Mateus 14
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 14
Guzik- This daughter Herodias is described as a girl (Matthew 14:11). This means that she was not a cute little girl; “Girl is a term which can be used of those of marriageable age; she was at least a teenager.” (France) F F Bruce - “The dancing of a mere girl would have been no entertainment to the sensual revelers. The treat lay in the indecency.”
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Guzik - A tetrarch was lower than a king. Herod Antipas wanted to be recognized as a king, and later asked the Emperor Caligula for this title, but Caligula refused. This humiliation was part of what later sent Herod to exile in Gaul Herod Antipas was guilty of gross sin: He had eloped with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip I, divorcing his own wife and sending her back to her father, the king of Petra (Lev. 18:16; 20:21). Herod listened to the voice of temptation and plunged himself into terrible sin. Related Resources: 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Tetrarch International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Tetrarch Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Tetrarch McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Tetrarch The Jewish Encyclopedia Tetrarch Question: Who was Herod Antipas? Answer: The name Herod comes up again and again in the New Testament from Matthew 1 to Acts 26. Herod is simply the family name of a ruling dynasty in Israel. There are four different rulers referred to as Herod in the New Testament as well as Herod Philip II, who is referred to as Philip the tetrarch. There were a number of other Herods who are not mentioned in the New Testament. Herod Antipater (nicknamed Antipas) became tetrarch of Galilee and Perea upon the death of his father Herod the Great (Herod I). A tetrarch is a “ruler of one quarter,” as he receives one fourth of his father’s kingdom. Herod Antipas ruled as a Roman client and was responsible for building projects including the capital city of Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. Herod Antipas is the Herod mentioned most often in the New Testament, and, with the exception of Herod the Great mentioned in Luke 1 and 2, every mention of Herod in the gospels refers to Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas divorced his first wife to marry Herodias, who had been the wife of his half-brother Philip the tetrarch. According to Josephus the two fell in love and made plans to get married while Antipas was visiting with his brother Philip. John the Baptist began his ministry during the reigns of Philip and Antipas (Luke 3:1). In the course of his fiery preaching and denunciation of sin, he “rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, [and] Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison” (Luke 3:19–20). Matthew 14:3–5 gives more detail of the wickedness of Herod Antipas: “Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.” Herodias also hated John and wanted to have him killed, but Herod Antipas was afraid to follow through, because the general populace was on John’s side. “So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him” (Mark 6:19–20). Herodias hatched a scheme with her daughter whereby she forced her husband’s hand. “On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother” (Matthew 14:6–11). As Jesus’ ministry became more well-known, Herod Antipas began to fear that John the Baptist had risen from the dead (Matthew 14:1–2). Apparently, he wanted to kill Jesus as well, and this was reported to Jesus by some Jewish leaders in Galilee who hoped to entice Him into moving on to a different area. Jesus, unafraid, replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (Luke 13:32–33). Jesus’ reply is not only dismissive of Herod but also critical of the Jewish authorities who had a long history of killing prophets. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, some of the rulers of the Jews plotted with the Herodians (supporters of Herod) against Jesus (Mark 3:6; 8:25; 12:13). Jesus was finally arrested and brought before Pilate, the governor or prefect of Judea. Pilate tried to escape responsibility for dealing with Jesus, and he thought he had found his way out when he heard that Jesus was from Galilee: he could shift the responsibility to Herod Antipas, he reasoned. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who happened to be in Jerusalem for the Passover at the time (Luke 23:6–7). Herod Antipas was excited to see Jesus in person and tried to get Jesus to perform some miracles for him and asked Him many questions. Jesus refused to answer, probably because He knew Herod Antipas was not sincerely seeking truth. Of course, Jesus also refused to perform any miracles. Herod allowed his soldiers to ridicule and beat Jesus and then sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:8–11). That day, Herod and Pilate became friends, whereas before they had been at odds (Luke 23:12). Although Herod Antipas is mentioned in Acts as being partially responsible for the crucifixion, we gain no new information about him. Herod Antipas eventually fell out of favor with Rome and was exiled to Gaul. The King Herod mentioned later in Acts as a persecutor of the church in Jerusalem is his nephew, Herod Agrippa I, who replaced the Roman governor over Judea as King of the Jews, ruling in Jerusalem from AD 41 to 44.