<TITLE>02. Par 4-6</TITLE>L-4 Now, you that wants to turn to the Scripture readings, there is--we're going to read tonight a portion of Scripture from Saint Matthew, 14th chapter. And you who are keeping the markings down of the reading, let's begin about the 22nd verse as we read. Now, the 14th chapter of Saint Matthew's Gospel:
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him to the other side, while he sent the multitude away.
And when he--he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when evening was come, he was there alone.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with the waves: and the winds were contrary.
In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came unto them, walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of a good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
May I use that last three words or four, "Be Not Afraid, It Is I." I want to make that a text.

L-5 It must have been close to sundown when the big fisherman begin to move the boat back and forth to push it from the bank. I can see his great, brawny muscles, as he had the boat loaded with the rest of the apostles, as he pushed away from the bank, and shoved it free from the sands of the shore of Galilee. And it moved out into the water, the big rugged fellow climbed over some of their feet, and took his place by the side of Andrew, his brother, picked up the oar, and they started away from the shore.
And as they moved steadily out to sea, the people who loved them standing on the bank waving, and the sun going down; it must have been about twenty minutes before they disappeared out of the sight of the last one waving. I can see each one drop his oar, wave, and then pick up his oar, and start again with the little ship. Way back in the west it looked kindly red and low, as the sun sank over the Judaean hills.

L-6 There must have been a long silence, then I believe it was the young John that must have let up on his oar, and said something like this, "I remember when I was just a little boy, how that my mother used to take me on her lap and read me the story of God. And how that she used to read that story of God loving His people so well that He provided for them when they had no way to provide for themselves." And said, "That one day when God had called His people to take a journey from the land of bondage to the land of freedom, they run out of bread out in the wilderness, and there was no corn or flour for them to make bread." And he might said this, "I remember when she told me that every night that God rained bread down out of heaven. And of a morning as people would go out and get that bread." And I said to my mother, "Mother, dear, where did God get that bread to feed so many people, two million people or more, out in that wilderness? How did He send it down through the skies when they were asleep, and rained it upon the ground? Where did He get the flour, mother, to make the bread?"
Well, she used to say something like this, "My dear son, God is the Creator. He is able to make bread or create whatever He wishes to. When some requirement that God requires, He is so great, John, till He just speaks and it's there, because He is the great Creator."


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