Wednesday, April 2, 2008

An Invitation into the Boat

One of the most familiar of stories of Jesus is of His walking upon the waters of the Sea of Galilee. It is recorded in Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:47-51, and John 6:16-21. The account in Matthew focuses primarily upon Peter's obedience in walking upon the water as well, then nearly drowning as he took his eyes off Jesus, focusing upon the waves.

But I want to share a truth from John's account that I had not seen before. It is found in verse 21: Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. In order to grasp the significant truth of that verse we need to be reminded of the background. After the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus had left the disciples and went upon a mountain to pray. Many mountains or high hills dotted the landscape around the Sea. When evening came, the disciples got into a boat and set off to cross the Sea. Remember that some of the disciples were experienced fishermen and knew the Sea best during the nighttime hours. The waters became rougher as the men rowed into a strong wind. Mark's account states that they strained against the oars. It was tough going. Suddenly, in the distance, there appeared a figure of a man walking upon the waters of the sea. Terror overtook them, but Jesus quieted their hearts with these words, It is I; don't be afraid.

Then appears that telling statement from John: Then they were willing to take him into the boat. When we confront Jesus there are only two courses of action we can take. Either we can invite Him into our boats or we can continue struggling against the wind and the waves and let Him pass us by. Because of their fear the disciples could have kept Jesus outside the boat. Or because they did not understand how a person could walk on water, they could have let Him walk by. So often we are paralyzed by either our fears or our lack of understanding. But, they willingly allowed Jesus to climb into their boat.

The question God was asking me as I read this passage was: Have you willingly allowed me to enter the boat of your daily experience? I know Jesus is in my life. I recall inviting Him in when I was just a young boy. But, everyday, I need to invite Jesus to enter into my daily experiences. Yes, I need to willingly invite Him into my boat. It is only then that I can reach the shore safely.

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