Life of Peter 2
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"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is better than it has any right to be. The longest-running Christmas special in TV history is built off the barest of premises: Reindeer with red nose gets mocked by fellow reindeer, but is called upon to guide Santa's sleigh one particularly foggy Christmas Eve. That's it and they stretched that into nearly an hour.
To pad the running time, the folks at Rankin-Bass had to add some story elements not found in the Johnny Marks song. Some additions were obvious choices (love interest Clarice), some less so (wannabe dentist elf Hermey), and some were downright awesome (Yukon Freakin' Cornelius).
Yet the most brilliant move on behalf of the special's creators was to build upon the idea of Rudolph being an outcast. The story is ultimately a tale about the value found in those believed to have none. That theme is demonstrated in both Rudolph's and Hermey's journey and is especially pronounced when they visit the Island of Misfit Toys.
The Island of Misfit Toys was just that: an island where unwanted toys lived out their days. All any of the toys wanted was to be loved by a child, but they were defective in one way or another. Yet in the end (spoiler alert for a 51 year old TV special), Santa and Rudolph return to the island and find the toys homes where they are loved. It turned out that the Misfit Toys were not as unwanted or defective as everyone had thought.
The Story of Peter is the misfit of the disciples. Self willed, ambitious, and sometimes ruthless Peter finds out he’s not as misfit as we originally thought.
Text: Matthew 14:28-33
Opener: Peter also is called Simon and Cephas in Scripture. When Jesus first met Peter, his name was Simon, and Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (John 1:42). “Cephas” means “Peter,” which comes from the Aramaic word for “rock,” petros (Keri Wyatt Kent, Deeper into the Word [Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2011], 173).
Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen by trade and came from Bethsaida (John 1:44). “Fishermen, then as now, formed a distinct class. The strenuousness of the work ruled out the weak and indolent. They were crude in manner, rough in speech and in their treatment of others. James and John before they became tempered by Jesus’ influence were nicknamed the ‘sons of thunder.’ The fishermen's exposure to all kinds ofweather made them hardy and fearless” (3.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, s.v. “Fisher; Fisherman,” 1915, https://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/fisher-fisherman.html).
When Peter was in the boat he was numbered among the afraid. He is in fear of his life. This is not small fear people died on this Sea every year and they were getting ready to be among that number.
Christ did not wish to leave them with out comfort.
Be of good cheer! It is I; be not afraid: Jesus didn’t come to the disciples to trouble them or make them afraid. Therefore, He immediately spoke to them these comforting words.
Don’t get the idea that Jesus is tormenting his disciples. He doesn’t do that to us. He gives us peace that passes all understanding. Notice that He was there with them and calls out to them. He does the same for us.
Just like the disciples all they had to do was look to him and they could calm down knowing that he would save them just like Peter will learn in a minute. You and I can do the same today. When life seems to be crazy all you have to do is trust the revealed word of God and place your trust in His presence and know that he is with you in your circumstances.
David Guzik points out in his commentary on this text:
There are two good reasons to put away fear. One reason may be that the problem is not nearly as bad as one had thought; perhaps you are afraid because you exaggerate the danger. The other reason is that even though the problem may be real, there is an even greater solution and help at hand.
Guzik, D. (2013). Matthew (Mt 14:25–27). Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.
Jesus is at hand he is the reason not to be afraid. He is the reason to face this storm with resolve and peace.
Peter calls out to Christ to walk on the water with him.
Matthew 3. Peter’s Bold Move and Subsequent Lack of Faith (28–33)
“Peter’s protasis (‘if it’s you’) is a real condition, almost ‘since it’s you.’ The request is bold, but the disciples had been trained for some time and given power to do exactly the sort of miracles Jesus was doing (Matthew 10:1). What is more natural than for a fisherman who knew and respected the dangers of Galilee to want to follow Jesus in this new demonstration of supernatural power?” (Carson)
Then Peter will sink...
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
This seems like a minor issue… Why is this what causes him to fall. Well the Bible tells us why this is a big issue.
Jesus will rebuke Peter for “little faith” and doubt. Then Matthew and Mark together will record Christ’s estimation of this event.
Matthew asks a question Mark answers it...