(Source: GotQuestions.org) Matthew 14:2 and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him." This: Mt 11:11 16:14 Mk 8:28 Joh 10:41 HEROD WAS A MAN WITH A TROUBLED CONSCIENCE Related Passage: Mark 6:15-16+ But others were saying, "He is Elijah." And others were saying, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old. "But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, "John, whom I beheaded, has risen!" Luke 9:9+ Herod said, "I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see Him. Notice that Mark tell us what the Jews were saying about Jesus was that He was Elijah or one of the prophets from the Old Testament. Herod quickly corrects them. Notice how none of them are saying "This must be the Messiah!" Their spiritual blindness was almost incomprehensible! And said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead - Herod's conscience was pricked with a grave concern about John risen from the dead! Notice Mark adds he kept saying which is in the imperfect tense as if each time someone would suggest a person such as "Elijah" or one of the names of the OT prophets, Herod's response would be "He whom I did behead-John-this is he!!!" (See discussion of Was John the Baptist really Elijah reincarnated?) Do you have any ghosts in your past? Any skeletons in your closet? -- Brian Bell Broadus on servants - The word is pais, literally boy and thence ‘servant,’ and often applied to the officers of an Oriental court (Gen. 40:20; 1 Sam. 16:17; 1 Macc. 1:6, 8), just as the term doulos is in 18:23, and elsewhere. (Commentary) R C H
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Guzik - She was shrewd enough to demand that it be done immediately, while the guests were still at the party. “That was an essential part of the request. No time must be left for repentance. If not done at once under the influence of wine and the momentary gratification given by the voluptuous dance, it might never be done at all.” (Bruce) Matthew 14:9 Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. NET Matthew 14:9 Although it grieved the king, because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. NLT Matthew 14:9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. ESV Matthew 14:9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. NIV Matthew 14:9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted GNT Matthew 14:9 καὶ λυπηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς διὰ τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμένους ἐκέλευσεν δοθῆναι, KJV Matthew 14:9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. ASV Matthew 14:9 And the king was grieved; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given; CSB Matthew 14:9 Although the king regretted it, he commanded that it be granted because of his oaths and his guests. NKJ Matthew 14:9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. the king: Mt 14:1 Mk 6:14 was grieved: Mt 14:5 27:17-26 Da 6:14-16 Mk 6:20,26 Lu 13:32 Joh 19:12-16 Ac 24:23-27 25:3-9 the oaths: Nu 30:5-8 Jud 11:30,31,39 21:1,7-23 1Sa 14:24,28,39-45 25:22 1Sa 25:32-34 28:10 2Ki 6:31-33 Ec 5:2 Related Passage: Mark 6:26+ And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse (atheteo) her. A FATAL "NEVERTHELESS!" Brian Bell on "And the king was sorry; nevertheless NEVERTHELESS" (NKJV) - How easily influenced -- Influenced by his: cunning concubine, his dancing daughter, his careless covenant, and his beer-drinking buddies. Afraid of the jeers, Herod are you too religious to put away a Prophet? The fear of being thought weak, proved that he was weak indeed. 🙏 THOUGHT - Who influences you? Actually, every friend influences you for the good or the bad. How do each of your friends influence you? Wicked Oaths ought to be repented of, not acted out. In the sight of heaven it was Herod who perished not John. Although he was grieved - Notice how Herod goes from "pleased" (v 6) to "grieved!" Mark says Herod was "very sorry." (perilupos). He was heavy hearted but not enough to change his mind. His remorse fell short of godly regret and thus was not sufficient to counter his pride and vanity at having given his oath before his esteemed guests. Even in this reaction notice that it is all about Herod, and there is no expression of pity, compassion or sorrow for John! Herod is like the little boy who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar! All Herod was sorry about was that he had been trapped by Herodias' cunning into carrying out this dastardly deed! He may have had a touch of remorse, but not an ounce of repentance! Paul's words were "prophetic" for Herod when he wrote "the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death!" (2 Cor 7:10) Indeed, there would be 2 deaths. The temporal death of John, but the far worse eternal death of Herod! Grieved (distressed, sorrowed) (3076)(lupeo from lupe = sorrow) signifies pain, of body or mind and means to cause one to experience severe mental or emotional distress or physical pain which may be accompanied by sadness, sorrow or grief. The ides is heaviness like our colloquial sayings like -- "It weighs heavy on my soul" or "My soul is weighed down with affliction." or "My soul is so burdened." It was heavy on Herod's heart!
