Getting Out of the Boat

And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Matthew 14:28-32

It’s easy for us, as we read the Bible, in the safety of our homes and offices, to criticize people like Thomas the Apostle, who doubted the Resurrection of Christ; or to criticize Peter, for taking his eyes of Jesus and getting scared while walking on water. I’ve never walked on water, but I’ve been scared plenty of times when I’ve been doing a normal activity like swimming at the beach and a big wave comes along. Jesus challenged Peter to step off of a boat into a raging stormy sea of waves and to not be afraid. I’m not sure how many of us would have taken that challenge. I’m not sure I would have.

Even though Jesus admonishes Peter a little bit to not having more faith, it is easy to forget that it actually took a bit of faith for Peter to get out of the boat. We forget that all the disciples were in the boat. All must have been scared by the raging waves in the stormy sea. And it was Peter who actually had the courage to get out of the boat and start walking to Jesus. The lesson here, of course, is that as long as he kept his eyes on the Lord, he was able to do the seemingly impossible task of walking on water. And when he took his eyes off the Lord, that’s when the problems started.

Life is filled with challenges. The sea is often stormy. The waves are often scary. We know that Jesus can bring calm into the storm. Even if the storm still rages on, there is peace from God that comes in the midst of the storm. Faith is also filled with challenges, hence the title of this unit, which concludes with today’s message. These challenges to faith, whether it is lack of understanding, or own guilt and shame, these challenges are met in the same way that Peter walked on water. When we keep our eyes on the Lord in our challenges, whatever challenges they may be, we will find a clear path to the Lord. So before we get too critical of Peter, we’ve got to give him credit for actually getting out of the boat and at least beginning the journey to Christ.

Peter sinking in the water is also part of the faith journey, and a challenge in itself. Many people think that once we commit our lives to Christ that it is smooth sailing, no more storms. To the contrary, the storms continue, and in some cases, they even get worse. The last thing the devil wants is committed Christians and he will often throw himself in front of us with temptations and doubts, trying to knock us off our journey and make us take our eyes off of Christ, hoping we will sink. We all fall to temptation in ways large and small. Sometimes we even fall when trying to do something good and wholesome. We lose focus and the devil is there, preying on us. We take our eyes off of Christ and we start to sink. Peter, again to his credit, shouted to Jesus, “Lord, save me.” He didn’t succumb to failure. He actually didn’t stop believing. His momentary failure was met with a statement of faith, that Jesus was still Lord, and still had the power to save him, and not only the power, but the desire to save Peter. When we fall, redemption is as close as a call to Christ, “save me,” followed by the courage to reach out and take His hand, combined with trust that He will, and hopeful eyes that refocus on Him.

There is no challenge to faith to which there isn’t an answer from Christ. We just need to keep our eyes on Him, and when we lose sight, to refocus. This is why it is so important to belong to a church community. Because when we lose focus, there is someone in the community—a priest, a friend, someone in a ministry, or just someone in the pews—who can be a voice of encouragement. At a recent Orthodoxy 101 class, I was telling the participants that one of the most important ministries in a church community is that of encouragement, and recognizing when someone has stopped coming. And to call that person, who most likely is having some challenge to faith, and encourage them to come back. This is one of the most important, and also the most overlooked ministry in the church. As we close this unit, please know that I am praying for you as you face your challenges to faith. Please pray for me, I still have challenges in mine.

Lord, thank You for the compassion that You showed to St. Peter, Your voice of encouragement that beckoned him to come to You in the storm, and Your voice of reassurance when You raised him up from the stormy sea as it engulfed him. Please be a voice of encouragement to me in the storms of my life. Be a voice of reassurance when I succumb to challenges to faith and take my eyes off of You that there is always a way back. Help me to be a voice of encouragement and reassurance for others. Be the source of comfort in the times when I feel challenged in my faith, and be the source of joy and confidence that helps me overcome the challenges. Amen.

Many people think that Jesus asking Peter “Why did you doubt?” was a voice of admonition and disappointment. The answer to that question is “Because I am human and got distracted.” The follow up question could have been, “then why did you leave the boat in the first place, and why when you were sinking did you cry out ‘Lord’?” The answer to that is “Because I have faith.” Being a Christian doesn’t mean we don’t have challenges. It means that when we have challenges, we still move forward with faith.

To Him be the glory, the dominion and the power, to the ages of ages. Amen.