Comfort for Fearful Disciples

After the Lord Jesus had fed the multitude of five thousand, the people desired to take Him by force and to make Him a king. Perhaps even His own disciples were carried away with this idea. The Lord therefore constrained His disciples to get into the ship and to go to the other side of the lake while He sent the multitude away. Then He “departed into a mountain to pray.” May we also have such habits! Especially in times when we receive honor in the world, it is necessary to pray.

It was not the desire of the disciples to leave the Lord Jesus. Therefore they needed to be “constrained” to enter into the ship. God's people understand that. Once they have tasted of His presence and nearness, they do not want to miss Him anymore. But it is not the Lord's way that they should experience His presence continually while they are in this world. The disciples were constrained to go to the other side of the lake without Christ.

When Christ fed the multitude, the day was already “far spent.” That referred to the “first evening” of the Jewish day, i.e., the afternoon. But now we read, “When even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea.” This refers to the Jewish “second evening.” The sun had now set. It was dark. The winds had become contrary. The disciples found themselves in the midst of a storm. And where was the Lord Jesus? He was “alone on the land.”

“And He saw them toiling in rowing.” Oh, so it often is after the sweet Communications of Christ are experienced. The disciples might distribute the loaves to the multitude and might eat of them themselves, but so soon afterwards they must experience such a storm. How was it possible? Did they not go over the lake at the bidding of the Lord Himself? Were they not going in His way? Had He not sent them over? Why then was there not smooth sailing?

The Lord has a people who often cannot understand His dealings with them. Many times the sharpest trials come in the paths of those who fear the Lord and are walking in His way. But it can cause so many questions to arise in their hearts. Nor are those trials quickly abated.

Oh, it is true, the Lord Jesus saw His disciples. He knew where they were. “He saw them toiling in rowing.” But He did not come to them right away. No, He waited. It was not until the “fourth watch,” just before dawn, that the Lord Jesus came to them. The last time they came into a storm the Lord Jesus was with them, although He was sleeping. Then they could go to Him and awake Him, saying, “Master, Master, we perish.” This time, however, they must miss His presence altogether. The time was long. They must toil all the night. Oh, how the trials increase with the further leadings of those people. The more grace they may receive, the more they can expect it to be tried.

“And He saw them toiling in rowing.” Dear reader, does He also see you “toiling in rowing”? Do you also know of storms in your life? Perhaps you can speak of many storms in a providential way. There is no man who is exempt from them. There is so much misery in this world because of our sin. But does the Lord also see you “toiling in rowing” in spiritual storms? Do you row against sin in your life? Or do you just go along with it? Can you bear sin in your outward walk of life? And if you cannot, can you bear it in your heart? Often we do not want to sin before others, but are we also concerned with sin before God? Young people, do you row against sin, or do you just go along with the stream? Is this or that thing permissible in your eyes just because “everybody does it”?

There is a people in the world whom the Lord Jesus sees from His heavenly dwelling place, “toiling in rowing.” Their sins mount up higher and higher. The Spirit causes them to dig deeper and deeper, that the fountain of iniquity within them may be uncovered. At one time they thought to increase in the way of holiness. But they must experience it to be the opposite. Though they do less sin, they become greater sinners. They row hard, but the “winds are contrary.” The good that they would, they do not, but the evil that they would not, that they do. Their hearts accuse them of being nothing but hypocrites. And what is their greatest difficulty in that storm? They miss the presence of Christ. As much as they search the Word, as much as they attend the ordinances, they cannot see Him. No, they cannot do as modern Christendom is able to do. They are not able to exercise faith at their own bidding. The true Church experiences that faith is a gift of God. Christ is a hidden Person until He reveals Himself. No, that is not to the pleasure of that people. No, no. If we thrive on that, it is altogether wrong with us. But it is a reality in the life of God's true people. It is a sad reality. You may read it often in the Psalms. David wrote: “LORD, why castest Thou off my soul? why hidest Thou Thy face from me?” “How long wilt Thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” Thus he knew what it was to come into those same storms. “And He saw them toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them.”

“Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” Who is that? That is Christ Himself. No, He will not forsake His people. He will come to them — not in their time, but in His time, which is always the best time. “And about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea.” No, the difficulties of that people are not difficulties for Christ. He comes over them all. He knows what it is to go through the storm. He was wounded for their transgressions and bruised for their iniquities. The chastisement of their peace was upon Him. But He has come through it all as the victorious One. He walks upon the sea, through the storm.

All the superstition and ignorance of the disciples made them unable to recognize the Lord Jesus. Their fear only increased. Do you know what that is, those of you who are in the storm, when your guilt lies heavy upon you, when you cannot see anything of God's mercy, but only His wrath? In all your struggles, your ignorance makes you stand in the way of your own comfort. You cannot imagine that the Lord is able to come over all your troubles. You put a limit upon the Lord, and you do not look for Him to come in His way, but in your own way.

What must Christ do, therefore? He must speak. Ah, is that your need, too, dear reader? Do you beg for that? Is it necessary that Christ come to you and make Himself known to you? Oh, when the disciples were in the height of their trouble, then Christ came to them. He spoke to them. He told them, “Be of good cheer: it is I, be not afraid.” And when Christ makes Himself known, it becomes so different. “Be not afraid.” To whom does He say it? To a fearing people. “Be not afraid.” The magnitude of your sins is not a difficulty for Me. That great mountain shall become a plain when I shall wash you with My shed blood. “Be not afraid,” for I sit and eat with publicans and sinners. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Oh, dear reader, do you know what it is for the Lord to speak? He brings His Word into the hearts of fearful people and gives them faith to lay hold upon it in a personal way. When He speaks peace, then there is peace. When He takes away the fear, then there is no fear. Then there is stillness and rest. Then the soul is able to leave everything in the hands of Him who will do for him what He has spoken.

May the Lord take away all of our own creature comforts, that He may grant in their place His own comfort. The absence of Christ gives a storm in the greatest calm, but His presence gives a calm in the greatest storm. We must pray that we may know what it is by our own experience.

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