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Guzik - “Rash promises, and even oaths, are no excuse for doing wrong. The promise was in itself null and void, because no man has a right to promise to do wrong.” (Spurgeon) “Like most weak men, Herod feared to be thought weak.” (Plumptre, cited in Carson) Hiebert - Moral cowardice made him afraid to break his word in the presence of those reclining with him. But Herod would certainly have stood taller, even in the eyes of his fellow revelers when they regained their full sobriety, had he refused to go through with his promise. “Timidity, which takes the form of false pride, is accountable for the moral failure of thousands.” Matthew 14:10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. beheaded: Mt 17:12 21:35,36 22:3-6 23:34-36 2Ch 36:16 Jer 2:30 Mk 6:27-29 Mk 9:13 Lu 9:9 Rev 11:7 Related Passage: Mark 6:27+ Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, He sent and had John beheaded in the prison - Herod had gone too far now. The dirty deed had to be carried out posthaste. Although Herod was not a true king he did have authority to carry out the death penalty. Notice the phrase He...had John beheaded - Mark says he sent an executioner (spekoulator) used only in Mk 6:27 and representing a Latin loan word that originally literally meant a spy or scout and when attached to a ruling official meant member of a bodyguard or executioner. The executioner was merely an instrument in the hands of Herod. Herod was the guilty party at his birthday party! David and Herod were both guilty even though they did not personally carry out the execution.
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Guzik - Herod had a terrible end. In order to take his brother’s wife Herodias, he put away his first wife, a princess from a neighboring kingdom to the east. Her father was offended and came against Herod with an army, defeating him in battle. Then his brother Agrippa accused him of treason against Rome, and he was banished into the distant Roman province of Gaul. In Gaul, Herod and Herodias committed suicide. Brian Bell - At the end of most true story TV shows and movies, it tells what happened w/the key people: Herod: lost his prestige and power. His armies were defeated by the Arabs. His appeals to be made a real king (urged by his wife) were refused by Emperor Caligula. Herod was banished to Gaul (France) and then to Spain, where he died
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Guzik - His compassion was great: “The original word is very expressive; his whole being was stirred to its lowest depth, and therefore he proceeded at once to work miracles of mercy among them.” (Spurgeon) Felt compassion (4697)(splanchnizomai from splagchnon = bowel, viscera) means to experience a deep visceral feeling for someone, to feel compassion for, to feel sympathy, to take pity on someone. Compassion is the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. This verb expresses an outward flow of one's life in contrast to our natural tendency toward self centeredness. It is notable that 8/12 NT uses describe this deep seated emotion in Jesus. It follows that if we desire to imitate Jesus, we need to be men and women of deep compassion! Zodhiates note on splagchnon - In Class. Gr. writers, it is chiefly spoken of the upper viscera of animals, as the heart, lungs, and liver which were eaten during or after the sacrifice… Figuratively, the inward parts indicating the breast or heart as the seat of emotions and passions. In the NT, of the gentler emotions as compassion, tender affection indicating the mind, soul, the inner man (2Co 6:12, Philemon 1:7, 20; 1Jn 3:17; Sept.: Pr 12:10 (cf. Ge 43:30; 1Kgs. 3:26) The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. AMG) And healed (therapeuo) their sick - Mark says that "He began to teach (didasko in present tense) them many things." (Mk 6:34b+) Luke adds that "Welcoming (apodechomai) them, He began speaking (imperfect tense) to them about the kingdom of God (For more discussion on the kingdom of God see comments on Lk 17:20-21) and curing those who had need of healing." (Lk 9:11+) Notice the order in Luke - first teaching, then healing, because only the former would heal their spiritual illness. The healing would validate the truths He was teaching them about the Kingdom of God, explaining how they could gain entry to the Kingdom as summarized in Mark 1:15+ where Jesus declared they must "Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Both verbs are in present imperative). (cf Nicodemus in Jn 3:3+) The adjective sick (arrostos) in this context speaks of physical sickness, but it is interesting that in classic uses this adjective sometimes had a moral sense. Also keep in mind that even in their desperate state of being without strength, these people somehow were able to follow Jesus by land along the northern border of the Sea of Galilee. It is sad that the sick were so determined for physical healing, but had little to no interest (for the most part) in spiritual healing.
