A Pause to Ponder God's Word
"Me! Walk on Water?"

The storm was raging, the winds blowing and the waves buffeting the boat. The disciples using all their strength in an effort to make it to shore, found that it took all they could give to stay in one place and keep the boat from sinking. Matthew recorded the scene with great care in his gospel (14:22-33). It is a familiar story to most. In the midst of the storm Jesus came to the harried disciples walking on the water. The disciples were afraid. Never expecting Jesus to come in such a way, they thought He was a ghost. Jesus spoke peace to their hearts. Impetuous Peter cried out, "Lord, if it is You, tell me to come to You on the water." Jesus simple replied, "Come." Peter got out of the boat, and after a few steps he "saw the wind, was afraid, and began to sink." He cried out to Jesus for help, and as Jesus reached down to lift Peter up He said; "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" The moral of the story? As one creative teenage boy once told me; "if ya take ya eyes off Jesus ya'll is sunk man, SUNK!"

As true as this simplistic moral may be, is that really what this story is all about? Did Peter sink because of a lack of faith in Jesus? In a powerful sermon on this text, Doctor John Kinney challenged me to take another look at this account and in doing so some very interesting things surfaced.

Jesus addressed Peter's faith and doubting as He lifted him out of the stormy waters that night. Our first inclination is to take this to mean that Peter lacked faith in and doubted Jesus. But, did Peter lack faith in Jesus? Surely Peter's theology was being challenged. He and the others were battling a terrible storm that came right in the middle of their faithfulness. They were doing what Jesus had told them to do. When you're faithful there is smooth sailing, not storms! At least that is what their, and very often our, belief is. And surely he was dealing with the shock of how Jesus came to their rescue. He didn't calm the storm. He did not come to them right away. He came to them in the middle of the storm in the middle of the lake walking on water. Jesus seemed always to do the most unexpected things. Doesn't He know He is suppose to take His cue from us and fix our storms according to our plans? But the question still remains, was Peter doubting Jesus?

When we look closely at the account its hard to convict Peter of lacking faith in Jesus. He called out to Jesus, "if it is You Lord, tell me to come to You on the water." This is not the request of someone who lacks faith. He would not have ask if he didn't believe Jesus could fulfill his request. Peter got out of the boat and walked a few steps. This was not the actions of one who doubted Jesus. No, Peter believed enough to obey Jesus' command. And, when the winds diverted his attention away from Jesus onto the storm, Peter cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me!" If Peter had doubted Jesus he wouldn't have called out to Him? No, Peter didn't lack faith in Jesus. Nor did he doubt Jesus. Peter's lack of faith and his doubt was in himself. Peter didn't believe he could walk on water. He couldn't stand against the wind. He couldn't step on the storm. So, he sank. His doubt was in what Jesus could enable him to do.

Peter was not the first to have such doubts. Sarah laughed when she first heard the news that she would give birth to a boy child though many years past child bearing days. Moses debated with God regarding his ability lead Israel out of Egypt when God told him to go. Gideon argued that he was a nobody and unable lead an army for God against the Midianites. Mary questioned the messenger as to how a virgin could ever become pregnant. Each leaned that nothing is to great for God! But, they also learned, that in the grand mystery of grace, God chooses to accomplish His purposes through His people, through the likes of you and I. He empowers and enables us to step on storms, accomplish great feats, do ministry, and do the everyday ordinary tasks of life in such a way that we accomplish His will and His purposes bringing glory to Him. We must not only believe that Jesus can do it. We must believe He can enable us to do it. We must not doubt Him or ourselves in Him. Me, walk on water? If God's needs us to, in Christ we sure can! As Paul succinctly proclaims; "I can do everything through Christ who gives me the strength!" (Philippians 4:13)

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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