Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!" Matthew 14:29-35

29 Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Peter acts in faith by getting out of the boat and is rewarded with the remarkable experience of walking on water.  Though we normally are hard on Peter, it is hard to overstate his trust in Jesus in this scene  I am sure he remembered it forever. 

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to do something supernatural.  When he kept his eyes on Jesus, he had no fear of drowning.  When he kept his eyes on Jesus, he had no fear of the storm.  When he took his eyes off of Jesus, his peace was replaced by fear. When he took his eyes off of Jesus his supernatural power was replaced by human inadequacy.  When he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink.  

As he saw what dire straits he was in, he turned again to Jesus this time fervently calling on Jesus to save him. 

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

I love Jesus' response.  Matthew says, "Immediately!"  Jesus could have let him sink, but he immediately saved Peter.  Some might read "You of little faith", as a stern rebuke.  I see it more of a desire for Peter to learn a lesson.  Peter had faith to walk on the water, but his faith weakened and ultimately failed when he took his eyes off of Jesus.  

After Jesus had enabled him to walk on water, he wondered why Peter so quickly moved his focus back to the circumstances around him.  

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 

The story ends with another miracle by Christ.  When he climbs into the boat with Peter and the other disciples and the wind dies down immediately.  In John's version, they were immediately back on land concurrent with this happening.  

Though Peter was in the forefront of this teachable moment, it was not lost on the other disciples.  After all, Peter was the only one to get out of the boat and go to Jesus and they all knew it. 

33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

The scene with Peter enabled the other disciples to conclude that Jesus was truly God.  

"This is the first time we meet with so plain and open an acknowledgement of his being the Son of God.” (Poole)

34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 

Again John's version tells us that they had immediately crossed over and landed at Gennesaret, which was,  "A large tract of ground on the western shore of the lake, in a part of which Capernaum appears from hence to have been situated. " Benson

35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Jesus had spent the night in prayer, taught the disciples a powerful lesson on faith, and now he is back in the public's eye again.  Jesus was apparently easily recognizable and the word got out to the people in the surrounding area.  People knew of Jesus' miraculous power to heal and in faith brought people they knew who were sick.  

In fact, they had so much faith in him, they begged that their loved ones only needed to touch the hem of Jesus' garment and this would be sufficient for Christ to heal them.  Jesus' power was so potent, that this act of faith was sufficient to heal all of them.  

Later. in Acts 5. we will see that Peter's shadow healed people.  In Acts 19, when people touched Saul's hankerchief they were healed.  The point is that it is contact with Jesus that brings healing but that can happen in many ways.  As we often say, "We are Jesus' hands and feet".   We have healing hands and feet that can run to the lost and tell them of Christ's great love for them.  

They key thing in this whole chapter was the all sufficiency of Christ.  

1. He fed the 5,000 and their were even leftovers. 

2. He empowered Peter to walk on water, when Peter's eyes were on him. 

3. When he sat in the boat the storm ceased.  

4. When people touched HIM, they were healed. 

How have you experienced Jesus' miraculous power?  If Peter and Paul were given such power, do you think we have the ability to access Jesus' great power?  Where in your life do you need to keep your eyes on Jesus?  When people come in contact with you, do they connect with Jesus' loving and healing presence?