Walking on the Water

Have you ever tried to walk on water?  It is not something that most of us try to accomplish!  Let’s take a minute and look at the story of Jesus walking on the water and asking Peter to join him.  As you read this try to put yourself in Peter’s place. 

The disciples climb into a boat to sail to the other side of the lake.  Jesus has wanted to remain on shore so that he could have some time alone.  Now Peter and the rest of the crew were busy with the work of sailing.  The winds came up and the waves tossed the boat about.  The sun had set; it was now getting dark out.  All of the sudden they see this figure out on the water.  Could it be?  No way!  It must be a ghost.  They have seen Jesus’ many miracles and heard his teachings, but to see him walking on water, now this is truly amazing.  Then Jesus speaks to them and they are relieved to know that it is their Rabbi.

Now Peter decides to test the waters, so to speak.  He tells Jesus, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Does Peter really think that he can walk on the lake?  What made him think that?  Jesus reaches out to Peter and says, “Come.”  Peter steps over the side of the boat.  Those first few steps must have been incredible.  Walking on water – what a feeling!  But it didn’t take long before Peter starting thinking about other things than Jesus.  The wind blowing in his face, the waves crashing around him – who wouldn’t start to have second thoughts about walking on water?

So many people look at Peter and think that he is a man who had little faith.  But I think that his actions show that he had faith that the others in the boat couldn’t muster at that time.  Stepping out of a perfectly good boat and into a lake - in my mind that takes a person of faith or a person without any sense!  So where are you?  Are you ready to step out and test the waters?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had this to say, “Peter had to leave the ship and risk his life on the sea, in order to learn both his own weakness and the almighty power of his Lord.  If Peter had not taken the risk, he would never have learnt the meaning of faith. …The road to faith passes through obedience to the call of Jesus.  Unless a definite step is demanded, the call vanishes into thin air, and if men imagine they can follow Jesus without taking this step, they are deluding themselves like fanatics.”

So we see that taking the step onto the water is necessary if we are to follow Jesus.  In obedience we step out of the boat and in faith we believe that Jesus is our Savior.

Ken Webb