Matthew 14:25-30 Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (NIV)
At the age of 30, Jesus began his ministry on earth. There was a great work to do and his mission would be of the uttermost importance. Jesus chose 12 disciples to follow him, so that he could make them fishers of men. Jesus did not choose them for the sake of popularity or just merely to have them follow him around. Jesus hand-picked disciples in order to have them do the Great Commission once he left. Even though he knew that one of them would betray him, it was part of the plan of redemption. During his time with them, they learned many lessons that would prepare them for the work that they would have to do. One of them being about Faith.
The disciples had seen Jesus do many miracles, but they still had more to learn. They had just witnessed Jesus perform a magnificent miracle of feeding 5,000 men, not including women and children. He had taken a boy's lunch of 2 fishes and 5 loaves of bread in order to feed this huge gathering. Jesus made sure to meet the people's physical needs as well as their spiritual ones. But after he was done, he wanted time to be alone with God in order to pray; so He sent the disciples ahead of him in their boat and he would meet them later. Once Jesus was finished, he met the disciples, but not in the manner that they were accustomed to. He took a short cut by walking on the water.
Can you imagine seeing someone walking on water? Yes, we know the final outcome of this story, but what if we were witnesses to this during that time? We probably would have been just as fearful as the disciples had been. Nevertheless, Jesus calmed their fears when he let them know who he was. Peter, wanting to be sure that it was his master, asked Jesus to let him also come and walk on the water. Jesus told Peter to come and he also began walking on water. However, Peter got distracted. He allowed the wind, something unseen, make him take his eyes off of Jesus who was right in front of his face. Therefore, Peter began to sink!
Isn't it funny how Peter allowed something that was unseen to have him take his eyes off Jesus? His Master was right in front of his face and yet, Peter allowed the "wind," which was something that he couldn't see, distract him from what he could. As a result, his faith failed him and that's why he began to sink. But the Master was not going to allow him to die. Jesus had a great work for Peter to do and even though Peter had no clue at the time, he would be a great force for the Kingdom of God.
Just as Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink, it is easy for us to allow the distractions of life to have us do the same thing. The devil will try to throw all sorts of turbulence in our path in order to make us loose our focus on God. However, it is when those trials are at their climax that we need to stay more focused on God. It is only with God's help that we will be able to overcome that obstacles that come our way. In the end, we'll too be able to walk on water.
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