“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
[Matthew 14:22-33]
On April 16, 2014, a maritime accident occurred in the waters near Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, causing shock and sorrow among the entire Korean population. This incident has undoubtedly affected not only the citizens in Korea but also likely the Korean diaspora around the world. Upon reading an editorial/commentary titled ‘Wishing to be a Country where People can Live in Peace’ from Sejong Shinmun (April 26, 2014), I found myself resonating with the title. The desire for our homeland to become a place where people can live in peace is a shared sentiment among us. However, when reflecting on the reality, not just from this incident but also considering various accidents in the past, one might question whether Korea is indeed a country where people can live in peace.
Looking at major incidents since the 1990s, we find:
October 10, 1993: Sinking of the West Sea Ferry, resulting in 292 deaths.
October 21, 1994: Collapse of Seoul's Han River Seongsu Bridge, causing 32 deaths.
October 24, 1994: Chungju Lake cruise ship fire, leading to 30 deaths.
April 28, 1995: Gas explosion at the Daegu subway construction site, resulting in 101 deaths.
June 29, 1995: Collapse of Sampoong Department Store in Seoul, causing 502 deaths.
February 18, 2003: Arson attack in Daegu subway, resulting in 190 deaths.
February 17, 2014: Roof collapse at Mount Mauna Ocean Resort in Gyeongju, causing 10 deaths.
In addition to these incidents, particularly when considering the recurring news of child sexual crimes in Korea (recent cases like Cho Doo-soon, Kim Soo-chul), one may wonder if parents in Korea can send their young children to school without anxiety. According to statistics, ‘Sexual crimes against minors, which were 994 cases in 2000, increased dramatically to 2699 cases last year (2009), up 271.52%’ (Internet). Thus, considering these issues, it's understandable if parents in Korea, especially those with young children, feel uneasy about the safety of their communities.
In the world we live in, accidents and disasters are prevalent, and one never knows when, where, or how one's life, including the lives of our children, may be at risk. Reflecting on major accidents in Korea since 1990, citizens have valid reasons to feel anxious and fearful. Job, who suffered through disasters and expressed his pain, stated in the book of Job 21:6, "When I remember, I am dismayed, and shuddering seizes my flesh."
In today's passage, Matthew 14:22-33, we witness the disciples of Jesus being in a state of anxiety and fear. In response to their fear, Jesus says, "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid" (v. 27). I would like to meditate on today's passage under the title "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid" and draw two lessons that God may be imparting to us.
First, let's consider the fearful situation that Jesus' disciples encountered.
What was the fearful situation they faced?
Look at Matthew 14:24 - "But the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them." From this verse, we learn that Jesus' disciples were in a boat, and the first fearful situation they faced was the strong wind causing the boat to be beaten by the waves (experiencing hardship). So, how strong was the wind that caused the boat to be tossed by the waves? A similar story is recorded in John 6:15-21, where Apostle John describes the wind that blew during that time as a "strong wind," causing significant waves (v. 18). Can you imagine? If you were currently on a boat in the middle of the sea (Mk.6:47) and a strong wind was blowing, causing waves, how would you expect your boat to fare? In Jonah 1:4, when the prophet Jonah was disobedient to God's command and fled on a boat, God sent a great wind upon the sea, resulting in a mighty storm in the middle of the sea. Jonah's boat was almost breaking apart (v. 4).
