St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 34 - 35, The Test of Heart: the people.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Other miracles) Part 1.   

The disciples were now settled in the boat.  The winds were calm and the waves were flat.  No longer did the waves overtake the boat in an effort to drown it in the sea.  Christ was present and all was calm.  The disciples were in awe at the power and majesty of Christ who commanded Peter to walk on the water.  And he did.  They were in awe of Christ who commanded the waves to calm. And they did.  They were in awe of Christ who commanded the wind to cease and it did.  They worshiped him in the recognition of his kinship to God Almighty.  For they recognized thatChrist was the Son of Almighty God himself.  But in their recognition, did they believe, did they know, did they understand the person who was before them.  Or did they worship out of fear?  

Peter walked on the water and had that unique experience within himself.  No one can take that from him.  It was real and he experienced it himself.  It was real for the other disciples also who witnessed the miracle themselves.  And they all had a common experience to remember and to share.  Was this enough to convince?  Was this enough to make certain?  Was this enough for them to know without a doubt who was this Christ, this rabbi that they followed?  Only time would tell.  So they continued on their journey with Christ,  And crossing over, they came to the land at Genesar.   The inhabitants of that place as soon as they recognized him, sent into that whole country, and brought to him all the sick.

The inhabitants recognized Him.  How did they recognize Him?  How did they know Him?  How did they see Him?  For the news of Him traveled throughout the land and into the countryside, into the villages and towns and neighboring districts.  All heard the story of the man who healed with a touch.  All heard of the blind being made to see, the cripple made to walk, the lame made whole again and the dead coming to life again.  All heard of him who did such miracles.  The disciples knew.  They knew him daily, by the hour, sleeping, eating and in his presence at all times.  But did they believe?  Did they truly know with all their knowledge and wisdom the truth of the person of Christ.  He spoke to them with love.  He told them of compassion.  He gave them of himself that they may believe within themselves the truth of who he was.  But did that truth enter into their hearts?  Did that truth fill them with joy?  Did that truth tell them of who they were in Christ?  Did that truth penetrate to their souls that they were open to the light of Christ?

Do we recognized Christ today?  Are we truly aware of his presence in our lives today?  We can say and speak of him in our churches, in the company of others, in our prayers, at work with our co-workers, in the malls, and at dinner in the restaurants.  We can shout his holy name in our worship, but is he within us?  We can do all the things that indicate that we are true believers, but do we know him as we should?  Christ is the light of the world.  He came that we may have life.  He gave his life that we may find repentance, be justified in God's sight, and have eternal salvation.  He came that we may have life more abundantly.  Do we recognize immediately as the inhabitants did?  Do we believe that he is a healer?  Do we believe that he can make the lame walk?  Was it because of the miracles that Christ worked that we the people, the inhabitants of earth recognize him?  Christ said to the Samaritan woman at the well,   "If thou didst know the gift of God."  Do you know God's gift?  Do you believe?  Faith is the belief in the desire to be one with Christ.  How strong is your desire?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 31, The Test of Heart: The Admonition from Christ.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter walks on the water) Part 4.  

The heart was elated.  The heart was filled with joy.  The heart was in Christ and Christ was in Peter.  For Peter walked on water.  There was no doubt in this fact.  It happened.  He experienced it within himself, within his heart, within his being, within his mind, within his soul.  And his heart was elated.  His heart was overjoyed.  But he allowed something to happen.  He allowed the world to come in.  He allowed the wind and the waves to change his heart.  He allowed what was happening around him to take the focus from his heart to his mind and the mind brought in the world.  How is this happening?  How am I walking on water?  How is the water supporting me that I can step as though I was on solid ground?  These and other questions came to mind and invaded the heart to push Christ out.  

The joy of the miracle was gone.  The elation of the heart was gone.  The light of the spirit left and in came doubt.  And with doubt the miracle faded and Peter began to sink in the water.  The more he allowed doubt to come the more he sank and with the sinking came fear.  He was loosing the power of the spirit.  He was experiencing the loss of faith in Christ.  For it was through Christ the the miracle began.  Christ said, "Come."  And Peter came.  Christ said walk on water and Peter walked on water.  Christ said behold all things are possible within me and the possibility of walking on water became true with Peter.  Yet just as the miracle happened, the miracle stopped happening when the heart stopped believing, the mind took over, and fear came in.   But seeing the wind was strong, he was afraid; and as he began to sink he cried out saying, "Lord, save me!"

It is hard to imagine something that we have not seen before.  It is difficult to believe in something that has not happened before.  For history has not recorded anything like man walking on water.  History has not given us any recollection of such happening that man can explain.  So we do not believe.  Our minds do not allow us to believe that such is possible.  And thus we maintain a sense of skepticism, a degree of doubt and disbelief.  If someone told us that we could be healed just by our belief in Christ, we would naturally doubt the assertion because there is little to no evidence of that fact.  It is not established in the world by facts that we can intelligently believe.  Yet it is this same doubt and disbelief that separates us from the opportunity to receive the healing powers of the spirit.   And Jesus at once stretched forth his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? "

The kingdom of God is within our midst, if we believe.  The kingdom of heaven is upon us, if we open our hearts to the power of the spirit.  Christ told Peter to come.  Christ tells us today that we can, we are, and we will.  Do you believe?  Do you know?  Can you seek?  Will you find?  Will it be opened to you to see the power of Almighty God?  Imagine what Peter felt walking on the water!  Imagine what you will feel receiving your miracle!  The world will hold on to you.  The world will resist allowing you to make your transformation.  The world will tell you that you are loosing reality, that we are not sane.  The world will do everything to keep you from believing, but belief in Christ and his healing power requires that you let go of reality. 

Belief in Christ and the things that are possible through him requires that you leave reality and the world behind.  Belief in Christ requires that you take on a new reality in Christ and the kingdom of heaven.  Only through this transformation will you be able to step into the kingdom and look back upon the world as another place.  Come, experience the miracle of rebirth!  You are not of the world.  You are of the kingdom of heaven, only in the world to do the bidding of Christ, only to be his witness to the things that are.  Your treasures are in heaven and not of this world.  Discover the treasure in you and you will know the joy and peace of who you are.  The world does not want you to know.  The world wants to steal your treasure.  The world wants you to sleep and be deceived about who you are in Christ.  Peter was in Christ and Christ was in Peter as he walked on the water.  Imagine what miracles you will experience when Christ is in you and you are in Christ.  Faith is the belief in the desire to be one in Christ.  How strong is your desire?