Somehow, I got thinking today about boats. Well, that’s a bit overly broad. Specifically, I got to thinking about a particular boat, on a particular lake, with a particular cast of crewmen. More specifically, Matthew 14:22ff.
Not long ago, I read a book entitled, I think, “If you want to walk on the water, you have to get out of the boat”. Long name, huh?
I was struck by this story, and what it says about people in general, not just the disciples.
There are 12 folks in what we suppose is a fishing boat. It’s not a big boat. By all accounts, it likely not much more than a large row boat. These folks are far out from shore, probably in deep water, it’s night time, so the shore isn’t visible, perhaps not even lights from shore. The wind is blowing up ferociously, and the “tiny ship was tossed.” (credits to Gilligan’s Island).
I imagine most of the folks were getting sea sick, and were probably very frightened. All of a sudden, they see their teacher walking towards them on the surface of the water.
Peter, who will soon come to be known as the rock, has had enough of the waves and calls out “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
And the teacher commanded “Come!”
So, in my mind, I see Peter bound out of the boat and start walking towards Jesus; then it hits him. “I can’t do this! No one can walk on water!” He looks down, then he sinks like a stone. Only Jesus saves him, pulls him up and helps him into the boat.
For 2000 years, it seems like Peter comes out on the short end of the stick, here. All the homilies and sermons I have heard castigate Peter for taking his eyes off Jesus, for not having faith enough to walk to Jesus.
But there are 11 others, that’s 92% of the crew, who were too scared to even try!
Let’s look at it another way. This crew of 12 is in a boat at sea in a storm, the boat is tossed viciously in the wind and waves, in the middle of the night. One looks to Jesus, and says “Let me come to you.” Ninety-two percent of the crew stays on the boat. They don’t know what they may face. For all they know, the boat on which they are being tossed about may break up. Jesus is there, and only 8 percent have the presence of mind to seek him out.
What does that tell me? I’m thinking 100% of us face trials in our life that are too much for us, that have us afraid for our lives, and seem insurmountable. I’m thinking ninety-two percent of us don’t ever bother looking to the one we believe we have faith in to rescue us… we don’t seek out that one, we don’t try to go to that one.
Ninety-two percent of us stay where we are, too frightened by the unknown to look… even to the less known… for help. We stay rooted in fear.
Eight percent of us do turn our eyes on the one and call out for help, wanting to go to that one. Notice Peter’s request. It’s not “Jesus, if that’s you, come to us.” He says “Command ME to come to YOU.”
And even then, he’s not perfect. He falters, even buoyed up by the one’s command, he falters. Yet that one still reaches out and lifts him up.
In the end, that one also saves those who aren’t calling, who fail to turn their eyes upon the one.
Says something interesting to me about people in general. And it says more to me about that compassionate One, One who works to save not only those who call for help… but those who don’t.
On The Road II 