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Guzik - With this, Jesus challenged both the compassion and the faith of the disciples. Yet He did not ask them to do anything to meet the need without also guiding them through the work. D A Carson - “If they remembered the miracle of the wine in Cana (John 2:1–11), they should have asked Jesus to meet the need, not send the people away.” God uses us as instruments To help someone in need, So we must trust Him to supply When following His lead. —Sper When God says do it, He’s already planned the resources we need to accomplish the task. -- Randy Kilgore
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Guzik applies this story The people are hungry, and the empty religionist offers them some ceremony or empty words that can never satisfy. The people are hungry, and the atheists and skeptics try to convince them that they aren’t hungry at all. The people are hungry, and the religious showman gives them video and special lighting and cutting-edge music. The people are hungry, and the entertainer gives them loud, fast action, so loud and fast that they don’t have a moment to think. The people are hungry—who will give them the bread of life?
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Guzik comments that "it never entered their minds that Jesus might provide for the multitude with a miracle. God has resources that we know nothing about, so we can trust Him and be at peace even when we can’t figure out how He will provide."
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Guzik - "When Jesus blessed before the meal, He didn’t bless the food; He blessed God for supplying it. The idea of praying before a meal isn’t to bless the food; it is to bless God in the sense of thanking and honoring Him for blessing us with the food."
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Guzik - Jesus "knew that wastefulness didn’t glorify the God of all provision." Where we see a lack He sees an abundance. Where we see human problems He sees and accomplishes divine possibilities. A little can become a lot with Jesus! -- Danny Akin Gathered fragments remind us that: Another Day of Need Will Surely Come The Blessings of God Should Not Be Wasted Grateful Hearts Make Full Use of God’s Blessings (John Mayshack)
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Guzik has an interesting thought - We also know that it was on this occasion that Peter got out of the boat, walking on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28–31). There is reason—from history and subtle clues, not explicitly from the Scriptures—to believe that Peter was the main source for Mark’s gospel. If this was the case, Peter may have left out the story because he didn’t want to be exalted for walking on the water—or to be humbled for sinking. Barton - Peter was not putting Jesus to the test, something we are told not to do (Mt 4:7). Instead, he was the only one in the boat who reacted in faith. His impulsive request led him to experience a rather unusual demonstration of God’s power. Jesus’ presence in the storm caused Peter to exercise a fearless faith. Peter overcame his fear and attempted the impossible. But notice that he did so only with Jesus’ command to come. Notice also that he asked only to do what Jesus was doing; that is, he wanted to share in Jesus’ power, some of which the disciples had already been experiencing (Mt 10:1). (LAC) Robertson agrees writing "“Mark does not give the incident of Peter’s walking on the water and beginning to sink. Perhaps Peter was not fond of telling that story.” Correcting Your Doubt -Selwyn Hughes Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"—MATTHEW 14:31 While it is possible for us to distinguish between doubt and unbelief in theory, it is not so easy in practice. Doubt can move in the direction of unbelief and cross the borderline, but when it does, it ceases to be doubt. The idea of "total" or "complete" doubt is a contradiction in terms, for doubt that is total can no longer be classified as doubt; it is unbelief. Os Guinness points out that when we attempt to undertake a biblical analysis of doubt, we can come out with either a "hard" or "soft" view of the subject. Those who take a "soft" view of doubt point to how