Water Walking

These last two days, I've been thinking through Matthew 14:22-32.  You probably know the story well.  Twelve disciples are in a boat when they are caught in a storm.  About 3 am, they see what they believe to be a ghost walking towards them on the stormy water.  They cry out in fear, and the "ghost" speaks to them, telling them not to be afraid but to have courage; it is Jesus, walking toward them.  Peter yells out, "Lord, if that is you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water."  So Jesus simply says, "Yes, come."

With that simple command, Peter begins to do what is humanly impossible.  Think of the courage it took for Peter to step out of that boat.  He was a fisherman; he knew very well that, according to the normal natural laws, it was physically impossible for him to step onto that water.  Yet when his eyes were fixed on Jesus, he was able to get out of that boat and walk on the water.

The adventurous side of me would love to do some water walking!  For me, the literal walking on water will have to wait until heaven.  But at the same time, I hear Jesus calling me to step out of my boat and do what seems impossible almost daily.  I want to be like Peter, realizing that if Jesus is calling, nothing else really matters.  Knowing that, yes, this storm I'm in is big and scary, but Jesus is stronger.  That the water is wild and wet and not stable, but that Jesus can transform it.

I wonder how long Jesus and Peter walked together in the waves and storm raging all around them before Peter shifted his eyes off of Jesus and realized just what he was doing?   That's what hit me today about this story.  Peter only started to sink when he realized where he was and what he was doing.  Same for me.  The only way I can continue in this walk of faith is to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and his power rather than what I am doing, all my inadequacies, and the difficulties all around. Every time I look at myself or the difficulties, just like Peter, I start to sink.

Paul picks up on the incredible need we have to keep our eyes on Jesus in Hebrews 12:1-2.  Paul says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith."  There it is. That is why we are enabled to complete this faith walk that we are called to.  We know that on our own, we are weak, sinful, and afraid,  but with Jesus in front of us, all of that fades away, and we are left with our eyes fixed on Christ.  And that is all we need.