The boat dipped and fell with each swell of the waves. Terrified, the people on the boat tried in vain to control their vessel as the heavy wind battered them mercilessly. To add to the terror of this moment, they could see a figure walking, not on the land, but the water itself.
They were convinced. This was most certainly a ghost, and to their horror, the figure was walking straight towards them. One can imagine the level of chaos on this boat as the men ran around in full blown fear.
A voice of compassion cut through the wind. “Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid!”
This was not the voice of a ghost, but their dearest Friend. Suddenly, the high waves were not so terrifying and the heavy wind was not so merciless. They could see the face of Jesus, a beacon of hope in a hopeless, helpless situation.
Peter immediately got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus. But, taking his eyes off of the Christ, and focusing on the waves that loomed above him, Peter began to sink.
One can only imagine the terror of sinking below the depths of such a place. His only hope was Christ, and as he cried out for help, that hope was made tangible as the arm of the Messiah took hold of him and pulled him from the raging waters.
This moment was not too much for His mercy; the waves were not too great for His saving arm. He pulled Peter up out of the raging waters, and placed him on the solid wood of the boat.
While this story is a narrative text, I love the picture it paints of how Christ handles our failures. On a daily basis, we fail. We become overwhelmed by the filth of our hearts, the lack of motivation to pray, and the inability to love others as we are called to love. The waves of these failures rise ever higher as we take our eyes from the face of Christ. We begin to drown under the deep waters of discouragement and failure, losing hope that we will ever reach the surface.
The mighty arm of Christ plunges through the water, holding onto us firmly as He pulls us up. Our head breaks the surface as we gasp, breathing in the fresh air of grace. Again and again, He gives us the courage, the power, and the motivation to live a holy life. Again, we slip beneath the waters and once more, His strong arm pulls us out. We are saved, to the uttermost.
But what about the times when we fail big time? What about the failures that we are even too ashamed to acknowledge in our own minds? What about the deepest, darkest depths of our souls, where the filthiest sins lie and fester? With each doubt the waves rise higher and higher. Yet, in that moment, a voice shouts back to us, “To the uttermost”.
We constantly reach the same reality. No place is too dark, no sin too deep, no moment too far from the reach of Christ’s arm. Once more, the arm of Christ saves fully. Once more, He saves to the uttermost.
We try and hide, afraid of being in His presence in light of our failures. Yet, each time, we hear the same welcoming voice. “Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.”
And in the presence of the mighty Son of God, our Saviour and our Friend, the storm stills.
To The Heart 