Thursday, September 18, 2003
Thursday, September 18, 2003
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.
It's actually kind of an amusing scene. Impetuous Simon Peter has stepped out on the water, but
now he's having second thoughts.
It reminds me of one of Jerry Clower's stories about Eugene Ledbetter. Eugene and Jerry went
coon hunting. They treed a coon but could not budge him from the tree. So, Eugene decided
he'd climb the tree and shake the coon loose. But, to his surprise, it was not a coon up the tree.
It was a wildcat. In a little while Jerry heard the "awfullest" commotion up in the tree you could
imagine. Then came the voice of Eugene screaming, "Jerry! Jerry! Shoot up here amongst us.
One of us has got to have some relief." Like Eugene, Simon Peter was in over his head. He was
in trouble as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus. That's our lesson today: Keep your eyes fixed
on the master.
(1 Peter 3.12
NRSV)
You remember how the Peter's story of walking on the water ends. Peter steps out on the water
and begins his walk. Just then, though, the wind kicks up, and Peter takes his eyes off Jesus.
As soon as he does that he begins to sink. Truly frightened now he cries out, "Lord, save me!"
Dear God, may I always keep my focus on Jesus my savior. Amen.
