Have you ever done something that you were afraid to do and then discovered that you actually enjoyed it?

This might sound a little silly, but I was really afraid to drive. I used to be afraid to drive go-karts, golf carts, and four wheelers. I distinctly remember the first time I was in a go-kart on my own and the fear was palpable. But, then after doing it, I realized that it was so much fun! If I had given in to the fear then I would have missed out on so much.

Throughout the Scriptures there is an oft-repeated phrase, “fear not.” In this brief conversation with Jesus that phrase pops up again…

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. John 6:16-21, NIV
Jesus had just fed nearly 20,000 people and after doing so, he slips off to a mountain alone. The disciples then, for some reason, jump into a boat for Capernaum. Why? We don't know, but perhaps they assume that was where Jesus was going. Either way, they head out and as they do, one of the famous wind storms on the lake rises up. These storms still hit today and come on fast.

The disciples were rowing to get to shore as quickly as possible. All of a sudden they see Jesus walking on the water. John tells us that they were, “frightened.” Who wouldn’t be? There is a wind storm raging and then you see a guy walking on the water in the midst of the storm. I’d be frightened too!

Jesus simply says, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”

Then there is fascinating line, “Then they were willing to take him into the boat.”

Wait, what?

Read that again.

This seems to intimate that prior to Jesus speaking this, the guys were not going to let him into the boat. Fear was overwhelming them to the point that would not allow Jesus to get off the lake and into the boat. In some sense they were willing to let him drown, because of fear.

Fear is powerful.

The United Kingdom’s Mental Health Foundation did an evaluation of the “Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys,” and found that, “Fear is a feature of nearly all clinical mental health problems and is a root cause of some of the most common ones. As well as anxietydisorders themselves, fear is strongly associated with depression, psychosis, and attempting suicide in the past year. Fear is also strongly linked to poor physical health.1”

As I look around our world, I see fear everywhere.

When we are driven by fear, we will find it almost impossible to love well. Conservatives fear liberals. Liberals fear conservatives. Christians fear non-Christians. Non-Christians fear Christians. The list could go on and on. Each side of the coin believes their fear to be rational and the other side irrational.

This is the very thing that fear does. It makes us distrust and despise other image bearers. When we give in to fear we end up viewing other human beings as less than or other.

When fear was gripping the disciples, Jesus' friends, they would rather have him drown in the storm. Once fear was abated, they were willing to let him into the boat. When the fear was gone they could finally see Jesus for who he was.

Fear creates barriers to relationship and ultimately joy.

Who do you fear? What do you fear? Will you hear Jesus saying, “Don’t be afraid”?

  1. “In the face of fear” accessed here on March 18, 2025: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-m… ↩︎