Just A Thought

I had a new thought today about a story we all know well.  It's the story of Peter and what he does after seeing Jesus walking on water.

Peter gets out of the boat and starts his mission or goal to do what Jesus is doing ... walking on water.  In my mind, I pictured Jesus about 20 or 30 yards away from Peter.  Peter is getting wet from the blowing waves, splashing knee high or so from the storm.

As I pictured this ... a question comes to mind.

When does Peter begin to sink?  It's after he reaches Jesus, after he has fulfilled his mission and goal ... after he had arrived where he thought Jesus wanted him to be.

Peter had to have been right next to Jesus when he started to sink, for all Jesus had to do was to reach out and lift him up.  If so ... this makes it more understandable as to why Jesus asks Peter ... "Why did you doubt?"  He was standing on the water right next to Jesus.

Also notice ... they were still in the storm when Jesus brought up Peter's faith ... not the lack of it ... but the amount of it.  Jesus spoke these words to him ... "O thou of little faith." 

This word "little" that Jesus used is "oligopistos" in the original Greek Bible, pronounced (ol-ig-op'-is-tos) meaning lacking confidence, or puny.  It can also mean "incredulous" ... a person unwilling or unable to believe something.  Could it be that walking on water was something that Peter's life at this time was unable to grasp spiritually.  

But let's not be too hard on Peter.  He is the only one of the disciples who comes down out of the ship based only on the one word from Jesus ... "Come."  (Matthew 14:29)  It is a bold undertaking based on no foundation, no support, no possibility of walking on water ... there is nothing but faith which looks to Jesus for walking on the water.  Peter, as a mere man should sink by the very fact of being there.  But he doesn't yet.

If we can walk on the water, it's by faith ... the storm or the calm makes no difference.  Often circumstances make us forget to keep our eyes upon Jesus, where faith in Him ought to enable us to overcome any storm. 

Notice ...

It was after Peter reached Jesus ... that failure came.  Is there a lesson here?  We should never think that we have arrived or accomplished anything by ourselves.  It's always Jesus.  

Just a thought ...