In Matthew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
“Wherefore didst thou doubt...”
At one point Peter gets out of the boat and makes his way to Jesus. I have heard the read on this.
Jesus rebukes Peter because he was afraid.
Jesus rebukes Peter because he was supposed to go to the other side and had to come away from the shore to walk to Jesus.
But the thing that Jesus rebuked was the doubt.
Consider the doubt.
Peter doubted his presence
Peter doubted his voice
Peter doubted his word.
Mark 6:51–52 (KJV 1900)
And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Their heart was hardened? They considered not the miracle?
Consider the issue of the hard heart. This simply means that closed their mind. They tuned out the evidence. They didn’t forget, they discounted its ability.
When Peter took inventory of His situation he began to find obstacles that feeding 5000 couldn’t overcome.
CIT: Beware your evaluation of your circumstance doesn’t discount your estimation of the Savior.
EXPOSITE:
Often when trouble comes my way I want to start the evaluation. Okay lets find out what resources we have vs the problem in front of us.
You can’t manage what you can’t measure. So lets get the details and turn the nose of the ship into this thing.
The problem is that this often is a comfort to my heart as I buy the comforting lie that somehow I’ve got this and that I can handle whatever is coming my way.
He lets be honest there is nothing about Peter analsing the waves that makes him able to overcome them. What he was doing wasn’t an ability thing anyway.
Life is out of your control.
When things are out of control it reminds us that Life is a zero sum game.
It is always a bit out of our control.
It is always dangerous. (Stay safe)
Some will be killed
Some will be maimed
Some will go blind
some will never have their sight.
Some will get a disease
Some will get cancer
Some will die instantly
some slow
But make no mistake all will die.
Even we try to act as if this whole thing is able to be tamed.
We get our children helmets.
We buy vehicles with 42 airbags.
We take vitamins and drink kombucha.
There is nothing wrong with these things. Except Kombucha that’s just gross.
But we are deceiving ourselves if we think we are safe. It is moments like this journey across the sea that we are well aware of our fragility.
It is human nature to attempt to control the situation. But this makes us believe that the only way God can be getting His way is if all is going well. This is the same bad doctrine as the penny peddlers in the Name-it-claim-it crowd. This is not the truth at all.
This is meant to be a reminder that Discipleship is not about making you like storms. Or avoiding storms better than anyone else. Or grinning and bearing it better than all others. Discipleship is being willing to look past the storm and seeing that God will take care of you. Discipleship is about trusting the voice of God like we just see Peter do, but then to keep your eyes off the storm long enough to walk with him in the hard time.
A time of sickness is difficult… discipleship is not you liking the illness or the pain. It is accepting that though you hate everything about the circumstance. The Circumstance isn’t everything.
Broken relationships… Tear at the soul, but the void gives us opportunity to seek for Christ all the more.
Fear of a Job taken or lost...
Continual pain...
Notice that Peter could do the supernatural and fall at the normal.
“Peter walked on the water but feared the wind: such is human nature, often achieving great things, and at fault in little things.” (Bruce)1
1 Guzik, D. (2013). Matthew (Mt 14:28–33). Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.
Human nature is faulty because it is able to do amazing things, and then trip over the smallest things.
We are always looking for something that will not fail us. We one a one stop shop for our trust. When we find someone that does good we want to trust them for everything.
Politicians
Celebrity - Why do we even have celebrity? - We think because they played a character once they have some expertise on a subject. They played a super hero and now they are trust worthy enough to speak on global warming, abortion, or even what soft drink I should consume. Come on. This is an indicator of our willingness to give trust over to those who seem trust worthy.
Human nature is not trust worthy. Primarily because in Big things it will do big things, but then fall in the small things. It is way great men do thing that make us think they are great but they were all faulty in the smallest things.
Notice that Christ never fails at what he set out to accomplish.
1. Christ came to produce peace in a storm and He does so even in Peter.
By the way the lesson gets taught too.
2. Christ wasn’t trying to teach he was trying to convert.
Then in Matthew we see the conversion...
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Peter would learn that following Christ is more that making sure he can figure out the circumstances.
And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength.
The only way to face the circumstances is to keep your eyes on Christ.