You may recall the news of the sinking of the ferry Sewol in the waters near Jindo, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, on April 16, 2014. Of course, the cause of the accident was not a strong wind causing a storm and the sinking of the ship. The Korean government is currently investigating the cause of the accident. What I want to ponder here is the location where the accident occurred, known as the Maenggol Strait. This strait refers to the waterway between Maenggol Island and Geojae Island in Jindo, Jeollanam-do, recognized as the second most challenging tidal current area in Korea. The water flow in this area can reach up to 6 knots, or 11 km/h (Internet). Moreover, the tides change every six hours, making this passage a representative hazardous route even among sailors. However, the Maenggol Strait is not only characterized by strong currents but also serves as a turning point for domestic passenger ships heading to Jeju Island, known as a dangerous area with sharp turns. It is suggested that the ship may have capsized if it forcefully turned while inexperienced sailors struggled to navigate the challenging route, causing cargo and passengers to shift to one side (Internet). Imagine how fearful the people inside the sinking ship would have been at that moment. When the ship sank in such a dangerous passage, those inside would have experienced intense fear. In today's passage, Matthew 14:22-33, the disciples of Jesus faced a fearful situation as their boat was tossed by the waves due to the strong wind. At that time, they struggled to row, as mentioned in Mark 6:48. Why did they exert themselves to row? Naturally, they did so to survive. In Jonah 1:13, a similar situation is presented. When a great storm arose at sea due to Jonah's disobedience, the sailors, despite the danger, tried hard to row the ship to land before throwing Jonah into the sea (v. 13).
In this way, while rowing for about 3-3.5 miles, the disciples encountered a second fearful situation: Jesus walking on the sea. Look at Matthew 14:26 - "But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, 'It is a ghost!' and they cried out in fear." Today's passage mentions that the time when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea was the "fourth watch of the night," which corresponds to the period between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. in modern time (Walvoord). This implies that the disciples did not row for a brief period while facing the strong wind and waves; they likely rowed continuously, even through the night until the fourth watch. Therefore, they would have been exhausted, nearing fatigue and dehydration. At that moment, they witnessed Jesus walking on the sea. Of course, they did not recognize that it was Jesus, so in their extreme fear, they thought it was a ghost and cried out (v. 26). Why couldn't the disciples recognize Jesus walking on the sea and instead thought of Him as a ghost? The reason lies in the popular belief of that time, where the sea was considered the abode of evil spirits (Hagner). Perhaps the disciples initially regarded Jesus walking on the sea as an evil spirit. Having rowed the boat for hours, struggling against the strong wind and waves, and being in a state of physical and mental exhaustion, they might have easily mistaken any object walking on the sea as a ghost. They experienced intense fear.
When you look back on your past, when was the most intense fear you felt? What was the most frightening situation you encountered? Are any of you currently facing a situation that induces fear? Is anyone among you struggling with the fear of death? If so, I hope you can hear Jesus' voice today: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid" (Mt. 14:27).
Why should we, as disciples of Jesus, take courage and not be afraid even in fearful situations?
Second, let's consider why we, as disciples of Jesus, should take courage
and not be afraid in fearful situations.
We found about three reasons in the passage:
- The reason is that Jesus is praying for us.
Look at Matthew 14:23 - "And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone." The phrase "after he had dismissed the crowds" refers to the time after Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000 men with two fish and five loaves (vv. 13-21). After this, while Jesus sent the crowds away, He quickly made His disciples get into the boat and go to the other side ahead of Him (v. 22). Subsequently, after bidding farewell to (sending away) the crowds who were trying to forcefully make Him their king (Jn. 6:15), Jesus went up alone to the mountain (Mt. 14:23, Mk. 6:46). Why did Jesus go up alone to the mountain? He went up specifically to pray (Mt. 14:23, Mk. 6:46). By examining the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we can see that Jesus often went to solitary places or mountains to pray (Mt. 14:23, 26:36; Mk. 1:35, 6:46, 14:32; Lk. 5:16, 6:12, 9:18, 29, 11:1, 22:41, 44). Indeed, after hastily sending the disciples off in the boat, Jesus went up alone to the mountain to pray (Mt. 14:23, Mk. 6:46). Although today's passage in Matthew 14 does not record the content of Jesus' prayer, considering the well-known prayer of Jesus in John 17, it is plausible that Jesus prayed for His disciples. Look at John 17:9 - "I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours." So, what might Jesus have prayed for His disciples? One aspect of His prayer was asking God to "keep" them. In other words, Jesus prayed for God the Father to protect them safely (Jn. 17:11, 15). The same Jesus, who is unchanging, is still interceding for us today, as Hebrews 7:25 declares. Even now, Jesus is interceding with God the Father, asking for His protection over us, His children. Therefore, those who believe in Jesus, including myself and all of you, should take heart and not be afraid because Jesus is continually praying for our safety.
