Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus is one of the most beloved hymns in the church. Did you know it was written by a blind woman? Her name was Helen Lemmet (1864-1961). From a young age her musical ability was noticed by everyone around her. She studied music in Germany where she met her husband. They moved to America in 1911, where she dedicated herself to writing, arranging, and teachings hymns of the faith. Sadly, several years into the marriage, she experienced a tragic illness which led to her loss of sight. Her husband, refusing to attend to a blind wife, left her. This time of hurt and loss weighed heavily upon her, however, that is not the end of her story.

In 1918, she was introduced to a pamphlet written Algerian missionary Lilias Trotter (1853-1928). Her words, turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him, moved Lemmet. She wrote Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus a short time later. She turned her eyes upon Jesus and continued to serve him faithfully. She led a women’s choral for many years at the Billy Sunday evangelistic events, taught music at the Moody Bible Institute, and penned over 400 hymns. It is amazing what happens when you turn your eyes upon Jesus. That takes us to our scripture reading.

Our reading is Matthew 14:22-33. It is Matthew’s version of Jesus walking on water. This story is not unique to Matthew, it is found in Mark 6:45-52 and John 6:16-21. The stories are basically the same, only the details change. Each one agrees the disciples got into a boat to sail to Capernaum. Mark tells us they got into the boat to escape the crowd. However, Jesus stayed behind to pray. John tells us a storm hits the boat between 3:00 am and 6:00 am. The little wooden ship is in distress and the disciples are afraid for their lives. Without warning, Jesus arrived by walking on the water and saved the day. Only Matthew tells us Peter got out of the boat to be with Jesus. That tells us a great deal about Peter’s bold and impulsive personality. He was the only one of the twelve who got out of the boat. The other eleven played it safe. At first, Peter had success. Then, he takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink. The story tells us how important it is to keep our eyes in the right direction. It is the key to surviving. Let me state the obvious.

Life is filled with storms. With your sanctified imagination you can imagine the disciples getting into the boat. This was not unusual for them. They had sailed across the Sea of Galilea many times, but this journey was different because they were caught in a storm. The Sea of Galilee was known for her violent storms. While they were afraid, they should not have been surprised, they were expected. Storms were a part of their life. Storms are part of our lives too! How many examples do you need?

I have been in the ministry for decades and have sat with people during the most challenging moments in their lives. I will sit with a young man who is going through a storm this weekend – I am officiating at his parent’s funeral. When I talked to him, he told me his painful story. His mother had suffered for years. She was cared for by her husband who protected her. They fought the brave fight in isolation. When her death finally came, the son looked forward to reconnecting with his father, he never really had the opportunity to know his grandchildren. That never happened because the husband died from a stroke eleven days after his wife’s death. As he told me the story, I could hear the stress in the son’s voice. I am struggling with finding the right words. What would you say? There is no other way to say it – life is hard and is filled with storms. I would like to say this is an isolated case, but I cannot. Every day, we hear stormy sad stories. How many storms have you experienced in your life? It is painfully true, life is hard and we should expect the storms to come. However, something else is equally true.

God forges a special relationship with us when we are in the middle of a storm. According to John, the disciples had rowed about three to three and a half miles across the lake when the storm hit. At about the same time Jesus comes to them walking on the water. They do not recognize him at first. They thought he was a ghost. (Jewish superstition said when a spirit visited at night that a disaster was near, which is why they were afraid.) It is Jesus who calls out to them, identifies himself, and immediately the situation gets better. The boat arrives on the other side safely. They were glad to see Jesus. We are always glad to see Jesus when the storms in our lives begin to blow. God forges a special relationship with us when we are in the middle of a storm. The only way you will know this is true is to go through a difficult storm.

James W. Moore (1938-2019) was the pastor of the St. Luke United Methodist Church in Houston from 1984-2006. He saw that special relationship in the lives of two of his parishioners, Dave and Sandy. The storm they experienced was the worst storm a parent can endure. Their sixteen-year-old daughter, Ellen, slipped into a coma without warning and died. When Dr. Moore met Dave and Sandy he was shocked at their faith. They said, “God has given us the strength we didn’t know we had. We had Ellen for only sixteen years, but she gave us enough love for a lifetime. We are crushed, but we are not defeated. God is with us. We feel God closer to us then ever!” Dave and Sandy are a special couple. Many have rejected God during their storms, but Dave and Sandy kept their eyes on Jesus. God forges a special relationship with us when we are in the middle of a storm. This is also true.

We will sink if we take our eyes off Jesus. That is exactly what Peter did in our reading. At first, Peter experienced success. He walked on water, then he took his eyes off Jesus because he becomes preoccupied with the storm that surrounds him. He began to panic and sink. He calls out to Jesus for help. Have you ever taken your eyes off Jesus when you are in the middle of a storm? Have you ever called out to Jesus when you need help?

In May 2021 journalist Giles Brandreth (born 1948) interviewed South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021). It was a powerful experience for Brandreth, for Desmond Tutu was suffering from prostate cancer and there was a real chance this might be the last interview he would ever give. He wondered, what might Tutu want to talk about? He expected Tutu to talk about the political changes in South Africa during his lifetime. He was wrong. Here’s what Tutu told Brandreth: “If this is going to be my last interview, I am glad we are not going to talk about politics. Let us talk about prayer and adoration, about faith, hope and forgiveness. I want to talk about Jesus.” For Tutu these are the things that are the stuff of life. It isn’t just true of Desmond Tutu, it is our story as well. When you are in the middle of a storm nothing else really matters. It all begins and ends with Jesus. Turn your eyes upon Jesus!