Matthew 14:22-33 tells the story of Christ walking on the water and Peter asking to be allowed to walk out on the water to meet Jesus. I have heard this story told and re-told, over and over, for most of my life. But, the thing that has always bothered me is how those who tell this story seem to look down their nose at Peter's lack of faith.
But, I will be the first to admit that I doubt if I would have done any better than Peter. Oh, when I was younger, I used to kid myself into believing that: "If it had been me......I would have believed.......blah, blah, blah...."
However, age has brought some sense to the over-inflated ego that I once had, and has show me that, under the same circumstances, I would have sank into the sea just like Peter.
What I find strange is how people who tell this story never seem to give Peter the credit he deserves for just stepping out of the boat. Personally, I doubt if I myself would have even gotten that far. I see Peter stepping out of the boat as no small feat in itself. Just that act alone took a lot of guts and even more faith.
In the religious context of the Gospels, Jesus saying, "You of little faith. Why did you doubt?" seems to make perfect sense. But, in the real-life world of stepping out of a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, during wind storm, and trying to walk on top of the water, Christ's question almost sounds absurd.
"Why did I doubt, Jesus?? Because, in my personal life experience, people don't go around walking on water. I was caught up in the moment of seeing You walking towards me on the sea and just sort of momentarily lost my mind, I guess."
"But, when I looked around and realized what I was doing and began remembering the laws of physics and gravity and stuff like that, I said to myself, "Wait a minute, this is crazy. People don't go for strolls on top of the water in the middle of the sea." What else was I supposed to believe??"
That is why I personally believe that none of us would have faired any better than Peter did. Oh, I'm not saying that a few wouldn't have been caught up in the moment just like Peter and stepped out of the boat. But, as soon as our senses and the "rational" part of our brains kicked in, I believe every one of us would have been treading water right along with Peter.
Because so many of us want the story to go in a different direction, we mentally shout at Peter: "What's wrong with you, boy?? Why didn't you believe??" But, personally, I am glad that the story ends the way it does.
Because, it shows that even when we set out half-cocked and unprepared and get ourselves deep in trouble, Christ is there to lift us up out of the mess we have gotten ourselves into. Just when we think we're going under for the third time and all is lost, we reach out one last time and find our hand holding on to His. And, frankly, that is a lesson I would rather learn.............
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Comments: 26
If that person had been Abraham, or Daniel, or Paul, or any number of others the Book speaks of, they'd have done just fine, I think. It's NOT that they would have been "caught up in the moment", but rather just the opposite; They KNEW God was REAL, and KNEW He could easily support their weight, BECAUSE they remembered Him doing much more remarkable things in the past.
It is not faith in an "imagined" God, which can support real trust in Him, but ONLY faith in one's own functioning mind, which God made. It is the doubt of one's own sanity, which prohibits true, deep, faith in God. Anyone, at anytime, can simply ask God for the evidence required to remove their doubts, but few accept the offer. For they have no real faith in themselves, as witnesses of reality, and fear they will be fooled by their own illusions. They do not "want" the "burden", of actually believing as those we speak of as "walking with God".
I suspect I'd have run across to my Lord's open arms . . .
for I asked, and He DID respond. I KNOW Him.
Berf, I think I would have wished I could do it, but my rational mind would have stopped me. I personally don't believe that Peter or any of the other disciples or indeed, any of us alive today, were of the same ilk as Jesus. Nope, not even JK.
Ask me of things to come concerning my sons,
and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
He means it. Ask, if you want to KNOW. To know as you know you have fingers, as you know the rain falls, as you know your name. He CAN prove Himself to YOU, beyond any reasonable doubt, as we say ; )
But, you must ask.
There will be many times in our lives when we'll be asked to get out of the boat and go to Him.
You either beleive or you dont.
Thats like some people stay in their homes for years because they think something bad is going to happen.....It is us who walk out the door that have faith weather we beleive in faith or not........
This is something I was taught a long time ago...It may not make much sense to some but its true..............
Thanks for posting...........
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Please consider; People step off that cliff every day. They do it because they have "faith" in what they have WITNESSED before, of the ability of their parachute, or hang glider, or whatever, to support them. This was not "natural" faith, by any means, and required exposure to a possibility in REALITY.
That is where ALL true faith comes from. We believe our fingers can type these words, BECAUSE we have experienced what fingers do in REALITY. We do not "force" our faith in any sense, for we cannot. It is born of real experiences, real life events which we observe, and ponder, and experiment with. We do not come to faith, true faith, by wishing, or wanting, to have faith. We DO something, and faith grows within us. Not the faith of imagination, or speculation, but of living as a real being, in a real world. It comes not from the "thinker" at all.
Consider further, please; If you had seen objects suspended in mid air, many times, by nothing but a request, you would eventually BELIEVE such a thing was no big deal. It would become something far more real for you, than anything you could "believe" based on imaging or speculating, even if you did not understand how it was possible. Every day, you call up memories of all sorts of things, with confidence . . . yet, you have no idea how that works, or where these memories are kept, or how the ones you want are "found". It's completely "magical", from our point of view, but we still go on doing this, like it was nothing at all.
The same is true of driving 60 miles an hour within a few feet of others driving the opposite way at similar speeds. We do not cringe and swerve, for we have the faith born of much exposure to reality, where we learn there is no serious danger, despite the incredible potential for catastrophic failure of our "faith", at any moment.
Ask, and He will provide the "experiences" you need to truly believe.
So as he defied gravity and walked on water, so can I walk focused on him, following his path, and not fall.... my faith in him allows the world not to affect me, like gravity. I have had unexplainable miracles that have no earthly explanation.... this is the walking on water.
Not too long ago we were heading on a separated highway in the fast lane of two lanes. I felt a tug and asked my husband to move into the right lane. Within minutes a large car going the wrong way was in the lane we were just in. Speed limit was 65 and that car was moving. I listened and took action, and we lived.
As long as I keep my focus...I won't sink in the water.
John explained it much better than I could.....I KNOW that God had taken care of me ALL of my life.......there are so many examples I could give, but why then do I still question and worry? I think it's because I'm human. I am trying to replace my thinking now so I just automatically remember to TRUST Him, in ALL situations.
Excellent artilce as always Berf.
This is interesting. I read Glome's article on definition of faith, then I come here, and you're talking about acting on one's faith.
What was the problem for Peter in the moment of sinking. I believe it is because he changed the focus of his belief. When he was walking ON the water, he was trusting Jesus - trusting that when Jesus said "Come", He wasn't lying and that He had the power to make the claim. Then Peter decided to trust his eyes and reason.
OK, that was the explanation; but what about us? Is Jesus EXPECTING us to trust Him? Is He, in fact, shocked when we change our focus of trust? I am encouraged to know that Jesus doesn't say to me, "Well, what can you expect from a fool!" but "Why did you hesitate?" Regardless of past failures, this story holds out the very real expectation, not of failure, but of success. Look at Peter's faith in the future and see that he did "mature in the faith."
Doesn't mean I always do it, though. :-)
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 straightaway Jesus spoke 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.
So, something more subtle is going on, than Peter "coming to his senses" it would seem. Peter saw Jesus walking on water, and was at that moment himself doing the same, and if he really thought that was a ghost he was speaking to, he would not have stepped out of the boat, thinks I. I suspect that Peter was "hamming it up" a bit, as we say, and that the wind didn't just happen to kick up at that moment . . .
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught, and said to him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Something very subtle is going on there, in regard to Peter, I think. Something about ego and fear, and THAT "test", is not one I can speak of passing so casually, now that I ponder the situation . . .