This message was adapted from the CPH Lenten Series The Hand of the Lord for delivery to the people of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Adell, WI.

The Hand of the Lord Who Creates and Saves

Text: Matthew 14:22-33

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be

acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.

          In our Lenten and Easter series, we’ll be focusing on the hand of the Lord. Specifically, we’ll be focusing on the hand of our Lord Jesus, God in the flesh, the Creator. In our Gospel for this evening, Jesus’ hand reaches down to save Peter. What this tells us is that

THE HAND OF THE LORD SAVES.

Up to this point in Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus’ hand has already been at work. Immediately before our reading, Jesus took five loaves and two fish into His hands and fed five thousand men, besides the women and children. Jesus was in control of that situation, and He had a handle on this situation with Peter even before Peter needed Jesus to grab him out the water. It was Jesus who immediately made the disciples get into the boat. When they were struggling against the wind and the waves, it was Jesus who came to His disciples, walking on the waves.

All of this thus far has been pointing to who Jesus is. He’s God, the Creator in the flesh. We heard earlier that Job said that it is God “who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea.” Jesus is the Great I am. He’s the Word through whom “all things were made.” He’s God walking on the sea. When His hand stretches out, it’s truly the hand of the Lord. That also means that what Jesus does with those hands also is the work of God. His hand is in control. But sometimes, our limited understanding has difficulty grasping when God seems distant, mysterious, and even terrifying.

While the disciples were out in the boat, they had one of those moments. They were frightened early in the morning. But our text doesn’t say that the wind and waves were scaring them. They had, no doubt, handled their fair share of wind and waves out on the Sea of Galilee. What terrified them? It was this figure walking on the water! They cried out, “It is a ghost!” That’s something that would strike fear into the heart of a fisherman. They’ve seen plenty of things out in those waters. But never this.

But the Lord addressed each of their concerns. To their being troubled, He said, “Take heart.” To their cry that it was a ghost, He said, “It is I.” To their being afraid, He said, “Do not be afraid.” The Lord immediately addressed all of their concerns right there in those three simple phrases! Nine little words. They had everything that they needed in those words. They had the assurance that everything was in His hands.

But Peter, instead of clinging to Jesus’ words alone, ended up taking matters into his own hands. He wanted Jesus to prove it to him on his terms. “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Perhaps surprisingly, the Lord obliged. Peter was walking on the water on his way to Jesus! But it wasn’t long until Peter took his eyes off Jesus. And as soon as he did, he began to sink.

Before we’re too hard on Peter though, we should see that Peter’s actions also shine a light on our own misguided attempts to take things into our own hands. So often it happens in a moment of uncertainty, and we might wonder at why the Lord is allowing this or that to happen. How often have we been like Peter, not content to trust in the Lord’s words of promise? Instead, we attempted to seize with our hands something out of our control when we ought to have started by folding our hands in prayer. How often have we discounted patience in the Lord in favor of brash action? How often have we attempted to be so bold as to live as though His words of promise weren’t enough for us? How often do we end up crying out, just like Peter, at the mess that we made when everything slips through our fingers? It illustrates our sinful condition all too well. Our hands alone cannot keep us from sinking to the depths of eternal judgment. All that we can say with Peter is this: “Lord, save me.”

But immediately the hand of the Lord reached down and saved Peter. Jesus acted immediately and at just the right time. Jesus immediately made them get in the boat at the beginning of this account. He immediately calmed their fears. Now our Lord immediately reaches out His hand in compassion and mercy at the right time. Even while Peter was attempting to take things into his own hands, it was the Lord’s hand reaching out and grabbing ahold of him. Everything is in the Lord’s hands. Including Peter. Including you.

Because the Lord does answer our cries of “Lord, save me.” He’s taken care of our sinful condition. He’s reached down into the depths. Our Lord has taken upon Himself our own human flesh. He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, for us. This is the Hand of the Lord at work to save us today. Only God in the flesh can do that. Only the Word, through whom all things were created, can pull us from the depths of judgment and despair.

It’s true even in our moments of uncertainty. It’s not a promise that every challenge, hardship, or trial will go away immediately. Nor is it a promise that working through it will be easy or that there will be easy fixes to everything that ails us. Nor will we always understand the workings of God in our lives. But when it comes to salvation, the Lord’s merciful hand is right there. His presence and forgiveness in His Word are immediately there when we need Him. His Word and Sacraments are true, no matter how great or little our faith is. And they derive their power not from our faith but from Jesus Himself.

He has reached down with His Word and His Means of Grace to save you. Therefore, you can trust in His promises, which are true. Your old self has been drowned in Holy Baptism so that the new will arise. He has reached down to proclaim to you in Confession and Absolution that your sins are indeed forgiven. And He reaches down to feed you with His very body and blood, given and shed for you! You have everything that you need today! You have everything that you need in the gracious hand of the Lord that created you, saves you, and sanctifies you.  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.