Sermon Tone Analysis

Overall tone of the sermon

This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.5UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.1UNLIKELY
Fear
0.14UNLIKELY
Joy
0.54LIKELY
Sadness
0.23UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.07UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.31UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.95LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.55LIKELY
Extraversion
0.04UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.59LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.54LIKELY

Tone of specific sentences

Tones
Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Language
Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
! Dust and Ashes Publications
* Home
* Cart
* About Us
* Contact Us
* Free Books
* Book Reviews
* Publications & Store
*Engaging Chunch History*
*Church History Books Online*
Home » Free Books » Bonar, Horatius » Light & Truth: The Gospels !
Chapter 15 - Matthew 14:24-31 - The Helpless One and the Helper Light & Truth: The Gospels by Bonar, Horatius
Quick Access Chapter 1 - Matthew 1:1 - Very Man... Chapter 2 - Matthew 1:16 - Jesus the See... Chapter 3 - Matthew 2:3 - Jesus the Trou... Chapter 4 - Matthew 3:10 - The Desert Vo... Chapter 5 - Matthew 4:23 - Jesus in Seas... Chapter 6 - Matthew 5:45 - His Sun... Chapter 7 - Matthew 8:1-3 - Human Lepros... Chapter 8 - Matthew 8:34 - Man's Dislike... Chapter 9 - Matthew 11:28 - The Rest and... Chapter 10 - Matthew 11:29 - The Three E... Chapter 11 - Matthew 12:41 - Nineveh and... Chapter 12 - Matthew 13:25 - The Two Sow... Chapter 13 - Matthew 19:6 - Herod's Ball... Chapter 14 - Matthew 19:15-16 - Man's Wa... Chapter 15 - Matthew 14:24-31 - The Help... Chapter 16 - Matthew 17:17 - The Graciou... Chapter 17 - Matthew 18:1-4 - The Peerag... Chapter 18 - Matthew 18:2; Luke 19:10 - ... Chapter 19 - Matthew 21:44 - The Stone o... Chapter 20 - Matthew 22:42 - The Things ... Chapter 21 - Matthew 24:12 - The Chill o... Chapter 22 - Matthew 24:42, 44 - True Vi... Chapter 23 - Matthew 25:3 - Religion wit... Chapter 24 - Matthew 25:31, 33 - The Gre... Chapter 25 - Matthew 24:70 - The Denying... Chapter 26 - Matthew 27:4 - The True Con... Chapter 27 - Mark 3:35 - Relationship to... Chapter 28 - Mark 4:39 - The Great Calm... Chapter 29 - Mark 5:36 - Only Believe... Chapter 30 - Mark 6:6 - Jesus Wondering ... Chapter 31 - Mark 6:33, 34 - Christ's Te... Chapter 32 - Mark 6:53-56 - Jesus and Hi... Chapter 34 - Mark 11:13 - The Fruitless ... Chapter 33 - Mark 10:52 - Christ's Recog... Chapter 35 - Mark 11:22 - Faith in God... Chapter 36 - Mark 13:33 - Watch and Pray... Chapter 37 - Mark 13:34-37 - The Master ... Chapter 38 - Mark 14:62 - The Coming of ... Chapter 39 - Luke 4:16-31 - The Gracious... Chapter 40 - Luke 6:19 - Health in Jesus... Chapter 41 - Luke 7:36-50 - Much Forgive... Chapter 42 - Luke 11:13 - How Much More!... Chapter 43 - Luke 15:2 - Jesus Watching ... Chapter 44 - Luke 15:10 - God's Joy Over... Chapter 45 - Luke 15:20 - The Father's L... Chapter 46 - Luke 15:22 - God's Free Lov... Chapter 47 - Luke 17:26, 27 - Noah Days... Chapter 48 - Luke 19:11-27 - The Lowest ... Chapter 49 - Luke 14:40 - Christ Must ha... Chapter 50 - Luke 21:28 - Signs of the T... Chapter 51 - Luke 21:36 - Deliverance in... Chapter 52 - Luke 22:18 - The New Wine o... Chapter 53 - Luke 22:19, 20 - The Heaven... Chapter 54 - Luke 23:32-43 - The Three C... Chapter 55 - Luke 24:29 - The Disciples'... Chapter 56 - John 1:12, 13 - Reception o... Chapter 57 - John 3:2 - The World's Need... Chapter 58 - John 3:14, 15 - Life in Loo... Chapter 59 - John 3:29 - The Filling Up ... Chapter 60 - John 3:34, 35 - The Fullnes... Chapter 61 - John 4:10 - The Living Wate... Chapter 62 - John 5:39, 40 - Bible Testi... Chapter 63 - John 6:17 - Night with Jesu... Chapter 64 - John 6:50 - The Bread of Im... Chapter 65 - John 6:51 - Christ's Flesh ... Chapter 66 - John 7:37 - Come and Drink... Chapter 67 - John 7:53; John 8:1, 12 - J... Chapter 68 - John 8:31, 32 - Truth and L... Chapter 69 - John 8:54 - The Father Hono... Chapter 70 - John 11:40 - The Honour Giv... Chapter 71 - John 12:12 - Inquiring afte... Chapter 72 - John 12:32 - The Great Attr... Chapter 73 - John 12:35-36 - Light and i... Chapter 74 - John 12:46 - Light for the ... Chapter 75 - John 12:48 - The Judging Wo... Chapter 76 - John 14:8-10 - The Revelati... Chapter 77 - John 13:16, 17 - The Abidin... Chapter 78 - John 14:26 - The Mighty Com... Chapter 79 - John 14:27 - The Divine Leg... Chapter 80 - John 16:25-28 - Christ in H... Chapter 81 - John 16:33 - Tribulation, P... Chapter 82 - John 17:26 - The Declaratio... Chapter 84 - John 18:28 - Ritualism and ... Chapter 84 - John 19:2 - The Greater Sin... Chapter 85 - John 20:17 - Christ's Work ... Chapter 86 - John 21:5 - The Tender Love... Light & Truth - The Gospels - Footnotes...
Previous Index Next
XV.
The Helpless One And The Helper.
"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went 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 good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said, Come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and, beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?-Matthew 14:24-31.
Faith's home is in the future; so is her heritage.
At present she has nothing but God himself to live upon,-to feed upon; all else is within the veil.
It will come in due season; but meanwhile the only real thing is God.
Him she knows, she trusts, she walks with, she converses with.
But from the visible she is disengaged, and dwells in the invisible,-present and future.
