²⁷But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹“Come,” he said.

We are looking at the miracle of Jesus walking on the water from the book of John, however Matthew’s account gives us more of the details. Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and went toward Jesus.

Here was a test of faith. It seems that faith is more than just seeing and believing in Jesus. Peter gave a most unusual request. “Lord, if it is you bid me come to you on the water.”

Many people try to explain miracles through natural ways. They propose, it is the way people in past cultures explained things they did not understand that we today have insights and reasonable, natural phenomena. I don’t know what they would do with this passage except to say it is legend and not truly factual. Skeptics discount what they cannot explain through natural means, but how do you change the facts? Either you are in the boat, or you are not. Either they saw a ghost or it was Christ.

That first step is the biggest challenge. Peter either sinks, swims or walks. He might still be close enough to get back into the boat, but with each step there is more dependence on the Lord and less on that boat is required. The further away from the point of security is the greater one must trust the Lord.

Jesus’ word was “Come” Put your trust and faith in me; be obedient. Do what you wish, but only as I grant it. To come to Jesus is a challenge to the faith in each of us as we leave places of our security and comfort. Sometimes storms require that. Sometimes storms are faced with faith in the impossible. It is a word of challenge far beyond our own poor understanding or capabilities.
Peter was willing to follow and obey the Lord when the Lord decided to answer Peter’s request. He could not come without the call of the Lord to Him. Peter had to take that step to get the prayer answered.

Peter’s attention was on the Lord. His focus and destination were to go to Jesus. He became Peter’s guide, his power, his strength and tremendous progress was being made. The others watched, I am sure, with wide opened eyes and mouths, as Peter was bold enough to go. It wasn’t a trick or act of pretending. I believe Peter was serious and Jesus probably wanted to show them all an important lesson of what faith can do when they really trust Him.

Faith involves growth. Peter asked to do the impossible by coming to Jesus. Jesus challenged his faith by saying come. The obstacles were the sea, wind, doubt, and self-reliance. These were real obstacles and imagined ones. It is the same small step of a child about to jump into the water and says, “Catch me, Daddy.” and hesitant to jump because he questions, “Will daddy really catch me? Otherwise, I might drown.” After the first jump the child realizes daddy is faithful and will catch him; he is more confident to jump the rest of the day.

We need our faith challenged. I do. That is what growth is all about. By faith more is accomplished by God through us than what we can ever imagine. These are fishermen, typically unlearned and common as anyone in this room, but transformed as they learned what faith was in Christ.

Application: Where do you see your faith challenged? What steps of faith might God be challenging you with to get your prayers answered? Are you willing to take that leap of faith? Be challenged to keep eyes on and focus on Jesus. With God we can go over the sea, without Him we should not even venture out over the threshold of our homes and certainly not jump into troubled waters.

Prayer: Oh Lord God, we are not limited with your resources. We are not on our own if you called us to come. Help me to understand that you are not going to let anything come my way that you and I together can’t handle.

Dale