Walking On Water

I can’t say I have ever walked 'on' water, but I have often walked through water… two occasions come to mind… Most recently, West Beach at St Andrews whilst on holiday, wandering along the edge of the sea on a sandy beach… bliss! The other time was after climbing a particular Munro in Glen Nevis and finding the only way back was by wading across a fast flowing stream, easier said than done when I was tired anyway… not exactly walking on water, more wading unsteadily!

So what actually happened in Matthew 14?

‘Immediately’ (v 22) means we should look at what has just happened. Jesus has just fed 5000 men plus women and children (so probably as many as 10,000). After such an amazing miracle, Jesus’ reaction is interesting. He sends the disciples off in a boat ahead of him across the Sea of Galilee (so he is intending to join them), and then dismisses the crowd. John’s account (John 6) tells us that Jesus knew that the crowd would want to make him their king and, as so often, Jesus avoids a reaction that would force his hand ‘before his time’.

Back in Matthew, we read that Jesus went up a mountainside by himself to pray. Think about it: He has just performed the most amazing miracle and yet he feels the necessity to take himself off for prayer, to spend time in His Father’s presence (v 23). He was there alone into the evening and through the first part of the night.

Meanwhile the disciples were making slow progress in an increasingly hostile situation. The Sea of Galilee is known to produce rough waters out of nothing, being surrounded by hills. Some on board were no strangers to the Sea as they were fishermen, but on this occasion, they seem to have been caught out. They were a considerable distance from land and they were being buffeted by the waves because of the wind against them. In other words, they were not in a good place, and finding it difficult to make headway (v 24).

During the fourth watch of the night (3am -6am), Jesus left his vigil of prayer and came down to the lake and walked towards them…on the water. It is significant that we are given the timing of this event. It is the ‘lowest’ time of the night, just before dawn. How often have we awoken in the early hours and felt at a low ebb? The disciples had set out, presumably in calm conditions, hours before. They were exhausted and at a low ebb themselves. Then they see what they assume is a ghost. Their reaction of fear seems inevitable given their anxiety about their situation (verses 25-26).

Notice that Jesus immediately called out to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ (v 27). He didn’t wait until he got closer physically. He knew their need. He saw they were afraid and sought to encourage them. It doesn’t say of course, but don’t you think Jesus knew exactly where they were all the time, though they must have felt alone, far from him?

Peter, typically, is first to react (and the only one to do so!): ‘Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.’ So, he wasn’t sure it was Jesus, after all up to that point he had never seen anyone walk on the surface of the lake! Yet something in him had to cry out and his words betray his ‘young but growing’ faith. If Jesus can walk on water, then he can help me to as well…surely that lies behind his reply to Jesus (v 28).

Jesus simply says: ‘Come’. It was a simple invitation to do the ‘humanly-speaking ridiculous’. Amazingly, Peter climbs out of the relative safety of the boat and yes, he walks on the water just like Jesus (v 29). But then he looked away from Jesus and towards the wind (still blowing strongly). As soon as he did that, he began to sink and cries out to Jesus again: ‘Lord, save me!’ (v 30).

The third ‘immediately’ tells us that Jesus reached out and took his hand and caught him (v 31). I can imagine Jesus smiling as he says: ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ They both get into the boat and only then does the wind subside at last (v 32). All the disciples are lost for words at what had just happened; their spontaneous response is to look at Jesus and worship him: ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ (v 33).

It is such a familiar story, yet its lessons are very powerful. There are many challenges in this life that seem like storms or winds and waves buffeting us. We can feel we are making no headway, or even feel we are sinking. But when we switch our gaze from the situation to The Saviour, our outlook changes. Keeping our eyes on Jesus sees us through, though the storm does not abate immediately – but take our eyes off him, we will feel we are sinking again, just like Peter. Yet even then we can be sure Jesus will bring us through, lifting us up, holding on to us and bringing us to safety.

I (like you no doubt) have known times of severe testing where all seemed black, dark, out of my control, beyond understanding. Only a re-focus on Jesus through his Word and through prayer brings us through. He truly is our Rock, our Anchor in the storm.

There is something else here too. At least Peter was prepared to get out of the boat and respond to Jesus’ call to come to him. He left his relative comfort zone to get closer to Jesus. Most of them stayed in the boat. We are all called to serve in various ways and Jesus will often take us way out of our comfort zone, but if we insist on staying in the boat, we will never see just what he had in mind for us.

Jesus does amazing things and we can too, for His glory, when we fix our eyes on Him and trust Him 100% no matter what wind is blowing against us!