Faith or failure?

Matthew 14:27 (NIV) But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” [28] “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” [29] “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. [30] But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” [31] Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

You have probably heard at least one sermon or Sunday School lesson covering these verses. Equally as likely, the preacher walked you through the text, pointing out verse 30, where Peter focused on the storm instead of Jesus, and correspondingly, he began to sink. Then they drew your attention to verse 31, where Jesus himself stated, “You of little faith,” and “Why did you doubt?” So, do we now have conclusive evidence to convict Peter of faith failure?

Jesus knew they were experiencing fear because of the tumultuous waves and high winds beating against the vessel. Speaking of the boat, this was the only tangible source of safety from the storm because, without it, they would be at the mercy of the waves with no protection. Now enter Jesus walking across the water in verse 27, approaching the boat as he says to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Matthew 14:28 (NIV)  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

Notice that Jesus spoke to them; everyone on the boat had an equal opportunity to respond, yet only one did. Peter, afraid like everyone else and still unsure if he saw a ghost or Jesus, says, “Jesus, if this is you, and you bid me to come out onto the water, I will do as you ask.” Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But let us not so quickly dismiss this statement, but instead put into words what I believe was going through his mind just before he said this.

“Jesus, I am in a place where I am unsure if you are even there (ghost). Fears surround me (wind and water), and the only thing that seems to offer safety is this boat. Now, you are asking me to step outside of my comfort zone (boat) directly into the very thing I fear the most at this moment (wind and water). I am afraid and filled with uncertainty, but I will walk by faith and not by sight, trusting you to keep me despite my weak faith. I only have a mustard seed of faith to offer, but now, I will give you everything I can. My life is in your hands!”

Now, outside the boat, Peter is not initially met with the provision of Christ but more fear as the wind and rain begin to beat against the little faith he could produce. Just as he was sinking to his death, he cried out in desperation to Christ, “Lord, save me!” Paralyzed with fear and facing the end of his life, Peter was able to cling to a small piece of weak faith one more time. In that moment, Jesus pointed out his “lack of faith,” not the “absence of faith.”

Insight

There will come a time when your faith will be challenged. You will be ushered to the edge of a spiritual cliff, symbolic of the limits of your faith, and then you will be pushed over the ledge. In this moment of free-falling into the abyss of your suffering, Jesus will reach out his hand and save you from your troubles, and it won’t be because your faith was flawless; it will be because his faithfulness is.