Matthew 14:31, commentary and pictures

As Peter began to sink beneath the waves he cried out for help, and at once Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him while gently asking why one of little faith doubted. While Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus he walked safely on the water, but when he turned them to the wind and high waves fear took hold and his faith gave way so that he began to sink. The rescue shows Christ as the all-powerful, compassionate helper who watches His people in peril, does not leave a sinking doubting soul to perish, and answers even weak and feeble faith at once. His question rebukes short-sighted unbelief that dishonors God by fixing the eyes on self, danger and appearances after He has already proved Himself an ever-present Saviour. Safety is found only by looking continually and confidingly to Jesus rather than trusting self, refusing to indulge doubt and fear, and placing the hand in His hand in loving trust.

Setting on Stormy Sea

The night crossing belongs after the feeding of the multitude seated on the grassy plain in the twilight of a spring evening, when the people ate the food Christ provided and said He is the prophet that should come into the world. That crowning miracle strengthened conviction that Jesus is the long-looked-for Deliverer. It raised hope that He would make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey and satisfying every desire, by breaking the power of Rome, delivering Judah and Jerusalem, healing soldiers wounded in battle, supplying whole armies with food, conquering the nations, and giving Israel long-sought dominion.

In obedience to His command the disciples crossed the sea through a long tedious night of rowing against contrary winds and a furious tempest. Their vessels became unmanageable, their strength was exhausted, and they laid down their oars in despair expecting to perish. The storm, the disciples' fear, and Jesus' reassuring words belong together with Peter's attempt to walk on the water ending in danger and Jesus rescuing him. On that stormy night Jesus came to the small pitching boat walking calmly upon the white-capped, boisterous waves in the fourth watch. The terrified disciples huddled in astonishment with all eyes riveted on Him, mistaking Him for a sure precursor of death.

Instead of heralding death He came as the messenger of life. His voice was heard above the roar of the elements reassuring the frightened men not to be afraid. His presence and outstretched hand turned terror and despair into faith, hope, and joy, so they no longer feared because He was with them. The verse shows Jesus responding to a disciple's fear with help and a gentle rebuke for doubting.

The episode shows Jesus seeing their danger, watching over them with compassionate care when human effort proved useless, exercising power over the elements and the waters, and giving help when their hearts were humbled and they prayed for it. He reassured the disciples, suddenly stilled the tempest, and landed the boat. The disciples afterward faithfully recounted all of this, including Peter's adventure and its outcome, to the wondering crowd gathered in the synagogue where Jesus was teaching.

Why Peter Began Sinking

So long as Peter kept looking to Christ he walked safely on the waves, but when he turned his eyes from Jesus to the angry waters, the boisterous wind, and the high waves coming between him and the Master, fear followed and he began to sink. The waves and Jesus had not changed; his faith had given way. His doubt followed when he looked away from the Saviour to the threatening billows, and his wavering trust gave way to fear while rescue was near at hand.

Doubt comes when the eyes are withdrawn from Jesus and fixed on self and on danger like troubled, tumultuous waves. Fixing attention on appearances, on turmoil and confusion and perplexity, and on unworthiness brings despondency and weakness and causes sinking. Letting appearances weaken trust threatens moral corruption and shipwreck of faith, just as Peter's faith failed when he looked at the troubled waves instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus.

His sinking also involved self-trust, self-satisfaction, and pride. He trusted his own human efforts and looked no higher than his own strength, and in self-exaltation he looked back at his companions in concern for their admiration. In that moment he lost sight of Christ and lost his footing, and his unbelief and self-exaltation very nearly cost him his life.

The experience revealed his weakness and taught that safety depends on continual reliance on divine power. He was weakest where he thought himself strong, self-trust leads to defeat and brings close to ruin, and recognizing his need of Christ would have prepared him to endure a later great test. He could walk on the water only while keeping his eyes fixed steadily on Jesus, which illustrates that faith in Christ rather than reliance on human help is essential. So the sinner can no more be saved without making it his life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and by faith accept the merits it is his privilege to claim.

Immediate Rescue by Christ

As soon as Peter began to sink beneath the white-capped waters and recognized his danger, he lifted his hand and cried in terror, Lord save me, and Jesus was there to support him. When he looked away to the waves instead of Christ he sank into peril, but that lifting of his hand to Christ in appeal brought immediate rescue. He could have sought Christ's help in the same way when warned that he would deny Him, even when he could not see or understand his own danger, and Christ would have helped him overcome his own weakness and remain faithful.

