The Lord Walks Side by Side with us - I

By Otoniel de Lima Ferreira

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water” (Matt 14:28).

This story starts after they had a meeting with glorious results of preaching, teaching, healing and feeding. The disciples wanted to stay around and dismiss the multitude but the Lord instead ordered them to go the boat (Matt 14:22).  Why did Jesus send them to the boat? The Bible does not say why but says that while they was in the boat Jesus was up on the mountain praying. Prayer after a busy day as they have had is not usually, it must have had an important reason for Jesus to act like that. Probably the reason the Lord commanded them to go to the boat, dismissed the crowd alone and after went to pray is because neither the disciples nor the multitude had understood the precious mission of Jesus. There are evidences for that; first, the disciples were expecting Jesus to assume an earthly kingdom and His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Second, The disciple were still concurring and discussing who would be the greatest in his kingdom (Matt 18:1). Third, “the mother of James and John asks Jesus to put her sons one on each side of Him in His kingdom” (Matt 20:20-28). Judas betrayed Him almost in the end of His mission (Matt 26:47-5). Peter who told he was ready even to die with Jesus, denied Him three times (Matt 26:73-75). These evidences show us that Jesus on that day told the disciples to get into the boat and went to pray, because He needed strength from heaven in order to go on in His Mission, even though multitude and His own disciples had not yet understood the reason of His ministry. While the disciples were trying to cross the lake, Jesus was up on mountainside praying for them (Matt 14:24-25). From the mountain, I believe Jesus could see their struggles and was expecting them to ask for help. Jesus is always praying, ready waiting for our request of help ready to protect or to rescue his disciples when needed.  Mathew states that this situation prolonged on until the “forth watch of the night” after a long time Jesus praying and a long time the disciple struggling on the storm, Jesus appeared to help, walking on the water (Matt 14:25).

      Ellen G. White states, “until the fourth watch of the night they toiled at the oars. Then the weary men gave themselves up for lost. In storm and darkness, the sea had taught them their own helplessness, and they longed for the presence of their Master” (Ellen G. White, 1898, p. 380). She also mentions “Jesus had not forgotten them. The Watcher on the shore saw those fear-stricken men battling with the tempest. Not for a moment did He lose sight of His disciples.” And “With deepest solicitude His eyes followed the storm-tossed boat with its precious burden; for these men were to be the light of the world.”  Lovely she concluded saying that “as a mother in tender love watches her child, so the compassionate Master watched His disciples. When their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and in humility they prayed for help, it was given them” (pp. 380, 381). Today our prayer for help can be heard as well, so let’s pray with our partners.

Otoniel de Lima Ferreira