vastly different doubt is from unbelief, and those who take a "hard" view of doubt point out its similarities. Both views can be drawn out of the Scriptures. Error is usually truth out of balance, and it is important, therefore, that we get a balanced view of what the Bible has to say about doubt. In my view it can be summarized like this—doubt is not the same as unbelief, but unless cor--rected, doubt can naturally lead to unbelief. This view has helped me avoid what I consider to be the extremes of being too hard or too soft on doubt. It is a condition which must be regarded as serious, but it need not be fatal. Don't allow your doubts to bring you into condemnation, for when faced and brought into clear perspective, they can be the catalyst to a deeper pursuit of God. Prayer Father, when will I learn that in You all things serve—even doubt? Show me how to turn my doubts into stepping stones and use them to come into an even closer relationship with You. Amen. Matthew 14:31 I WILL NOT DOUBT - What a picture we have in this passage of the manner in which we often react when we are "tossed with the waves" of adversity and buffeted by the "contrary winds of human experience." When everything appears to be going against us, and the very foundations seem crumbling, how prone we are to forget that our Savior has promised, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). Oh, what peace we forfeit when we refuse to take God at His Word. How much better, keeping our eyes on Him and trusting His promises, to say with the poet: I will not doubt though all my ships at sea Come drifting home with broken masts and sails; I will believe the Hand which never fails, From seeming evil, worketh good for me. And though I weep because these sails are tattered, Still will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered, "I trust in Thee!" I will not doubt though sorrows fall like rain, And troubles swarm like bees about a hive, I will believe the heights for which I strive Are only reached by anguish and by pain; And though I groan and writhe beneath my crosses, I yet shall see, through my severest losses, The greater gain. I will not doubt, well anchored in the faith, Like some staunch ship my soul braves every gale, So strong its courage that it will not fail To breast the mighty unknown sea of death. Oh may I cry, though body parts with spirit, "I do not doubt," so listening worlds may hear it With my last breath. —Ella Wheeler Wilcox May this be our trusting prayer today. Above the tempest's roar, faith hears His voice; And with its hand in His, it can rejoice. It fears no cloud, or wind that it can bring; Faith looks across the storm, and still can sing! —Anon. I do not want merely to possess faith; I want a faith that possesses me!—C. Kingsley Oswald Chambers - Don’t think now, take the road And Peter … walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. Matthew 14:29–30 . The wind was actually boisterous, the waves were actually high, but Peter did not see them at first. He did not reckon with them, he simply recognized his Lord, and stepped out in recognition of Him and walked on the water. Then he began to reckon with the actual things, and down he went instantly. Why could not our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves as well as on the top of them? Neither could be done saving by recognition of the Lord Jesus. We step right out on God over some things, then self-consideration enters in and down we go. If you are recognizing your Lord, you have no business with where He engineers your circumstances. The actual things are, but immediately you look at them you are overwhelmed, you cannot recognize Jesus, and the rebuke comes: “Wherefore didst thou doubt?” Let actual circumstances be what they may, keep recognizing Jesus, maintain complete reliance on Him. If you debate for a second when God has spoken, it is all up. Never begin to say—‘Well, I wonder if He did speak?’ Be reckless immediately, fling it all out on Him. You do not know when His voice will come, but whenever the realization of God comes in the faintest way imaginable, recklessly abandon. It is only by abandon that you recognize Him. You will only realize His voice more clearly by recklessness. You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Have we that faith which so realizes Christ’s presence so as to keep us as calm and as composed in the rough sea as the smooth? It was not really a question of the rough or the smooth sea when Peter was sinking in the water, for he would have sunk without Christ just as much in the smooth as the rough sea. The fact was, the eye was off Jesus and on the wave, and