“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” — Matthew 14:31
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Lamar Jackson won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award for the 2023 season after throwing for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions for a 102.7 quarterback rating. At just 27 years old, it was already his second MVP award. His value to his team and to the league is widely recognized.
But even he can have an off game where he makes several mistakes, and fans may actually boo him. Even superstars can’t walk on water.
Water is essential in proper amounts. We know how important rain is for growing trees, grass, flowers, gardens and crops. It’s a delicate balance especially in low-lying areas along creeks, rivers and oceans. But when hurricanes blow through, areas experience major flooding, dams breaking, roads closing, and houses and cars flooding with water.
These instances remind us how dangerous deep waters can be. We can’t drive over the deep, dangerous water in our car, nor walk on it ourselves to get to safety. It makes us appreciate even more the incredible miracle of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of a storm.
After speaking to thousands and performing miracles, Jesus had wanted some time alone to pray, so He sent His disciples ahead in a boat and told them He’d meet them later. The disciples followed His instructions, and probably thought Jesus would get in another boat to cross the sea when He was ready. Instead, Jesus did something impossible. While the disciples were struggling to keep the ship floating on the stormy seas in the middle of the night, they thought they saw somebody walking on top of the water. “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake” (Matthew 14:25).
The disciples were startled and amazed. “When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear” (Matthew 14:26). But Jesus reassured them that it was He who walked before them.
Then in an act of bravery — though still probably in shock at what he saw before him — Peter asked permission to walk on the water with Jesus. “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!’” (vv. 29-30). When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he started sinking in the water. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?'” (v. 31).
In that moment, Peter’s fear was louder than his faith. How often can we say the same happens to us in the middle of uncertainty? But Jesus’ grace was there to catch him.
On that dark, stormy night, Jesus taught every disciple of every generation to look to Jesus and keep our eyes on Him alone. Though we may never walk on water like Jesus, we can do great things for God and do more good by God’s power working through us than we ever thought we could. Just keep your eyes on Him despite the storms surrounding you.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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