Little children fear the dark. It is not the blackness so much as the unknown, what cannot be easily seen. A stuffed animal in the light of day is a cuddly toy, but in the dark, is a silhouette of undetermined malice. And let’s not even get started on clowns. That makeup hides who-knows-what behind it. But as unsettling as finding a clown in your room in the daytime might be, discovering one there at night might have you wondering where the next pair of clean underwear is waiting. Perhaps the business truisms of transparency and visibility that offer benefit because they de-mystify and make things clear or easy-to-understand have an echo in life. In life, a good dose of light seems to drive any monsters away (or at least the monsters that may still reside in our imagination). Real monsters follow suit. Thieves typically prefer the dark for their deeds. So do those among us who would harm us; molesters, rapists, and killers. In the light they may be caught. If their victims shine a light on what they did, and who they are, they will surely get caught. So for evil to prosper, it prefers the dark, to the light of day.
It would seem the supernatural bent on scaring us follows suit as well. Witches practice rites at night. Ghosts, or demonic manifestations of those known to be long dead, love to emerge at night. Perhaps these traditions are handed down because the night makes it easier to scare us – whereas the full illumination of daylight would reveal trickery and raise the comfort level of those encountering these phenomena. True supernatural manifestations do not actually require nighttime. The devil is just as comfortable attempting to deceive in daylight as he is at night. But the night does add an atmosphere of fear to it, that daylight somehow seems to miss. When King Saul sought the witch to bring him a manifestation of the dead prophet Samuel, he went to her at night. The demonic representation of Samuel, perhaps one of the earliest Biblical ghosts, appeared in the fire of that night, to bring Saul a message of his own doom. Not exactly a happy ending. And a story every Jewish believer would have become familiar with over the years.
Ironically perhaps one of the only events of “after death” that Pharisees and Sadducees could agree upon was - that ghost was not Samuel. Both would agree it was a demonic manifestation attempting to impersonate Samuel, as neither side would believe God would allow His prophet to be called forth by any witch. And demons were scattered all through Israel in the time of Christ. The Sanhedrin should have been the religious leadership body capable of casting demons out; and keeping Israel fairly clean of them. But this was not the case. The Sanhedrin seemed unable to stop the plague of demon possession. So it would be nearly impossible for a believing Jew to throw out the idea of ghosts, and still know that demons were scattered all through the lands of Israel despite an ultra-conservative Sanhedrin leadership. And when night time arrived, anything supernatural is going to be immediately assumed to be part of team evil. Even the angels who came to sing of Jesus’ birth had to say fear not, before they could praise the Lord in front the shepherds (watching their fields by night).
So Matthew begins to record his own tale of ghosts that scared him nearly half to death. It begins after an incredible day of miracles, from healing, to feeding a crowd of 5000 men, plus women and children. Matthew picks up in his gospel in chapter fourteen picking up in verse 22 saying … “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. [verse 23] And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” This would not be a tale of willing participants. Matthew uses the word “constrained” as he remembers how insistent Jesus was on the disciples getting in to this boat and heading to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It made no sense, again. The Sea of Galilee is not exactly a small lake you can throw a stone across. It is rather large. Sailing across it takes a while with a good tail wind. And it is much easier to sail than to try to hike around the edge of the Sea on foot. How was Jesus going to catch up with them? Was He saying goodbye? Was this it?
Apart from just loving to be around Jesus (who wouldn’t), Matthew and his colleagues had real concerns for the safety of Jesus in this crowd, in this region, and his ability to rejoin them any time soon. The disciples had no orders for what to do when they reached the other side. What then? Were they supposed to wait? To minister? To setup a fishing camp? What? This is why Jesus nearly had to force them to obey what He wanted. Once they did, Jesus sent the multitude away, and went up a mountain to pray. He was there alone. Meanwhile Matthew records picking up in verse 24 saying … “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.” Picture a microburst. Picture a water spout. Picture the terror of being on the middle of the Sea of Galilee with only a few accomplished fishermen, the rest were tradesmen of other crafts so pretty much useless in a Sea fairing crisis. The storm that comes is fierce, perhaps fierce enough to interrupt the prayers of Jesus. There was no Coast Guard, no rescue ships, nobody to save you. If your boat filled up with water – you drowned. This was not a casual bit of rain, it was a life and death struggle to survive, and it was being done at night, when it is far more difficult to see in highly reduced light (no moon, no stars, only thick clouds).
Matthew continues in verse 25 saying … “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. [verse 26] And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.” First thing to remember is the disciples had NO idea this was Jesus heading their way. All they saw was a human form, that was a source of light, which would really stand out in the darkness all around them. It was moving at incredible speeds. Jesus was not moving at a snail’s pace, or taking the time it would take a normal person to walk the distance the disciples had already sailed before the storm kicked up. That would take hours. This was happening in minutes. This form was moving across the waters at a great speed, and for every step it took, the waves were smoothing out like butter in front of it. Only a ghost could do this, or a demon, bent on possessing one or all of them in that boat. And they were terrified to a man. Every one of them began screaming like a cackle of little girls. Again this all happening in seconds and minutes.