that made him sink. If we go on with Christ, we shall get into all kinds of difficulty, many a boisterous sea; but being one with Him, His safety is ours. JOHN DARBY Remember Christian, it is not your hold of Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ (though that is the instrument)—it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not to thy hope, but to Christ, the source of they hope; look not to thy faith, but to Christ, the author and finisher of they faith. And if thou doest that, ten thousand devils cannot throw thee down. There is one thing which all of us too much becloud in our preaching, though I believe we do it very unintentionally; namely, the great truth that it is not prayer, it is not faith, it is not our doings, it is not our feelings upon which we must rest, but upon Christ and on Christ alone! We are apt to think that we are not in a right state, that our business is not with self, but Christ. Let me beseech thee, look only to Christ; never expect deliverance from self, from ministers, nor from any means of any kind apart from Christ; keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His merits, His glories, His intercession be fresh upon thy mind. When thou wakest in the morning, look for Him; when thou liest down at night, look for Him. CHARLES SPURGEON The work of the Savior is for the sinner; the Person of the Savior is for the saint; what He has done is for the former, what He is, is for the latter. He had eternal life to give and He is the Son of the living God; by the former, the saint is drawn to Him; but the latter the saint is bound to Him. He not only meets all our necessities as sinners by His work, but also satisfies our affection and desires as saints by His Person. C. H. MACKINTOSH Streams in the Desert - (Matt. 14:29, 30.) PETER had a little faith in the midst of his doubts, says Bunyan; and so with crying and coming he was brought to Christ. But here you see that sight was a hindrance; the waves were none of his business when once he had set out; all Peter had any concern with, was the pathway of light that came gleaming across the darkness from where Christ stood. If it was tenfold Egypt beyond that, Peter had no call to look and see. When the Lord shall call to you over the waters, “Come,” step gladly forth. Look not for a moment away from Him. Not by measuring the waves can you prevail; not by gauging the wind will you grow strong; to scan the danger may be to fall before it; to pause at the difficulties, is to have them break above your head. Lift up your eyes unto the hills, and go forward—there is no other way. “Dost thou fear to launch away? Faith lets go to swim! Never will He let thee go; ’Tis by trusting thou shalt know Fellowship with Him.” THAT SINKING FEELING—MATTHEW 14:29–30 - Greg Laurie IT IS ALL TOO EASY to get discouraged when you are serving the Lord. People won’t always listen to you. They put you down and criticize you. Sometimes you’ll patch up three problems and six more will take their place. You begin to wonder if you’re making any progress at all. You can almost decide to give up. It’s at times like these that I have to ask myself, “For whom am I doing this? Am I serving man or God?” There is nothing wrong with becoming weary in service. But we must never become weary of it. The Bible says, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). The strength you and I need to keep going comes from spending time in God’s presence. We will be able to do what He calls us to do only by remembering that we labor through Him and for Him. Sometimes people ask, “How do you handle all the problems of the pastorate? How do you carry all those burdens?” I say, “I don’t.” If I personally tried to carry the problems of all the people in our congregation, I would be a basket case. I have enough trouble with my own problems. My shoulders weren’t designed to carry others’ burdens; they’re not even designed to carry my own. I have been told to cast all my cares upon Jesus, for He cares for me. Now of course, Scripture tells us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). That does not mean we single-handedly carry them, but rather, we help and encourage one another and take our problems to God in prayer. When someone asks me, “Here’s my problem, Greg. What am I going to do?” I like to say, “Let’s pray right now and put it in perspective by looking to God.” I can’t answer everyone’s questions nor can I carry their burdens. This is His church and we are His people. All the problems we face are His problems. All the problems I face are to be given to Him, because He has asked me to do that. The author of Hebrews