Keep Your Eye on the Ball

by James Lincoln on Sunday, May 21, 2006

Several years ago I was playing basketball with some friends in our church gym. At the time I had a pretty good outside shot and so Dave Vanamburg saw that I was open and threw me the ball. For a split second I took my eye off the ball assuming that I would catch it to take a quick look at the basket. However, instead of catching the ball it hit the end of my thumb. And when it did it sounded like a gun shot had gone off. It broke my thumb! I learned two things. One, it's hard to type on your computer with a cast on your hand. Second, it's always a good thing to keep your eye on the ball.

In sport it's just a fundamental rule. So, whether you're trying to hit a golf ball, a base ball or catching a football what's the rule? "KEEP YOU EYE ON THE BALL."

This story of Peter made me think about this rule. When he took his eye off of the LORD Jesus he began to sink in the sea. He let something of lesser power, worth, and value take charge of his heart and mind. Has that ever happened to you? We'll come back to Peter in a few moments. First, let's enjoy this amazing lesson Jesus has for His disciples to learn.

Jesus made His disciple get into the boat and go ahead of them to the other side, till he should send the crowds away. It was getting late so He dismissed the crowds, got alone and prayed. Several hours later both the boat and the disciples were being beaten by the waves and an opposing wind. It was somewhere between 3 & 5 AM.

All of this took place immediately following the feeding of the five thousand. Why did Jesus send the crowds away? I can think of several possible reasons:

1. They had been there most of the day it was getting dark and it was just time to get on home and back to their lives.

2. In John 6:15 some had begun to talk about how they might take Jesus by force and make Him king. They had their idea of the kingdom of God. But Jesus' idea was much different than theirs. He doesn't want their idea to get any traction. Notice that they were willing to receive Jesus as their king as long as it was on their terms (cf. Jn.6:66 and why they left Him in v.65).

3. The most important reason Jesus sent the crowd away was so that He could pray. He loved His Father in heaven. He knew that God was the source of everything good, beautiful, just and right. He knew that this world belonged to His Father and all that is in it. He knew that no one could ever love Him the way His Father in heaven loved Him. These realities drew Him to pray prayers of adoration, thanksgiving and intercession for Himself and His disciples. We know from John 17 that He loved to pray for His disciples. He loved them. Jesus is keeping His eye on the ball so that He doesn't get distracted by attractive but lesser things. He doesn't want to get distracted by the ambitions and aspirations of others. Jesus often got alone to pray to His heavenly Father. And, beloved, we know that He is now at the right hand of God the Father praying and interceding for us, His children, without ceasing. Isn't that good news?

Rough Waters

While Jesus was praying the disciples were boat about three or four miles out at sea somewhere between 3-5 in the morning. They had only gone three or four miles in five hours. That's less than one mile per hour. This was a hard and agonizingly slow trip across the lake. They were being battered by the waves and strong head winds.

Storms were common on the Sea of Galilee. It's about nine miles long and seven wide. It rests in a river canyon running just south of Mt. Herman which rises over nine thousand feet. The cool air moves over the mountain and through the canyon with high cliffs on both sides. When it meets the warm air from the water basin of the lake it can create some serious storms.

Have you ever been in trouble in water? I've discovered that you can easily underestimate the power of the sea. Once I was fishing in the Gulf of Mexico when our guide decided to trade some beer for shrimp off a shrimp boat. From a distance the waves didn't seem to be all that big. But when we tried to get close enough to lower the basket for the trade it became clearer to me how big they were. I was certain we were all going to die. Our boat bobbed like a small cork next to that gigantic shrimp boat. Somehow we managed to live through it. But for a few minutes I was certain this was my last day on planet earth.

Once windsurfing down at Hood River I was sailing back from the Washington side when I decided to bear down on the boom to take advantage of the high winds. Just as I did my mast broke in half! The strong wind pulled the boom out of my hands and drove the sail straight into the water. Within seconds the current flowing east could fill my eight meter sail with water underneath the board. Do you know how difficult it is to pull an eight meter sail out of the water against the current? Now, if that wasn't bad enough guess where I was on the river? I was in the barge lane. I was being pulled down the river by east winds and an east current with no way to get out of the barge lane. In an attempt to get my sail out of the current I just became fatigued and unable to pull any more or swim. I was absolutely helpless in the middle of the Columbia River being carried toward Portland by the wind and the current in the barge lane. After a while someone sailing by saw me and gave me a tow and brought me to safety. It is easy to underestimate the power of the sea or a river. You can find yourself helpless very fast. To a much greater degree the disciples felt that same thing. We know from Mark's account that they were in trouble in the middle of the sea.

Obedience and Trouble

Notice that it was in the midst of an act of obedience that they encountered these life threatening conditions. And this went on for hours without any relief. Why didn't they just turn back? I don't know. Perhaps turning the boat around would have been too risky. Perhaps they were just wanting to be obedient to Jesus. Maybe they were just determined and didn't want to give in. Whatever their motive notice that obedience doesn't guarantee you smooth sailing and calm seas. Obedience doesn't mean that you get a pass from fearful, terrible, and at time even life threatening circumstances. Peter says, "1 Peter 4:12, "Beloved, don't think it a strange thing concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you." James says "Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of every kind. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and endurance." (Ja. 1:2-3).