- The reason we should take courage and not be afraid even in fearful situations is that Jesus ensures our safety and protection.
Jesus is not merely a Lord who prays to God the Father for our safety and protection. We can understand this when we look at John 17:12 - "While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." Jesus did not only pray for His disciples; He actually kept them safe and guarded them because He was present with them. In today's passage, Matthew 14:25, after spending the night in prayer on the mountain, Jesus, during the night between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., saw His disciples struggling with the strong wind and waves in the sea. He went to them, walking on the water (Mk. 6:47-48), showing His concern for their distress. Why did He do that? The reason was to ensure the safety of His disciples as He had prayed. Psalms 4:8 states, "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." The reason we can lie down and sleep in peace is that the Lord keeps us safe. Through today's passage, Jesus is saying to you and me, "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid" (Mt. 14:27). Therefore, those who believe in Jesus, including myself and all of you, should take heart and not be afraid because Jesus is continually ensuring our safety.
- The reason we should take courage and not be afraid even in fearful situations is that when we cry out, "Lord, save me," Jesus immediately rescues us.
In today's passage, Matthew 14:30-31, we see the disciples of Jesus who were on a boat and, upon seeing the wind, became afraid and started to sink. Crying out, one of them, Peter, said, "Lord, save me!" Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand, took hold of him, and said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" The background of these words is when the disciples, in their boat, saw Jesus walking on the water and, startled, cried out, thinking He was a ghost. In response, Jesus immediately reassured them, saying, "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid" (Mt. 14:26-27). It was during this incident that Peter, hearing Jesus' voice, asked to come to Him on the water. Jesus commanded him to come, and Peter, obeying, walked on the water toward Jesus. However, when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid and began to sink. At that moment, Peter cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out His hand, caught him, and said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" How should we interpret Jesus' words here? Is Peter indeed a person of "little faith"? Would we, like Peter, obey Jesus' command to come out of the boat onto the water? Even though Peter did walk on the water, Jesus rebuked him for his doubt. In a similar incident recorded in Matthew 8:23-27, Peter and the other disciples experienced a great storm while in a boat. The boat was being swamped by the waves, and they cried out to Jesus, who was sleeping, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." Jesus responded by rebuking them for their fear and then calmed the storm. The disciples marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" (Mt. 8:27). In today's passage, Matthew 14:32, after Jesus immediately reached out His hand and rescued Peter from sinking, the wind ceased. This left the disciples amazed (Mk. 6:51). Why were they so astonished, having already experienced Jesus calming the sea in Matthew 8? Mark 6:52 provides insight: "for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened." The reason was that their hearts were hardened. Despite having witnessed Jesus calming the sea before (Mt. 8:26), their hearts were still hardened. In their amazement, the disciples confessed, "Truly you are the Son of God" (14:33). Jesus, indeed the Son of God, not only rescued Peter from sinking but also rescued His disciples from the dangerous and fearful situation caused by the strong wind and tempest. Jesus calmed the sea to ensure their safety. The reason is that Jesus is the Savior. The name "Jesus" means 'God is salvation.' True to His name, Jesus saved His disciples in the midst of a fearful situation. Therefore, those who believe in Jesus must have confidence in salvation. We must believe that the Lord is the God who saves us in times of fear.
Today, Jesus said to you and me, "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." Regardless of the fearful situations we may find ourselves in, we should not only pray for ourselves but also rely on God, who not only intercedes for us but actually protects and guards us. We should seek God's salvation with confidence and pray to Him in faith. Surely, God will respond to our prayers and rescue you and me. I hope and pray that you and I become those who do not fear because of our ever-watchful Lord.