realized that the individuals to whom he was writing were discouraged. They were feeling sorry for themselves and saw life as hard. So he gave them a message fit for their condition: “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet” (Hebrews 12:12–13). But before Hebrews 12 was written, the author wrote Hebrews 11, which is often called “the hall of faith.” It contains the stories of faithful men and women who stood firm by trusting God’s Word. There we find Noah, who obeyed God even when the request seemed ridiculous. He built an ark that saved his family and so became an heir of righteousness. We also find Abraham, who followed God’s instruction to go to an unknown land in order to receive an unseen inheritance. Then there is Moses, who left a life of prominence and privilege to lead an often complaining, ungrateful people to the land God had promised them. After showing all that these faithful people had endured, the writer then comes to the secret of their faith and perseverance: They “[looked] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [their] faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Are you weary in ministry? If so, there is only one cure: You need to take your eyes off of yourself and your own problems, off of other people, and fix them on the Lord. He will give you the strength to run. The writer of Hebrews, alluding to the Greek games of that time, knew that when an athlete ran in a great race he could look up at any moment, at any place on the track, and see the stand where the judge was: the Bema Seat. Perhaps the judge was holding out the laurel leaves to be awarded to the winner, and when the runner looked up at the reward, it gave him the strength to finish the race. In essence, the writer tells us, “You have been looking down too much. Look up! Keep moving forward.” That was Peter’s problem as he walked on the Sea of Galilee. When he looked to Jesus, he walked on water—but when he took his eyes off of the Lord, he began to sink. If anyone ever experienced a “sinking feeling,” Peter did! But do you remember Jesus’ response to Peter when the disciple began to sink? He said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). There was never any need for Peter’s feet to slip beneath the waves. Had he kept his gaze locked onto his Master’s eyes, he would have known the thrill of Galilean surfing at its finest—no board, no wave, no problem. Peter’s episode reminds us that the calling of God is the enabling of God. When God calls you to do something, you can do it—if you keep your eyes on Jesus. In your own strength, you will fail. Every time. Are you frustrated serving the Lord? Do you feel as though you have let God down? Maybe you have lost your perspective and forgotten who you are serving. Give your frustrations and disappointments to God, then let Him take care of your problems. Remember, your work for the Lord may not be appreciated on earth, but it will be richly rewarded in heaven. And His is the only opinion that counts. Recall Peter’s words in 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Perhaps as the Spirit directed Peter to record those words, the apostle remembered that day on the Sea of Galilee when he thought he was going to drown. But Peter die cast all his care upon Jesus and was not disappointed! Meditate on the wise words of Corrie ten Boom: Look without and be distressed; Look within and be depressed; Look at Jesus and be at rest. Matthew 14:30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Berkley 14:30 but looking at the wind he was afraid and, beginning to sink, he cried, “Lord, save me!” NET Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" NLT Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. ESV Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." NIV Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" GNT Matthew 14:30 βλέπων δὲ τὸν ἄνεμον [ἰσχυρὸν] ἐφοβήθη, καὶ ἀρξάμενος καταποντίζεσθαι ἔκραξεν λέγων, Κύριε, σῶσόν με. KJV Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. YLT Matthew 14:30 but seeing the wind vehement, he was afraid, and having begun to sink, he cried out, saying, 'Sir, save me.' ASV Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. CSB Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me!" NKJ Matthew 14:30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" NRS Matthew 14:30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" when: Mt 26:69-75 2Ki 6:15 Mk 14:38,66-72 Lu 22:54-61 Joh 18:25-27 2Ti 4:16,17 Lord: Mt 8:24,25 Ps 3:7 69:1,2 107:27-30 116:3,4 La 3:54-57 Jon 2:2-7 2Co 12:7-10 SHORT BUT EFFECTIVE PRAYER But - Term of contrast - This "but" almost buried Peter!