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Thus we live by faith.
Yet though thus living by faith, in another atmosphere, and above the level of things seen, we cannot help being affected by matter, and time, and motion, and change, and pain, and death, and fear, and hunger, and thirst, and the various conditions of the body.
Sometimes there is brightness, sometimes there is dimness; sometimes we are lifted up and expanded, sometimes we are depressed and straitened.
We are too like a revolving beacon-light, with its alternate flash and gloom.
Sometimes a word of Scripture warms and brightens wonderfully; sometimes it seems cold and dark.
Sometimes we are brave and fervent, ready to confront any danger or trial, because of the peace within; sometimes we turn pale, and shrink from sorrow or peril; so variable is our pulse; so uncertain our spirits; so feeble our spiritual health; so sickly our spiritual frame.
It was night upon a stormy sea.
The boat was but a fisherman's, unfit to weather wind and wave.
The night-blast was right against them.
They toiled, but made little progress.
The night wears on.
Watch after watch passes by.
It is now the fourth; the last, just before the dawn; still dark.
In the darkness, a form is dimly seen, the outline of a human figure in the gloom.
What is it?
Who is it?
Is it from beneath or from above?
Is it material or spiritual?
The disciples are in terror; Peter, no doubt, among the rest.
But it is not with the disciples that the narrative has chiefly to do; it is with Peter,-or rather with Peter and the Lord.
These two stand our before us here, inviting our attention.
Or we might say, we have first the disciples and the storm; then the disciples are lost sight of, and we see only Peter and the Lord; then Peter disappears, and we behold no one "save Jesus only."
I.
Christ's words of cheer.
He saw their terror, and He knew its cause.
The storm and the darkness had alarmed them; but more than these, the figure in the distance.
It might be a spirit from beneath let loose upon them; it might be the prince of the power of the air,-the ruler of the world's darkness,-coming to increase their danger, to accomplish their destruction.
Christ corrects their thoughts, and in so doing removes their fears.
His words of cheer are brief, but full of power.
In our translation they are ten; in the original only five.
"Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid."
The first of these clauses is but one word, and it is the keynote of the passage.
"Be of good cheer," or simply, "Courage"!
"Be not cast down or troubled."
Right through the darkness, and over the storm, came this cheering word.
But it was not the mere word that thus sounded, it was the well-known voice, the tones of which they would at once recognize.
And then it was followed up with the "It is I";-which is again followed up with "be not afraid,"-"dismiss all your fears."
The special cheer of these words was, however, the "It is I," and without this all the rest would have been vain.
It is the announcement of his presence that was the specially cheering thing; it would have been enough even had he not (in his love and anxiety to relieve their fears) added, "Be of good cheer: be not afraid."
What was the storm to Him? What was it to them, if He were with them?
What were night, and storm, and darkness, with all their perils, if He were there?
They needed no more to comfort them than "It is I." It told them of power and love more than sufficient to meet all danger, and to deliver from all evil.
II.
Peter's response.
"If it be thou, bid me come to thee on the water."
The other disciples were silent.
Their fears were quieted, and that sufficed.
But Peter must have more.
He must have the Master with him; nay, he must run to meet Him, even on the water.
There does not seem to be any use in Peter's going to meet his Master.
The request was prompted simply by affection, and a desire to be where He was.
It looks very like one of Peter's hasty utterances,-"It is good to be here;" "Shall we smite with the sword?"
But still it is faith that is working.
The desire to go was, no doubt, affection, but the feeling which overlooked all the difficulties of the way,-the impossibility of walking on the water,-was faith.
So boundless was his confidence in his Master's power and love.
A word, he knew, would be enough!
Oh for Peter's faith in Jesus;-even in little things; things which seem to have no large object in view, but merely the exhibition of affection towards him!
Here is faith that could remove mountains!
Faith that can do miracles,-that makes light of impossibilities!
Peter saw Jesus only; darkness and storm were nothing!
There might be the desire to get out of this sinking vessel, which had for hours been buffeting with the wind; and the feeling that with Jesus he was safer on the bare water than in the ship without Him.
In Peter's estimation, security was only at the side of Jesus!
Anywhere, anywhere with Him; in the fiery furnace, or in the raging sea.
Is this our estimate of Jesus, and of all things, or places, or perils in connection with Him? Safety with Him; but nowhere else, even in the stateliest vessel or the strongest fort.
The form of Peter's request is remarkable, "bid," or "command" me to come to thee on the water; not "permit."
In a case like this, mere permission would not do.
Had it been the highway or the mountainside, permission would have been enough.
But it was the sea.
To venture there, he must have a command; and in obeying that command, he could count upon omnipotence being placed at his disposal.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9