Bread on the Hillside
But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:30 · Berean Standard Bible
But when Peter noticed the fierce wind, fear took over and he began to sink. His cry, 'Lord, save me!' is the shortest and most powerful prayer in the Bible.
You will have moments when you take your eyes off Jesus and start sinking. The good news is that 'Lord, save me!' is always enough. He's always within reach.
Peter cries out in desperation as he begins to sink.
Peter's faith wavers when he focuses on the storm instead of Jesus. But even in his failure, he knows exactly who to call out to.
Peter's shift in focus from Jesus to the anemon ischyron ('strong wind') triggers his sinking. The participial construction blepōn ton anemon ('seeing the wind') indicates that sensory perception displaced faith as the governing principle.
Peter's experience illustrates the Matthean theme of oligopistia (little faith): genuine faith that falters under pressure. His cry kyrie sōson me ('Lord, save me!') is a compressed prayer of desperation.
The narrator describes Peter's failure, and Peter cries out to Jesus.
The moment Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and focuses on the storm, he begins to sink. But his instinct to cry out to Jesus saves him.
28“Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.”
29“Come,” said Jesus.
30But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”
32And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind died down.
Read all of Matthew 14 — A king's guilty banquet ends with a prophet's head on a platter. Hours later, Jesus feeds thousands and walks on water through the night.
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