Last Wednesday in my small group we read Matthew 14:22-36 it’s the passage that talks of Christ walking on water in the storm. Here are all the disciples once again in a boat in the midst of another storm when all of a sudden they see something in the distance coming towards them and in terror scream out thinking it’s a ghost. Jesus replies to them saying “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” Hearing this Peter calls out saying “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Come,” Jesus replied. So Peter climbs out of the boat and starts walking on the water towards Christ. But when he sees the wind and waves around him he takes his eyes off of Christ and begins to sink. Crying out “Lord save me!” Christ then immediately reaches out to him and catches his hand and pulls him back up. He then says to Peter “you of little faith, why did you doubt?” They walk back to the boat together where Peter with the rest of the disciples praise and worship Christ.
At bible study we always ask the question “what jumps out at you?” after reading a passage of scripture. For me a couple things jump out. First off in response to the disciples fear Christ calls out to them saying “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” What he’s really saying to them is that they need not fear because God is with them. I read Christ’s response and think of God speaking to Moses through the burning bush. There God called to Moses saying that it is I AM. Christ isn’t just telling his disciples that it is him that is walking towards them but God and that they don’t need to fear because he is in control.
The second thing that jumps out at me in this passage is Peter’s first response in verse 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” Those are bold words! Remember what is going on at the moment around them? Imagine the amount of faith it takes to say to Christ in the midst of a storm, Hey Lord! If that really is you out there tell me to walk on water towards you. That just seems crazy to me. And then Christ tells him to “come”. So Peter climbs out of the boat and starts walking towards Jesus.
The next thing that jumps out at me is what happens next in the story. As Peter is walking towards Christ he starts to see the wind and waves around him and he begins to be afraid and starts to sink. He calls out to Christ to save him and in an instant Jesus is there to pull Peter out of the water. Christ then in reply says “you of little faith, why did you doubt?” I find Christ’s response the most interesting thing about this whole story. I don’t read Christ’s comment as negative but as encouraging. I hear it sounding something like this. “Peter you were doing so well! Your eyes were fixed on mine, but why did you look away from me? We were doing it!” Or I see it more like a father teaching his son how to ride a bike and when he lets go the son turns around to make sure dad is still there holding on to the seat and when he sees he’s not he falls over. The Father then comes up and says, what happened, you were doing so well! Christ isn’t mad that Peter doubted He’s disappointed that Peter took his eyes off his and started to see the storm around him being bigger then God. Christ knows Peter through faith can walk on water, He proved that to Peter. He encouraged Peter and when Peter allowed his surroundings to become bigger then God he started to lose faith in what Christ was doing.
The reason I bring this story up is because I see myself in Peter. I’ve been asking a lot from God lately. I’ve been very bold in my requests to Him and what I want him to use me for. Like Peter I’m asking God to test my faith and use me to do the impossible. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be bold in your requests to God, as long as they fall within his will for you he will grant you your requests read 1 John 5:14-15. But also like Peter I start to see the waves around me being bigger then God and start to sink into a sea of doubt. I can hear God whisper keep your eyes on me and we’ll get through this.
I read this and I’m encouraged. Peter was bold in his request to Christ and Jesus granted that request. Peter started to take his eyes off Christ and began to see his surroundings being bigger then God, but God still used Peter to do great thing for the kingdom. I know the road is not going to be easy and I don’t want it to be. I want to be challenged and I want to be fully dependent on God for all things in my life. I want Him to use me to expand the kingdom of heaven here on earth. I want Him to use me to bring light into the darkness. So even though at times I feel like Peter sinking in the sea of doubt I know Christ is right there to pull me back up.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Matthew