Jesus immediately stretched forth His hand and caught him, grasped his outstretched hands and lifted him from the waves. He does not leave a sinking doubting person to perish but saves fully when appealed to with the prayer, save, Lord, or I perish. Peter began to sink when he looked at the waves after turning his eyes from Christ, but when he cried to Jesus for help Christ immediately reached out and saved him as the one who rescues the helpless and helps in every time of need. His cry was answered by an ever-ready hand, and a person sinking in danger should keep hold of faith in Christ and call on Him for deliverance, walking with humble steps and eyes fixed on Jesus while Christ strengthens the believer to walk beside Him.

Jesus then held Peter's hand and they walked side by side into the boat together, leaving Peter subdued and silent with no reason to boast over others. That rescue is never in vain, for Jesus responds at once to faith even when weak and doubting and feeble. Even when faith feels feeble and the hold on Him feels weak, He has a firm hold of the soul He died to save and keeps it by divine power, supplying by mercy and merits what repentant, humble, feeble ones lack and never leaving nor forsaking one penitent soul that looks to Him. Placing the hand in the hand of Christ and confiding all to Him gives refuge while the tempest rolls, pardon through His blood, and help for the helpless.

That same outstretched arm is still stretched out to hold up all who are depressed and sinking and is laid hold of by prayer in loving trust toward Jesus. Taking hold of that arm in weakness gives courage, vital energy, and pure wisdom, because strength comes from God and not from human supports. Those who lay hold of infinite strength stand on the solid rock of God's promises, become strong in Jesus, and are able to take responsibilities and give others courage instead of hesitance and weakness. The sinking disciple on the stormy sea reaching up his hand to grasp the hand of Christ pictures refusing to cherish doubts and fears, which grow by looking upon them and talking them, and instead reaching to Christ for safety.

Rebuke of Little Faith

Jesus met sinking Peter with rescue and reproof together, stretching out His arm to save him while gently and mildly asking why one of little faith had doubted, correcting wavering trust weakened by fear. The hand was ready to save the moment Peter turned his eyes back from the angry waters to Jesus and cried for help, grasping his outstretched hands and lifting him from the white-capped waves. Peter had trusted enough to step onto the water, but his faith was mixed with unbelief, for when he looked away from the Saviour toward the threatening wind, high waves, and even his companions' admiration, he forgot his Lord's power, became afraid, and began to sink. Doubt comes when eyes are withdrawn from Jesus and fixed on self and on danger like troubled tumultuous waves, and faith grows strong only by being exercised in conflict with doubt in seasons of discouragement and distress instead of letting hands slip off God's promises, settling under the cloud, and talking failure and discouragement which strengthens unbelief every moment.

The question exposes short-sighted, faithless unbelief that dishonors God, lets difficulties foster distrust, and breaks into murmuring and complaining in strait circumstances after Christ has already proved Himself an ever-present Saviour who knows all about trials. Trials expose inherited and cultivated tendencies to wrong, and the same unbelief often seen in tempted believers must be met by standing fast and unmovable, taking eyes off self, and trusting not in self but in Christ within the veil. Instead of doubt, those rebuked are to pray in the hour of need for the Holy Spirit to bring to mind His many past manifestations of power, to believe He is as willing to help now as on former occasions, and to let remembrance of His past dealings strengthen and uphold trusting faith. When He leads into hard places as at Rephidim it is for good and for His name's glory, and looked to in trusting faith He will in His own time turn the bitterness of Marah into sweetness and open the flinty rock to bring forth cooling streams, so His people should praise Him for past mercies and go forward with full assurance that He will be with them always even to the end of the world. No tribulation can separate from Christ, and the mightiest power is given to enable believers to stand, so that looking unto Jesus as Author and Finisher of faith and anchored in Christ amid raging temptation they are like a tempest-tossed yet immovable ship, not driven upon rocks or drawn into the whirlpool, with life bound up with the life of Christ.

