Matthew 14:28–32 – And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Why doubt? If we put this passage on the table for debate with God, it would seem very clear why Peter doubted. I mean, I get it right away! Peter was a fisherman who had been around water his whole life. He knew by experience that when people jump into a body of water, they get submerged and thoroughly wet. You don’t have to be a physics major to understand why people use boats. To say that Peter was of “little faith” in something he had no idea was possible up to that moment, could be construed as an absurdly unrealistic expectation. Did Jesus not know or understand the heart of Peter’s doubt as he sunk into the waters? Could He not have empathized with Peter, as the very one who created physical nature, knowing that man, having never walked on water before, would find the concept a bit hard to swallow?
Realistically, the apparition coming towards them in the middle of the lake would have been enough to fill my mind and heart with a myriad of fears and questions (even knowing it was Jesus). Remember, Jesus was still just a man to them at this point. So why was He seemingly so hard on Peter’s doubting? Peter was inside the vessel and took comfort in the safety it provided. The problem arose when after initiating the impossible prospect of stepping outside the security of the boat, he began to lose faith. The moment Peter heard, “Come,” he started by faith to cross the frightening deep of unknown possibilities — with Christ straight ahead in his sights. I don’t believe Peter began sinking because his eyes drifted off Jesus (In this present time we can’t physically see Jesus when stepping out by faith). I surmise that he began to sink because he lost confidence in walking on the surface of what was unfamiliar to him. Jesus had already bid him come and approved the possibility to do an impossible thing.
When Christ bids us come, we must step out by faith with our whole heart and walk on whatever surface is under our feet, in whatever circumstances God has approved for us. Trusting in God’s approval of our life struggles is essential for abiding in Him to the fullest. The gateway to our heavenly residence is believing in Jesus and knowing that He has power over us and our circumstances. Walking in the Spirit by faith in Jesus, without knowing the outcome, is a step-by-step journey past the gate and onto the grounds where God is never a stranger. We can have complete assurance in the day-to-day grind by walking past the unknown to where we will reside forever. Though that place is not fully known to us yet, we press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). We “press on” because Christ bids us to come. Understanding the way we are going, or trusting the ground we walk on, is unnecessary for accepting God’s approval and plan for bringing us to the end of our journey safely.
However impossible the way seems, we must confidently look to God who enables us to live and walk in the power and inspiration of His Holy Spirit. There was no wrong in Peter’s inhibitions when sinking into the deep. Jesus wasn’t harshly scolding him for fearing his mysterious circumstances; no more than a parent might sternly reassure a child from a different room of their continued presence — though unseen. Do we recognize all the security and protection that being a child of God provides? Jesus was conveying the same sentiment when He wept for the unbelief of the people mourning Lazarus (John 11:35). Jesus — the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, all-gracious, all-loving, all-kind, long-suffering, and steadfast God Almighty was there — with them. Able to save! Ready to lead! Able to provide! Able to protect! Comforts are on every side, yet we often cannot see through the dark waters of uncertainty. Jesus never looks down on people when they show a lack of faith. He confronts them and reminds them that He cares enough to display Himself in ways that they will recognize the tremendous everlasting love He has for them.
The world is our temporary vessel and the false protection it provides for us is against the outside deep and dark waters of the unknown. We must step out by faith, but more importantly, we must continue by faith to walk supernaturally in the Holy Spirit to Jesus — the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Christ will come back with us hand-in-hand into the world to which we are temporarily confined. He will open to us the doors of heaven so that what had been fearfully unknown to us will be but a stepping stone to that which has been known of us all along and approved by His finished work on the Cross.
