It is I, Do Not Be Afraid

Matthew 14:22-33

²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,^[a] for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind,^[b] he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

"It is I; Do Not Be Afraid"
Nicole Guthrie

August 9, 2020

This whole chapter of Matthew is fraught with heavy emotion. At the beginning of this series of stories, we hear about the circumstances of John the Baptist’s murder. He was imprisoned for speaking out against the ruler’s illegal, incestuous marriage and, as a result of a trick request by a guest at his banquet, he has John beheaded and his head served on a platter to the women who requested it.

For Jesus and his disciples alike, this had to have been a terribly upsetting and grievous time in their ministry. John was not only a cousin of Jesus, but was also involved in preaching about this new way; they were partners in ministry. The news of his death had to be a crushing reality for Jesus and is confirmed when, upon hearing this news, he leaves by boat to a deserted place to be alone, I imagine to process the grief of this loss.

What happens next is a typical experience for Jesus. He tries to rest in solitude, connect with Spirit, and the crowds of people still manage to find him when they hear he is nearby. The crowds followed him on foot along the shore, and as is Jesus’ nature, he had compassion on them. He healed folks, and then through abundance and generosity they feed 5,000. The needs are great, people are sick, people are hungry, and they come to the one who provides. Jesus in all of his personal trouble and grief first offers compassion and takes the time to care for his followers.

After all this, Jesus finally gets time alone, to go up on the mountain to pray, to be alone, to refresh. He sends the disciples on ahead, in what I imagine is a kind of “I’ll catch up with you later” kind of way. In the time they’ve been separated; however, a storm is present and growing on the sea. The boat full of the disciples is being battered by the waves and the wind. Even for skilled fishermen, this must have been a long night of staying watchful and rowing. The chaos of the sea is unpredictable and dangerous if you aren’t paying attention and the unknowns of what could happen keep fear in the forefront of their minds.

Surely we can relate on some level with Jesus and the disciples. There are plenty of places where we can see the chaos of the sea in our current culture and lives. We see it in our current political climate, where money and power and oppression are seen as the norm and most healthy way to run our government. We can see it in systemic racism, continuous oppression, and policies that hinder the flourishing of black and brown bodies and those who are in the margins. We see it in the brokenness of our immigration and healthcare systems. We see it when we refuse to care for our environment, when we refuse to protect the people and essential workers in our communities by wearing a mask, when we watch interviews of the leader of our country that leave us baffled, just to name a few. We are active players in this tapestry of chaos and fear. It’s palpable. And, I imagine, it was palpable for Jesus and the Disciples, too. It had to be.

There is the chaos of the sea, but also the chaos of the prior events. I wonder if the disciples were worried and fearful that they may end up like John the Baptist. Following Jesus was not a “safe” path. There was risk. Jesus was subversive, countercultural, and delighted in pushing the boundaries with the powers that be. He was actively trying to show us another way to be in the world. That people didn’t have to be beholden to the strict purity laws that decided who was in or out, or who was clean and unclean. Jesus was preaching and teaching a more inclusive and diverse way, showing by example that the table can be made wider, to include everyone. This came at quite a cost to a system that valued just the opposite. Jesus and the disciples were making their own waves and now they were dealing with the aftermath of what could happen at the hands of those in power.

When Jesus is ready to meet back up with his friends, he realizes that the boat is very far from shore and sees that they’ve had a rough night of sailing. On top of an already grueling night, I’m not surprised that the disciples, upon seeing Jesus walking towards them on the water, think what they’re seeing is a ghost. Immediately, he consoles them, by saying “Take heart. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

And here is where the story differs from the version we find in Mark, we find this beautiful interaction between Teacher and disciple. Peter almost demands that if it is really Jesus, to call him out on the water with him. Peter, I think, is intrigued by Jesus’ use of “It is I.” This phrase would have been familiar to the disciples from their Hebrew scriptures. Jesus uses the self-designated word for God that is echoed in both Isaiah and the Psalms. Particularly in Isaiah, God is rescuing Israel from slavery and is repeatedly reminding them to not be afraid along with the phrase of “It is I” or “I am he” Do not fear.

