Walking on Water

"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 down out of the boat, walked on the 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?” Matthew 14:25-31

The story of Jesus walking on water is one that everyone remembers. Some may even recall that Peter, albeit for a brief moment, also walked on water. But, aside from these two facts nothing else is ever really discussed regarding the event. However, one thing I see in the midst of Jesus and Peter walking on water is how it is a perfect illustration of our inability to live up to the standards God demands as well as the Gospel and Christian living. Often times the Christian life is said to be one of "becoming like Jesus" or more "like Christ." Therefore, believers are told that we must live obedient lives to whatever God commands. As evidence of this, people refer to God's laws as those commands we are to obey; either the Mosaic Law of the Old Covenant, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount or laws made up by our denominations. Well, here in this story about Jesus walking on water, we have a perfect example of how this will play out. Jesus, being God, has no problem walking on water. Peter asks to be commanded to come to Jesus on the water and the Lord obliges. Peter, for a short time, does walk on water, but eventually succumbs to fear and starts to sink into the water. This is just like us trying to be like Jesus. We believe that with Jesus' help, we too can do the things He can do; i.e. walk on water. We tell ourselves if we just had enough faith or tried hard enough at being "obedient" then we would be what God wants us to be. And, we may even deceive ourselves into believing we are being obedient, but what we perceive as being obedient is simply our success at those laws we find easiest to obey; church attendance, giving, scripture study and the like. However, the measure of our obedience is not our ability to live up to our standards, but to God's. Jesus said, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20)." And if that wasn't hard enough, He upped the anti when He followed up with, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." What is perfect in God's eyes? Being perfect, for example, would be if Peter was able to come to Him on the water without doubting. It is no different with us.

Why did Peter doubt? Was it a lack of faith? To a degree, yes. But, it was also a recognition that he is not God and cannot walk on water. He became afraid, got his eyes off of Jesus and on the wind and began to sink. Is that any different than what many Christians, or anybody for that matter, encounter when they try to be like Jesus or live up to the standards of their own personal or religious beliefs? We soon realize our own limitations and the impossibility of the attempt to be like God. Unfortunately, many people keep trying to step out on that water in hopes that they will figure it out, but never do. And you know what? If, by some chance, Peter mustered up enough faith to walk all the way to Jesus, then what? He would not have become God. Jesus didn't promise Peter entrance into heaven. What probably would have happened is that both Peter and the others in the boat would have taken their eyes off of Jesus and put them onto Peter and if they could walk on water too! And that's what we do as Christians when we try to be like Jesus; the focus is on us and off of Him. We never realize what Jesus was really trying to accomplish. At the end of His teaching on the Rich and the Kingdom of God, Jesus said to His disciples, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25)." Upon hearing this, the disciples replied with, "Who then can be saved (Mark 10:26)?" To the disciples, and many Christians today, being rich was believed to be a sign that God was pleased with their behavior; i.e. their obedience to His commands. So, when Jesus said these words to them in Mark 10:26, they realized that was not the case. What Jesus was trying to tell them was that the only way to get to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (be saved) was through the grace and mercy of God. So, when Peter realized he was sinking and unable to continue to walk on the water to reach Jesus, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Peter knew his efforts were not enough. And what did Jesus do? He reached out his hand and caught him. He saved him. The purpose of the Christian life is not trying to be like Jesus by living a life we cannot. It is about realizing we can't live the Christian life and letting Him live it out in and through us. He saved  us. We didn't save ourselves. Finally, one last thing to note is that after Jesus saved Peter, they got in the boat and crossed over. Jesus didn't instruct Peter on how to properly walk on water. He got in the boat with Him, the wind died down, and they crossed safely over to their destination. That's the Christian life in a nutshell; resting in Christ as He leads you through this life to our destination in Heaven.