been given them the day before in the feeding of the five thousand. The Creator of the bread was the Master of the sea. It is only the "hardened," the blinded, hearts which can not see it. Jesus is the same to-day. Let the sinking, struggling soul on the great sea of life cry out in faith, "Lord, save me," and the infinite arm of strength will be extended to save. Then let us walk by faith.
