Get Out Of The Boat...

There is a passage of Scripture in the book of Matthew that many people who've been attending church for any amount of time are probably very familiar with. It's found in the 14th chapter and it's the story of Jesus walking on water...The disciples are out in the boat in the midst of a storm and all of the sudden they see this figure walking toward them...It's Jesus. And just as quickly as they realize who He is, Peter yells out to Him, "Hey Jesus! If that's really is you, tell me to come out to you and I will be able to." And Jesus calls to Peter and Peter begins to walk toward Him...And for a moment Peter walks on water to Jesus...Now, if you know the story, you know that Peter gets distracted by the wind and the waves (as any ADD disciple would) and begins to sink, clinging out to Jesus for rescue at the last minute...

Here's my deal with this passage...Every time I have heard someone in the church teach on this Scripture they talk about how Peter should've just kept his focus on Jesus and he wouldn't have begun to sink...and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...I agree. Peter should've kept his focus on Jesus. I agree that Jesus' ultimate desire would not have been for Peter to get half way there and begin sinking...But I don't buy that interpretation as the only reason for God incorporating that story in his Word...

To me, Peter is the one disciple in the story that should be seen as heroic, brave, courageous, and inspiring...You see, while everyone else looked at the storm, Peter looked at Jesus. While everyone else saw Jesus walking on the water and was impressed by his power, Peter saw Jesus walking on water and trusted in his power. While the other disciples saw Jesus in the flesh out on the water, they looked at the storm that raged and chose the safety of the boat...Not Peter. He knew that the safety of the boat was nothing compared the being in the presence of Jesus...So he jumped out the the boat while the others stayed behind...And he chose to take a risk. Peter knew in his heart, from experiencing the character, abilitiy, strength, and power of Jesus first hand, that the storm had no danger that Jesus couldn't handle...And he knew that the boat offered no security that Jesus didn't surpass.

I think that Jesus wants more Peters in our world today. I believe with all my heart that he searches for people who are willing to say, "Forget the safety of the boat...I want to live my life risking it all to be where Jesus is." And every now and then you get a glimpse of a person who isn't afraid to get out of the boat and follow Christ, regardless of the storms in life and regardless of the risk involved...It's just a shame that we see it "every now and then" and not everyday...So let's join Peter and get out of the boat...Whatever storms surround you in life, realize that Jesus is bigger than any of them...And whatever you face in your journey realize that the live is not fully lived in the safety of the boat, but rather on the water with the Master...