Remember that this is the second time Jesus has led his disciples into the sea during a storm. The first time was in Mark four. Once again a thunderstorm battered the boat and began filling it up with water. The disciples panicked. Do you know what Jesus was doing? He was fast asleep with a cushion under his head. The disciples woke Jesus up and said to Jesus, "Teacher, don't you care that we are all about to be killed?" Our first reaction to life threatening circumstances is to blame God for not caring about us or being asleep at the wheel. We begin to question His love for us.

Beloved, God often uses life threatening situations to work in us a greater apprehension of His power and love which increases our faith. God isn't toying with us. He has good reasons for the various trials He ordains for us. He is working out something good for you. But that doesn't mean that it's necessarily something easier. Nobility only comes through serious suffering. Jesus intentionally leads us at times into protracted and prolonged ordeals. And our temptation is to think, "Life is not supposed to be this hard!" Once I remember saying that to another minister. He said "Where in the world did you ever get that idea? You certainly didn't get it from the Scriptures or Paul or Jesus."

My youngest daughter Rebekah made a pact with her best friend that they would attend Wheaton College together after high school. So, they worked hard, made good grades and applied. However, when the letter came back from Wheaton it was one of those thin envelopes. She had been rejected. I can't tell you how disappointed she was with God. All that hard work, all those plans and dreams all seemed for nothing. I asked her about plan "B". She said "Dad there's not plan B. I just believe this was God's will for me all these years." I don't think I had ever seen my daughter's heart so broken. Then I got mad at God. "How could you do this? How could you break her heart like that?" The bottom just dropped out and we were numb. Several weeks later we got another letter from Wheaton College. This time the envelope was thick. In it was a letter from the admissions department with an apology. They had inadvertently made a mistake. She was accepted after all. On that occasion Rebekah had to live a few weeks with a broken dream. Some have to live a life time with some broken dreams. At times God doesn't give us what we want. And the reason is that what we want is not always the best thing for the spreading of His glory and for our ultimate joy.

The boat was being battered by the waves and the wind. The storm was still raging... The boat was still rising and falling...the disciples see this figure of a man in front of them somehow standing on the water and unfazed by the chaos. Their first thought is that they are seeing a ghost or a phantom. They were terrified. The original word means to shake. Have you ever been so afraid that you shook? But it wasn't a ghost; it was Jesus. And they cried out in fear. They were exhausted, frightened, confused about what's happening and notice what Jesus says. He says, "Take courage...It is I." and then "Stop being afraid." "Take courage", "It is I", and "Stop being afraid"; these are awesome words to hear and to have land in your heart.

"Take courage" is another way of saying "Calm down" or "It's OK." When the disciples fell on their faces in fear at the transfiguration of Jesus He gave them the same words. "Take courage..." When Jairus got the news that his daughter was dead because Jesus was busy helping an older woman Jesus turned to him and said, "Take courage your daughter isn't dead." Can you hear Jesus saying to your heart right now...Take courage... Be calm, calm down...

His next words were "It is I." Literally this is the phrase ego eimi. This wasn't the common way to say, "It's me." But the disciples would have recognized it. When God called Moses to return to Egypt and bring Israel out of four hundred years of slavery, Moses said to God..."Who shall I say has sent me?" God said, "Say this...say..I AM that I AM has sent you." God then went on to explain what that phrase meant.. He said, "Moses tell them that The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob has sent you. This is my name forever. Therefore I am to be remembered throughout all generations." And then He repeated the covenant promise He had made to Abraham 400 years earlier.

In Isa.43:10 God said, "I even I am the one who comforts you...who are you to be afraid? Have you forgotten the Lord your maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth... You are my people."

What power is greater than God's who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth? Who can be more trustworthy than the LORD God who kept His word after four hundred years and brought Israel out of her bondage in Egypt? Jesus uses the phrase Go used to identify Himself. This is the One who says to them, "Take courage and don't be afraid."

Jesus knows that our sin creates in all of us an underlying fear of God. Yet He shows his disciples that He has come to take away the fear of those who will trust in Him. The perfect love of Jesus drives out fear. Are you afraid? What are you afraid of? If God put the stars in place and laid the foundations of the earth and sustains it every moment is for you who can stand against you?

His disciples can feel safe and be calm because It's God and His infinite and limitless power and love who rules heaven and earth and keeps His promises who is calling them to be calm and standing calm, undisturbed and unshaken in the chaos of that storm. Can you hear Jesus saying to you...Take courage... Be calm... Settle down. IT IS I... I AM that I AM...stop being afraid. Trust in Me.

What saves them is not that Jesus makes much to do about them. But that He makes much to do about Himself. Today we think that the answer to our many fears, insecurities and inadequacies is to just keep telling ourselves how special we are. This idea to make much to do about us has filled our education system and parenting manuals. Beloved, what we need to do to overcome our fears is to make much to do about God and His son Jesus. His perfect love drives out fear.

