DAY SIXTY-TWO:
Walking on Water
Yesterday we looked at the feeding of the five thousand. After everybody had eaten and all the scraps were collected Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee while He remained behind. Jesus went up on a mountain to pray while the disciples headed west toward Genessaret. Jesus would join up with them later, presumably walking around the lake. It was dark by the time the disciples were in the middle of their journey. This was of no particular concern to them because they often went fishing at night- you have to go after the fish when they're biting! But on this night a monster storm suddenly came down on them. This was one of the dangers fishermen faced on the Sea of Galilee. The surface is about 100 feet below sea level with mountains surrounding it on all sides. A storm could sweep in without warning. The fishermen knew companions who had lost their boats and even their lives. They tried every trick they knew to steer into the storm and ride it out to no avail.
This miracle teaches us about faith. The disciples were frightened as the storm threatened to sink them. Then Jesus came strolling along, walking on top of the breaking waves! Peter asked Jesus to prove it was really Him. He asked to walk to Jesus on the water. Jesus told him to come. When Peter stepped out of the boat he didn't sink! It was as if the water was dry land. He took one step, then another, then another. He was doing it! Peter was walking on water, just like Jesus. Just then Peter looked around and realized what he was doing. It was impossible to walk on the water, and especially so during a raging storm. Despite the fact that he WAS walking on water, Peter was scared and began to sink. Jesus rescued him and chided him for his "little faith." The Greek word is oligopistos, a compound of the word for small or tiny and faith. Faith in the Bible is more than just accepting something as fact. Faith is believing with our whole beings, trusting God for everything we need. Jesus used this word five times, each directed toward the disciples.
Remember that Jesus performed miracles not in His own strength or by His right as God. He put aside all the powers and rights of being God and was just as limited as we are. He walked on water by faith. Peter also walked on water by faith. He trusted Jesus when He said "Come." Peter faltered when he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at his circumstances. Jesus had a big job for the disciples. He told them on His last night with them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) The disciples are in training to become apostles, leaders of Christ's body. When we get to the Book of Acts in a couple of weeks you'll see what Peter and his colleagues accomplished. They did indeed do greater works than Jesus, not just with miracles but with the spread of the Gospel throughout the Roman world before the last of them died.
I'll speak for myself now, and if what I say fits your situation you can take it to heart. I realized recently that I've spent my whole life playing it safe. I want to see where I'm going, be within sight of the shore. I'm not fond of change. But God has been convicting me for my little faith. I can look back and see so many missed opportunities, and so many times where I did what looked sensible to me and it didn't end well. I know I need to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) I want to get out of the boat and follow where He leads! Just about every church I've been around has also played it safe. We see how well that has worked. It's time for the church to get out of the boat, too. There's a community around us with lots of people who need what God has so graciously given us. Let's take some risks and reach out!
Here's a beautiful song from our Aussie friends at Hillsong based on this miracle:
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