Digging Deeper – By the Scruff of the Neck

I love to watch nature shows—especially when young animals are involved. Lion cubs, bear cubs, wolf pups—they’re so cute and mischievous. I love how they get into situations that are over their heads, and then their mom comes along and rescues them. This is a developmental stage in their lives; they play at being grown, even though they’re not yet ready to be on their own.

I feel like this is where Peter is when he sees Jesus walking on the water. Peter wants to be like Jesus and is willing to give it a try—stepping out of the boat—but like a lion cub chasing a badger, he soon realizes that he is literally in over his head.

When this happens to a cub in the wild, the mother steps in and often grabs the cub by the scruff of the neck, carrying it out of trouble. Although it looks rough when they’re held this way, it has a calming effect on the cub, causing it to relax so the mother won’t hurt it while carrying it in her sharp teeth.

I think it’s interesting that Peter doesn’t reach out and grab Jesus; Jesus reaches out and grabs Peter. I like to imagine that He pulls Peter up by his robe, like a mother lion picking up a cub.

Peter knew he was in trouble, but he didn’t know how to get out of it—especially not on his own. As a fisherman, Peter knew the danger of being in the water during a storm, so he did the only thing in his power: he cried out to Jesus, and Jesus stepped in.

As we walk through our lives of faith, we strive to be more like Jesus. However, sometimes that puts us in situations where we find ourselves in over our heads. Maybe we’re sharing the Gospel and don’t know how to answer someone’s questions. Perhaps we’re on a mission trip in a foreign country and can’t communicate—or we find ourselves lost. Or maybe it’s as simple as having a neighbor whom you know you’re supposed to love, but they’re incredibly difficult to love. In some situations, everything seems fine and under control—until suddenly, it’s not.

Whatever the case, call out to Jesus. Let Him grab you by the scruff of the neck. Relax, and trust Him to bring you safely through whatever you’re dealing with.

Take a moment to reflect on the areas in your life where you strive to live up to Jesus’ example but feel like you’re falling short. Call out and ask Him to pull you up in the places where you see that you can’t do it on your own. His power is greater than yours, and He knows more than you.