Walking on the Water
.
Matthew 14:22-33
22. Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24. but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. 25. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." 28. And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." 29. He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; 30. but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." 31. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32. And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Aren’t we so often like Peter? We believe, really we do, in Jesus Christ and his saving message, but when we get to a rough patch, we need reassurance. When we’re troubled, we ask for a sign. We forget that Jesus himself was the sign! His life, his words, everything he did! And yet, we doubt the saving power of Jesus Christ! We say, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.” And we step out of the boat, but we only go so far before our “human reason” kicks in. We limit our own faith by our humanity!
Jesus tells Peter (and us) not to fear, to take heart. He stands at a distance, like a parent bidding a baby to take those first steps unaided and unsupported by strong, loving arms, and we take that tentative first step! But we look down! We falter, and we fall with a “plop.” Only through the rest of our life, we don’t usually have soft padding upon which to land—it’s the cold, hard, unforgiving ground – and it hurts!
Jesus offers us a way not be afraid. He bids us to trust in him, never look away. Keep our eye on the prize, so to speak. He waits for us with loving arms, and reassures us that he won’t let us fall so far that we are beyond redemption. He stands at a distance, giving us freedom of choice, and allowing us to make our own decisions. I have two teenagers—and I know how challenging that part of loving and nurturing someone can be! All too often I want to rush in and tell them what to do! But Jesus is stronger and wiser than that. He understands that the only way our faith is increased is through trial and error. We believe, we falter, we turn back to him. He can deal with that!
When the wind whips up around us, we have to fight to keep our footing. But Jesus is the calming force in our lives. Look to him, trust in him. Take a step out of that boat! Walk across the water to him. He waits for you. With open arms and a loving gaze. And even better—he’ll catch you just as you start to go under. You might get wet—but you won’t drown.
I hope today as you are cast about by the winds of this world, you’ll take a leap of faith and turn to Jesus to calm the seas in your life. And that you’ll honor our Lord and Savior by saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Mary
