Walking On Water

Then it happens. v30 Peter "saw the wind." Reality sets in, and Peter asks himself, what was I thinking? He realised he was on the water in the middle of a storm with no boat beneath him - and he was terrified. Nothing has really changed, though. The storm should have come as no surprise - it's been there all along. So what has changed here? Peter's focus has shifted from Jesus to the storm.

We all know what it is to "see the wind". We begin a new adventure full of hope. Maybe it's a new job; maybe you're exploring your spiritual gifts; maybe you're trying to serve God in a new way. At the beginning we are full of faith. Then reality sets in. Setbacks, opposition, unexpected obstacles. We see the wind. It should be expected - the world's a pretty stormy place. But somehow trouble still has the power to catch us by surprise (see 1 Peter 4 v12).

The choice to follow Jesus - the choice to grow - is the choice for the constant recurrence of fear. We have got to get out of the boat a little every day to overcome our fears. Let me explain. The disciples get into the boat, face the storm, see the figure walking on the water and are afraid v26... "Don't be afraid," Jesus says. Peter asks for permission to join Jesus on the water, sees the wind and is afraid all over again. But the question is, do you think that's the last time in Peter's life he will experience fear?

Here is a deep truth about getting out of our boat and learning to do the impossible, to walk on the water. The fear will never go away. Why? Because each time we want to grow, it will involve going into new territory, taking on new challenges. And each time we do that, we will experience fear again. Fear will never go away. Fear and growth go together. It's a package deal. The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus we must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of our lives. And that's sobering news to most of us, because we're into comfort. Theologian Karl Barth said that comfort is one of the great temptations of our age.

In today's society if we are not careful there is a tendency to watch life rather than be a part of it. This is why soaps are so popular. We can be spectators of life watching it from the safety of our armchairs, commenting about life but never taking part - are we becoming couch potatoes?

The eleven disciples could be called "boat potatoes". They didn't mind watching, but they didn't want to actually get involved. Millions of people in churches these days could be called "pew potatoes". They want some of the comfort associated with spirituality, but they don't want the risk and challenge that go along with actually following Jesus. Yet Jesus is still looking for people who will get out of the boat.

Risk and comfort tend to grow into a habit. Each time we get out of our boat, we become a little more likely to get out the next time. It's not that the fear goes away, but that we get used to living with fear. We realise that fear does not have the power to destroy us. On the other hand, every time we resist Jesus' voice calling us, every time we choose to stay in our boat rather than heed Jesus' call, the voice gets a little quieter in us. Then there will come a time we will not hear Jesus' call at all.

As a result of seeing the wind and giving into fear, Peter began to sink into the water v30. So here is the question: Did Peter fail? Before I offer an answer, let us make an observation about failure. Failure is not an event, but rather a judgement about an event. Failure is not something that happens to us or a label we attach to things. It is a way we think about outcomes.

Did Peter fail? Well, I suppose in a way he did. His faith wasn't strong enough. His doubts were stronger. "He saw the wind." He took his eyes off of where they should have been. He sank. He failed. But here is what I think. I think there were eleven bigger failures sitting in the boat. They failed quietly. They failed privately. Their failure went unnoticed, unobserved, uncriticised. Only Peter knew the shame of public failure.