Jesus Walks on Water

Matthew 14: 22-32

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.”

My first job was onboard a Medium Endurance Cutter in Key West, Florida. During my first deployment, I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing or how I would ever survive being underway away from family, friends, and community. I was Peter, I doubted. I doubted I would ever get qualified, make friends, and I especially doubted my ability to minister and find godly community at sea. 

Oftentimes we feel like we are alone out at sea and far from Jesus like the disciples felt on the boat in the Sea of Galilee. But Jesus is always with us. “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” If Jesus can walk on the Sea of Galilee, He is walking on the waters around us. 

The Sea of Galilee was known for rough seas and Jesus’s disciples were likely exhausted trying to fight a storm and were most certainly fearful. At peak exhaustion, Jesus called to them and said “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Jesus had a greater solution for the disciples than to be in fear and He has a greater solution for us too. 

It is easy to question God’s plan when everything around you is falling apart or you are quite literally in a storm like Peter. When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and faced the storm, he was afraid and began to sink. But when we fail, Jesus will save us. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.”

But why did Peter doubt Jesus? Is it for the same reason we doubt him in our daily lives? Think back to a time at sea when your eyes strayed from Jesus in the face of a challenge or problem and you doubted Him. Did Jesus fail you in the end?