Peter follows Jesus’ invitation to join him in the chaos of the storm. Peter almost makes it before he is aware of the wind and waves and becomes fearful. He lets that fear get to him, and when he starts to falter, knowing who is near, he calls out to be saved. Without hesitation, Jesus reaches out for Peter and steadies him, holds him close. He does chide him just a little. “Why Peter did you have such little faith, why did you doubt?” And once they’re back in the safety of the boat, the storm and wind subsides and the disciples rejoice and worship Jesus saying “truly you must be the Son of God!”

The book of Matthew has a couple overarching themes that are particularly relevant to this story. Matthew heavily speaks to the nearness and presence of God-- this idea that the kin-dom of God is here and now-- a present reality, not something to come later. It also emphasizes the idea of Jesus as God’s Son. It makes sense to me that the narrative of Peter’s request and the disciples' worship after the storm was calmed were added to this retelling of the version we have in the Gospel of Mark. These two additions perfectly communicate both of these themes.

Another important note is that the book of Matthew is the most Jewish of the Gospels in its language and was most likely read by Christians who were in transition. In other words, they were likely Jewish, but also believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they were trying to figure out this new territory in proclaiming the divinity of Christ while also holding onto their ethnic and traditional roots. As you might imagine, this would have caused much tension in their time and place. These new Jewish Christians would have been seen as heretics in the eyes of those who followed the orthodoxy.

For example, in Mark’s version of this event, the disciples are mostly just baffled at who Jesus was -- who was he that he could perform the miracle of controlling the sea and the weather? In Matthew’s telling, Peter experiences this presence in a real, physical way and, in turn, so do the disciples who witness it from aboard the boat. They begin to realize this presence in Jesus, as the “God with us” and among us. The kin-dom of heaven was with them and in them, and all around them, even in the middle of the chaos and darkness of the sea.

I think it’s also important to explore what we see as Jesus scolding Peter for having little faith and being asked why he doubted. I don’t believe Jesus was trying to say he didn’t have enough faith or trying to tell him that this one moment of weakness is what determined his faltering on the sea. I believe Jesus was encouraging him to continue to grow his faith and to continue to grow in the trust of what Jesus was teaching. Of course, these things are always easier said than done because they take a great deal of work on our part, but Peter displayed courage in the belief that if Jesus called him, he could do it.

There are so many things to be fearful about right now in our lives, in the midst of the pandemic and in the midst of this ambient grief that Debra spoke about last week. For me, and I’m sure for you, too, some of the fears and griefs and anxieties feel especially pronounced right now. When everything is so chaotic and unknown and the news we hear each day is stormy, this story calls us to remember that the presence of God is with us, always. In the midst of chaos and darkness and heavy grief, in the midst of all the things we could list that make us anxious and the wonderings in our minds about what will happen next. God is calling us to remember that in our fear, settle in and listen to her saying “It is I, do not be afraid.”

Often when I’m in my own fear and grief, I need to make space to hear the voice of God calling to me reminding me “do not be afraid, it is I.” We can do this personally and collectively and I think both are equally important. For me, making space to hear and feel the Spirit’s presence looks like retreating to a quiet place for prayer and meditation, for sacred reading and time in nature. Collectively, just as the disciples, along with Peter, experienced this miracle, we can reach out for each other for support, too. For me that looks like participating in a small group, having a friend that I know will listen and support me, and sometimes that means that I’m caring for my friends in their needs, too. We are called to remind each other that we are not far from each other and not far from the Spirit of God that is always within us.

I invite you to think about the ways in which you hear the voice of God calling to you to not be afraid and hear this poem by Steve Garnaas-Holmes, entitled, “It is I”:


Serene One,

when the wind is against me, battering,

it is you who walk on the sea of my troubles.


When I am panicked

you are the one who says “Do not be afraid.

It is I.”


On the waves of my heart you stand firm

and calm them, not with magic

but your presence. “It is I.”


Not escaping them, nor after they are stilled,

but still raging, you invite me into the waves

of suffering and injustice.


I do not calm them. I stand firm,

not by my ability, but by hanging on to you

even when, as I shall be, I am sinking.


It is you who hold me up,

you who are steady in my fear,

you who heal the turbulence.


Over the waters of chaos,

even before ”Let there be light,” you said,

“It is I.”



May it be so, Amen.