You likely have heard the famous Bible story where Jesus walks on water (after He performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish). Matthew 14:22-33 tells us that Jesus sends His disciples in a boat across the Sea of Galilee while He stays behind. Hours later, before the sun rises, they’re in the middle of the lake, and get caught in a sudden raging storm. Jesus goes out to them, walking across the water, and the disciples are terrified when they see Him. At Jesus’ direction, Peter gets out of the boat and starts to walk across the choppy waves toward Jesus – but the minute he takes His eyes off his Teacher, he panics and begins to sink. Jesus reaches out and catches him, and asks Peter, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” And as soon as He gets into the boat with the disciples, the storm ends.
This account is often used as a teaching illustration, a call to action for us as believers today: to have faith means to trust God and “get out of the boat”. But… let’s back up a little. What about the lesson of what it means to get in the boat?
Verse 22 tells us that “Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side.” They were in the boat that night because Jesus told them to be there. At first, it might sound kind of strange to us. The Sea of Galilee is about 8 miles wide. Who would willingly hop in a boat and start rowing 8 miles across a giant lake at night?!
The answer is: fishermen. Some of the disciples were fishermen by trade. The idea of rowing across the lake at night wouldn’t have been particularly out of the ordinary. It likely wouldn’t set off any alarm bells in their heads. And yet, Scripture tells us that when the disciples saw Jesus appear to them in the middle of the water, they were terrified. But why? This wasn’t some stranger; He was their Master, their Lord, the One who had called them by name to follow Him. Not only that, but He had told them to go to the other side. Why would they be frightened when they knew who Jesus was?
One answer, I think, has a lot of relevance for you and me. The disciples weren’t expecting any kind of divine intervention or supernatural help to deal with the storm. Perhaps that’s why they were so caught off-guard when they saw Jesus approaching them in the middle of the lake. Keep in mind, these men had just witnessed Him perform what could not be mistaken for anything other than a complete miracle. Feeding five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish? And yet, just a few hours later, they were surprised when He showed up in their own circumstance – even when He’s the One who sent them there.
As Christ-followers, do we live expectantly, waiting for God to show up and do the divine around us? Or are we like the disciples – shocked and surprised when He shows up in our situation, even when we’re in the middle of doing something He’s called us to do? Let’s pray that God will give us faith not only to “get in the boat”, but to recognize Him when He shows up and meets us there!