Peter is so captivated by seeing Jesus and hearing his words that he says, "If it is you, LORD, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come"...Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Remember that the storm hasn't changed any. The wind and waves are still surging and battering the boat. And Peter's first thought is to run to Jesus. But of course, he can't run because of the water. That is unless Jesus makes it so. I love Peter. He just never seems to do anything half way. This is a remarkable act of faith. He wants to be in the safety, security and peace that is imitating from Jesus. He wants to be as close to Jesus as possible. But he knows that unless Jesus wills it... it's impossible. So, He asks for permission. "If you will it LORD can I come out to you? There's no indication that Peter is grandstanding or showing off. Peter is just like this. He's all or nothing. When he does good it's remarkable; when he does bad it's equally remarkable. Peter can go from great acts of loyalty to great acts of denial. His inability to see middle ground both serves him and hurts him at the same time.

Seeing Jesus and hearing His words moves Peter to want to be with him above every other consideration except one and that is: the Lord's will.

Notice that Jesus is not put off by such a request. I think the reason is that Peter's motives are just about as singular as they can get. All Peter wants is to run to Jesus because there is no better and safer place to be. This is not about Peter doing a miracle of walking on the water. It's about Peter wanted to run into the arms of Jesus who is his hope and joy.

So, Jesus said, "Come." Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water and started toward Jesus. Remember the storm is still surging. However, when Peter "saw the wind" he got scared and as he did he began to sink. He cried out, "LORD, save me!"

What happened to his faith? At first he was captivated by Jesus, His presence and His words. But what happened? Peter started to focus on the wind and the waves...the threat and the chaos. When he was looking and listening to Jesus everything was fine. But when he took his eye and concentration off Jesus he became frightened again and started sinking. So, He cried out "Lord save me." It's a good prayer. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand (one hand...This is effortless. Jesus isn't struggling. Jesus isn't worried or anxious. Jesus takes Peter up with one hand and said, "O man of little faith, why did you waver?"

Now, we know that Jesus didn't have to grab Peter to save him. He could have simply commanded it. But I suspect that He wanted Peter to feel His love and power and to feel His hand and grip.

This tells me that we need each other. We need to be hugged, touched, and held, heard, and forgiven. Our faith is communion with God and also with each other. Our feelings and emotions are critical pieces of our faith. They are not good foundations for our theology...but they are wondrous and necessary.

In the pressure and stress of the storm Peter's faith wavered. He failed to rest the eyes of his faith on Jesus. The truth and reality of the presence, infinite power, love and supremacy of Jesus got eclipsed by the threat, the fear, the uncertainty, confusion and chaos of the storm.

Our faith will waver, our doubts will rise and we will sink if we concentrate on and give more weight to anything other than Jesus. What's the focus of your concentration today? What do you pay attention to? Is it Jesus and His word or a million other distractions that have captured your attention?

When Jesus and Peter returned and got into the boat, finally...the winds stopped and the situation calmed down. "And the disciples worshipped Him. Saying, 'You are the Son of God.'"

Some Lessons

1. The stresses and storms of life can reveal a lot about us and our perceptions of these storms can be way off base. When Naomi left Moab to return to Judea she told Ruth, "The hand of the Lord is against me!" Was it? She had lost everything. Her husband, her sons in law, her means of support were all gone. But was the hand of the Lord against her? No! He was ordaining the circumstances of her life to set her up for a blessing so rich and full her heart would barely be able to contain it.

Jesus sent His disciples into the storm...not to harm them, but to teach them a lesson about His worth, power and love for them. He does the same for us. So, as Peter would later say, "Don't think it a strange thing when you face a fiery ordeal. Rejoice God is up to something good in your life. "

2. Be careful about what captures your attention. Earlier this week I started looking at the wind. I could see the threats, confusion, the chaos in people's lives, the problems and conflicts loomed large. And for a moment they captured my attention. I started to sink. Then by the grace of God I caught a glimpse of Jesus, standing calm, strong, unshakable, unmovable, infinite in His power and full of tender mercies. One who cannot ever break one of His promises and who will always keep his Word. In the presence of His infinite power, Supremacy and love the effect of the wind began to fade. Peace and Joy returned. This will never happen if we make much to do about us instead of much to do about Jesus.

3. Finally, all of this is really about worship. The climax of the story is not that Peter and the disciples were rescued. It's that the disciples were saved to know who was worthy of their worship. They worshipped Jesus and called Him the Son of God. If Jesus wasn't God with us in the flesh then this would have been the most blasphemous of moments. But His miracles and the resurrection proved that He indeed was God with us. But worship is about primarily value. It's about what you value you the most, prize the most, honor the most, treasure the most, love the most and what you find most beautiful and worthy. Jesus shows us where we can find rest for our souls during the storms of life and that is in honoring Him, seeing Him, running to Him, trusting Him who is the only one who can forgive our sins and give us life. No one can ever love you like Jesus. No one is worthy of your worship and adoration. So, look unto Jesus... listen to His words...His commands... His promises and above all worship Him. This week don't make much about yourself...Make much about the Lord of heaven and earth who came to forgive our sins and love us with His power and grace. Keep you eye on the ball. And the ball is JESUS!