Will you walk on the water?
“Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” Jesus said to Peter. Peter replied “Even if I have to die with you Lord I will never deny you.” Matthew 26:31-35
Peter was one of his closest disciples. Jesus loved him dearly. He witnessed Jesus walking on the water and said “Lord if it is you; command me to walk on the water.” Jesus invited him out of the boat and Peter walked on water. Until the wind picked up he lost faith and began to fall into the sea “Lord save me!” Peter cried out. Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14: 22-31
Peter loved Jesus Christ the man and learned very slowly that He was also God. He wanted to lay down his life for Christ that horrible night, he wanted to believe he would not drowned in that raging storm but he doubted and denied Jesus Christ.
We believers of this century listen to the gospel according to Matthew and think “Well, I would never have doubted Jesus Christ. I would have walked a mile on that water. I would have never denied him! I would have stood up straight and tall and told those people YES, I followed him and I believe in him even now!” But do you do that in your life in this day, at this time? Or do you do just as Peter did?
When you find yourself in the storms of this life ready to sink do you know that the presence on the water is that of Jesus? Do you trust that you can do the impossible with Him guiding you? Or do you let the winds of this culture and this human life knock you to your knees and have you begging “Lord save me!”
When surrounded by friends and relatives who differ from you in your faith life do you deny believing in Christ? Do you simply say “I don’t like to talk about religion. It’s politically correct not to talk about such things.” Do you deny Christ by never saying his name in public, by being embarrassed to pray, by not only quieting your beliefs but hiding them as well?
Oh, my friends we are Peter! We are human. We don’t want to be knocked down by the storms of this life. We want to walk on the water but our belief is, many times, not strong enough. We want to tell everyone that we believe in Jesus Christ but we don’t want to be crucified next to him. We want to love him openly but we fear our fate in the midst of unbelievers.
So what are we to do? Deny, doubt and fall? God has given us the freewill, Jesus has given us the human yet divine proof that if we follow Him we will walk on water and we will have everlasting life, is there a fate any better than that?
Today, reflect on those times that you are Peter at his low points and pray that you will not be that Peter anymore. But instead the Peter that was the rock that the Church was built upon.
