Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. Matthew 14:22 (NIV)
The NBC network must have known they were onto a winner when they came up with the idea for a show called Fear Factor. This was a show in which contestants were challenged to confront their greatest fears. These included anything from sitting in a pit surrounded by snakes to sliding out on a horizontal flagpole on top of a tall building.
The reason the show became popular is that it connected. NBC could market it all over the world. It crossed cultural barriers, because everyone has fears, and there is something profoundly fascinating about other people overcoming their fears.
Nothing is more debilitating to faith than the power of fear, so think about what it means for you to overcome your fears. Start by considering one of the Bible’s great stories on overcoming fear, the time when Jesus walked on water. This story begins when Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him across the lake.
This is significant. Jesus made them do this. He put them in a situation that would turn out to be very frightening. Presumably, they wanted to stay with Jesus while He dismissed the crowds, but He said, “No, I want you to go on your own to the other side of the lake.”
Remember, the disciples had already been in a storm on the lake when Jesus was with them (Mat. 8:23-27). But on this second occasion, Jesus put the disciples in a situation where they would face a storm without His visible presence with them. That’s how it is for us today.
Jesus was saying to the disciples, “You have learned to trust me when I am physically with you in the boat, now I want you to learn to trust me when you cannot see me.”
Is there something you’ve been avoiding because you are afraid?