Matthew continues in verse 27 saying … “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Now let’s take a second look at this from the perspective of Jesus. He is alone atop a mountain in deep prayer with His Father. This was not something new and unusual, this was a habit for Him. It usually happened at night, because He did not want to deny His time with us during the day. So when we were all tired and heading to bed, Jesus could not wait to get to talk to His Father. He would climb the nearest hilltop to be as close as He could get, and begin His prayers. So it was this night. But something interrupts Him. He can sense that the devil has begun a special attack on His crew out on the water, intending to kill them all while Jesus is busy in prayer. The devil figures Jesus is too far away to help them, so they are doomed men. But the devil is wrong. Jesus stops praying and does something the devil does not count on. He moves across land and sea as if on a hover board. Each step He takes spans many feet in distance below Him. And a journey that might have taken hours is now ending in only minutes, the storm losing strength as He nears the boat.
But Jesus finds His crew in terror, screaming at the top of their lungs at His approach. He immediately slows His pace so that their fears do not rise any further. He is close enough to speak out to them, but not close enough to enter their boat yet. The storm persists at the boat. And Jesus announces who He is. He is lit up, so plainly visible to their eyes. But all they see is a ghost they believe is a demon attempting to impersonate Him. They need more proof it is really Him. Matthew continues in verse 28 saying … “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. [verse 29] And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Peter has an idea. No demon or ghost will ever help them out, but Jesus would, so he asks to join Jesus on the water.
And it works. Matthew continues in verse 30 saying … “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. [verse 31] And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” Matthew is more generous than other gospels on this story. Matthew attributes Peter’s doubt to the ferocity of the storm, but in truth there was more to it than that. Other gospels record Peter turning around to look back at the others still in the boat, and immediately he sank. Nonetheless Peter cries out to save him, as should we, ideally as do we – and the response of Jesus is, to immediately stretch out His hand, catch Peter, and save Him. You will note, Jesus did not delay. He did not chide Peter about being dumb, and tell Peter that he needs to do better, before Jesus is going to invest the time in saving him. Peter does not need to complete the Lord’s prayer first. Or read up first. Or start attending Wednesday prayer meetings first. There were no pre-requirements. There was Peter crying out to be saved, and Jesus saving him without delay. That is how it still works with us, no matter what your church, family, or friends might tell you.
How we respond to the love of God, as we learn to love Him, is a response to that incredible love. It is not a pre-requisite to getting it. Jesus simply reminds Peter that to focus on Him, would have kept that faith strong. Asking Peter how he lost his faith, is a gentle way of showing Peter the error of looking away from Jesus, either to a storm, or to others. The same holds true for us. Looking at the crisis we face does nothing to make it better for us, but looking to Jesus will. Looking to others in the church will do nothing to increase our faith, but looking to Jesus will. Nature disappoints. Humans disappoint. But Jesus does not. This lesson was not just meant for men who were still recovering from a deep terror they felt only moments before, it is for you and for me.
Matthew continues the epilogue in verse 32 saying … “And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. [verse 33] Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” As if His identity could ever be in question again. The disciples recognized Jesus as the Son of God. But a few more subtleties for us to examine here. First, as Jesus enters the boat, the entire storm is dissipated to nothing. Game over Satan. Satan, demons, and “ghosts” may be literally out to kill you; they were trying to kill Jesus’ first followers. But Jesus wins those battles every time; we need only look to Him. Nature obeys the will of Jesus, Jesus is not captivated by the will of Nature. In addition, time and physics also bend to the will of Jesus. His movement across and land and sea to reach His disciples did not end there. Upon entering the boat, other gospels stated, the boat was “immediately” at the destination they were originally sailing for. The hover effect continued, or time and space were folded, either way distance is no object for Jesus, then or now.
The disciples perhaps once feared the night, but no more. They learned, as should we, that dark is not something Jesus cannot see through. He can rescue us from the dark we embrace, save us the moment we call out to Him, and be with us when time and physics say it is impossible to reach the destinations He may have in mind. From this moment on, I would bet the disciples longed to see a human form lit up at night, not fearing any ghost or demon, but instead hoping it would be Jesus once again. When fear disappears, faith and hope can emerge. No more shrieks of terror, instead shouts of joy and hosanna to fill that night air. Were it me, I believe I would have collapsed at the feet of Jesus unable to move, like a two-year-old content to curl up under daddy’s chair. I have great respect for the disciple’s ability to continue on in their journey with Jesus. And continue on they did; the miracles were about to reveal even greater truth to them only moments away …
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