The rebuke also laid bare unbelief and self-exaltation that very nearly cost Peter his life when in self-satisfaction he lost sight of Christ, lost his footing, and had no reason left to boast over others as Jesus held his hand and they walked side by side into the boat together, leaving him subdued and silent. The experience revealed his weakness and taught that safety depends on continual reliance on divine power by distrusting his own strength and relying on Christ, for he was weakest where he thought himself strong and recognizing that need would have prepared him to endure a later great test. Hearing Christ's words without trusting them leaves a person vulnerable to doubt, so believers must believe the Scriptures for themselves, heed the Word, and rely on the Holy Spirit in order to guide others. The same words about little faith apply to particular failures: to a wife who feared the consequences of her husband losing his job for keeping the Sabbath until the Lord opened a better way and she recognized her fear had shown too little trust, and to brethren who lost time by failing to move forward with sanitarium work, marking their delay as failure of faith. The rebuke therefore calls doubters to trust Him rather than doubt, to come to the Lord just as they are without delay believing He wants to work for them, with the Holy Spirit working in their hearts.

What Rescue Reveals About Christ

Christ in this verse is an all-powerful helper who knows the trials of His people and is willing to help them in their hour of need, confronting doubt with both help and correction and rebuking the short-sighted unbelief that lets difficulties foster distrust. He does not leave a sinking, doubting person to perish, but immediately stretches out His hand and saves fully when appealed to with the prayer for rescue from perishing, responding at once even to weak, doubting and feeble faith. He is willing to save to the uttermost the poor, trembling, imperiled soul whose cry of distress reaches Him in His infinite compassion, and He will save all who ask Him in faith, supplying by mercy and merits what repentant, humble, feeble ones lack and never leaving nor forsaking one penitent soul that looks to Him. His past help gives reason to trust Him through present difficulties, which cannot separate believers from Him, and remembrance of His past acts of power with prayer for the Holy Spirit to bring them to mind strengthens faith and keeps doubt from prevailing.

He watches over His people in danger and gives help when they humbly seek it in prayer, seeing their danger when their hearts are humbled. His watchful eye of tender sympathy and pitying love rests upon them all through the fearful storm with compassion as tender as a mother watching a suffering child, and that love is infinite. In the greatest peril and need He is close by and has not forgotten them, present to strengthen and support by His all-powerful arm, touched with the feeling of infirmities and loving and pitying beyond human pity. He still saves His laboring servant who has spent strength for His cause, bringing out from affliction to health and triumph and turning sorrow into joy, so the sufferer should be of good courage, wait patiently in firm faith without doubting, and expect to see all come out right in happy rejoicing in God the Deliverer.

He holds the winds in His hands and controls the waters, walking upon the waves and stilling the angry waters, which proves His power over the elements amid the disciples' peril in the storm-tossed boat. He is thereby shown to be a powerful, gracious, compassionate Redeemer able to calm all tempests and revive all hearts, who can be trusted in the storm as well as the sunshine. He will not tear Himself away from one who grasps His promises by living faith, but will hold and protect and keep from falling everyone who takes Him at His word and believes He will do exactly as promised. Faith itself cannot be originated by man, for it is the gift of God, the living fire of His own kindling, and He responds to every soul that has true faith to use in prayer.

His rescue, together with healing the sick, feeding thousands, and walking the stormy sea to reach the disciples, and with all events from the manger to the cross, forces the conviction that Jesus in human flesh is the only-begotten Son of the Father, the same rock smitten in the desert that gave forth pure water. That same reaching out to save Peter when the waves threatened to overwhelm him also pictures His love reaching him when sin and its consequences and trial threatened to overwhelm his soul, for self-trust brought him close to ruin but Christ did not abandon him. Yet He cannot prevent the consequences of evil that a person has not forsaken, and Peter's experience teaches that self-trust leads to defeat. When He leads into hard places as at Rephidim it is for good and for His name's glory, and looked to in trusting faith He will in His own time turn the bitterness of Marah into sweetness and open the flinty rock to bring forth cooling streams. Therefore remembrance of His many past manifestations of power should strengthen and uphold trusting faith that He is as willing to help now as on former occasions, an ever-present Saviour and ever-present help in trouble who knows all about trials, so that no tribulation can separate from Him and His people should praise Him for past mercies, pray for the Holy Spirit to recall His dealings, go forward with full assurance, and be with them always even to the end of the world.

