Recently, while reading in Matthew 14, I was challenged afresh by the passage where Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus. For years we have heard about the smallness of Peter’s faith when he began to sink. But let us look at this event in the light of Faith – something we talk about often, but seem to know very little of what it really is. The disciples were out in the boat without Jesus. A storm whipped up and the conditions grew more and more unsafe. In the midst of this Jesus came walking on the water. When the disciples first saw Him they were seized with fear and cried out, thinking He was a ghost! The words of Jesus brought immediate comfort to them. Peter, waxing very bold, said to Jesus, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus responded with one word, “Come.” Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water to Jesus. Then that - which we all know about - happened. Peter got his eyes off Jesus and on to the negative circumstances around him. This caused him to start sinking. He was so close to Jesus, yet he began sinking! Jesus reached out and took him by the hand and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” They then both walked together on the water back to the boat.

What is the lesson here (for surely this is written to teach us something to benefit our walk with Jesus)? Peter demonstrated by his actions that he was totally a believer in what Jesus said. It took only one word from Jesus for him to defy logic, jump overboard from that boat and to discover that the word of Jesus could hold him up in a naturally impossible situation. Peter walked on the water! And he walked on the water until such time as he was distracted from his focus on Jesus, and immediately began to sink. Peter had stepped beyond where any other human being had ever stepped – and he succeeded!

Now, here is something for you to think about: when Jesus said to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” was He rebuking him or encouraging him? We have tended to interpret that as a bit of a rebuke. But, let us ask ourselves, “Did Jesus ever rebuke those who were attempting to live beyond the realm of natural limitations, those who were attempting to obey Him in spite of the circumstances”? I don’t think so. Why not consider that Jesus was really saying to Peter,“Peter, you have done so well in getting this far – do not slip back into the realm of natural circumstances. What you have accomplished thus far is in the realm of little faith. Peter, keep your eyes on Me and you will see that little faith grow into great faith.” Jesus loves us to obey Him, regardless of the things that get in our way. That is how our faith grows. Faith is all about our obeying – and obeying is an action (not a good intention).

Here is something else for us to consider in this Bible passage: If Peter walking on the water was operating in the realm of “little faith”, what faith were the other eleven disciples in the boat demonstrating? We would have to conclude that they had no faith, at least not enough to call out to Jesus and step out in obedience to His word. The fact is that most Christians choose to stay in their “comfort zones” (the boat) and never experience the true power of faith in the word of Jesus. In Peter’s case, it took only one word from the mouth of Jesus, “Come,” and he stepped out in obedience. How many words do we need to hear from Jesus before we will respond to Him?– Rodney W. Francis.

Bible  Readings:  

Matthew 14:22-36; Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 2:1-12; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11.  .   

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