The Lord's Extended Hand

This week’s Gospel from Matthew chapter fourteen is the famous “Walking on the Water” story in which Peter starts out fine but then begins to sink. An interesting that happens at the end which is easy to overlook, but is crucial to the story at hand is that it was not only Peter who would sink in the raging water, but you and I as well.

After Jesus saves Peter and he is back in the boat the winds finally die down at Jesus’ command. The Apostles are in awe because Jesus also commands the elements of nature, making a violent storm turn calm. They begin to recognize that there is Divinity at work here, and as the passage says, “Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’”

Jesus is patient with his disciples and only reveals who He is and what His mission is over a period of time. They would not have been able to handle the full Truth all at once. Somewhere about half way through Jesus’ three year ministry the Apostles pretty much have a decent grasp that Jesus is Yahweh, though probably still difficult to comprehend since they had a human being in front of their eyes and probably looked to him more in that sense.

The story of Peter sinking in the water was not an isolated event, but reminiscent of all the Apostles, because soon enough all of them sank in the water the night Jesus was arrested. Before the storm they all walked on water, all were on cloud nine, as we say, but when the storm came they grew frightened for the winds were stronger than they could bear, so they ran. And yet, they knew Jesus was Yahweh. They saw Him catch Peter, calm the winds, heal the sick, multiply loaves of bread and fish, they saw much. Still it seems that was all forgotten when the storms of life hit.

We should not be too hard on the Apostles here, because you and I would have sunk as well. Who would have been ready to die with Jesus that night? Who would have been able to endure torture, mockery, and crucifixion? None of us, we would have all run and we would have run at full sprint.

In our own lives we have run from Christ when storms came, we looked for the answers elsewhere. It’s part of our weak human nature, and still Jesus continues to extend his arm to snatch us up from the violent wind and rain and to see us safely back into the boat. Isn’t awesome to know that God infinitely holds out His arm to keep us from sinking? All we have to do is reach up and hold on.

FJ