When human effort proves useless, His followers can cease relying on their own strength and trust Him to do what they cannot, for He compassionately helps those who turn to Him in faith. In trouble they must keep their eyes on Him and rely on His power rather than their own, for He does not call them to follow Him only to forsake them.

Living by Faith Not Doubt

Looking to Jesus in confiding trust keeps a person as safe walking on the waves as on solid land, for anchored in Christ amid raging temptation the soul is like a tempest-tossed yet immovable ship that is not driven upon the rocks or drawn into the whirlpool, with life bound up with the life of Christ so as not to be moved. Faith grows strong only by being exercised in conflict with doubt in seasons of discouragement and distress, rather than letting the hands slip off God's promises, settling down under the cloud, and talking failure and discouragement, which strengthens unbelief every moment. Doubts and fears grow when they are indulged by looking upon them and talking them, so the tempted soul is to stand fast and unmovable, take the eyes off self, trust not in self but in Christ within the veil, and refuse doubt while encouraging hope and confidence in Christ who is the Author and Finisher of faith.

Keeping the eye of faith fixed steadily on Jesus gives strength and hope and keeps from sinking, by meditating on His mercy, goodness, and excellency of character as Surety and Substitute and spotless Lamb of God, hanging the helpless care-troubled soul upon Him as the helpful Burden-bearer, crying to Him for help and trusting in Him fully and entirely. Faith cannot be originated by man, for faith is the gift of God, the living fire of God's own kindling, and the Lord responds to every soul that has true faith to use in prayer and that takes Him at His word believing He will do exactly as promised. The sinner can no more be saved without making it his life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and by faith accept the merits it is his privilege to claim, for Peter could walk upon the water only while he kept his eyes fixed steadily upon Jesus.

Placing the hand in Christ's hand and confiding all to Him gives refuge while the tempest rolls, pardon through His blood, and help for the helpless, for even when faith feels feeble and the hold feels weak He keeps by divine power the soul He died to save. Those who thus lay hold of infinite strength by prayer in loving trust stand on the solid rock of God's promises, receive courage, vital energy, and pure wisdom, become strong in Jesus, and give others courage in the Lord instead of hesitance and weakness. One sinking in danger should keep hold of faith, call on Him for deliverance, and with humble steps and eyes fixed on Jesus walk beside Him, looking to Jesus rather than fixing attention on life's tumultuous troubles and trusting that God loves and sustains.

As He still saves His laboring, afflicted servant by His all-powerful arm, with compassionate eye, strengthening presence, and sympathy touched with the feeling of infirmities, the sufferer should be of good courage, wait patiently a little longer in firm faith without doubting, call to mind God's lovingkindness, and believe He will reach down His strong arm to lift the head above the cloud, bring out to health, and make all come out right in happy rejoicing in God the Deliverer. Peter could have sought Christ's help in the same way when warned that he would deny Him, even when he could not see or understand his own danger, and Christ would have helped him overcome his own weakness and remain faithful.

Pattern for Helping Others

Jesus as Elder Brother holding out His helping hand to sinking Peter when he had to swim against the stream with all the force of the current and the weight of waves driving him back is the pattern for helping tempted ones who must swim against the current, hedged up by Satan and the world. Those who err and feel their shame and folly and look upon their mistakes until they are driven almost to desperation are not to be neglected, and those struggling against mistakes and shame or nearly overwhelmed by them are not to be left to perish. Such a person needs a helping hand held out in the same way and hopeful words spoken that establish confidence, restore confidence, and awaken love. His hand represents saving help and tender care, with a hand ready to hold up the weak and a heart responding with pity, as a model of compassionate, personal help that lifts and saves rather than weakens or destroys.

Believers are to hold out a hand to them in the same way, give hopeful advice that establishes confidence and awakens love, and give no occasion for discouragement to one supposed to have moved wrongly. They are to let him feel the strong clasp of a sympathizing hand and pray with him, calling to pray together, offering support that understands weakness rather than mere belief in law or force. Such prayer unites hearts with one another and with God and brings Jesus to the side. Such help keeps the discouraged from sinking and from becoming discouraged, and gives new strength and fresh grace to the fainting, perplexed soul to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil and to turn aside the attacks of Satan. The Holy Spirit gives a rich experience to both helper and helped, and such helping work is registered in the heavenly books.