Faith In Our Every Day Walk
The story of Peter walking on the water appears three times in the Gospel. However, not every Gospel re-telling is exactly the same. We look at each instance of this Gospel story in Matthew, Mark and John to see what we can learn from each.
Matthew 14:22-33
In this version of the story, Jesus has just fed the five thousand with just two loaves of bread and five fish. After retiring away from the crowds, Jesus goes to pray while his disciples head into a boat to cross from one undisclosed point to another. It is at these turns of events that we learn these three things:
Faith is trusting that God makes miracles happen everywhere - while this miracle can often be overshadowed by the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. The disciples too were surely caught off-guard, thinking they were just traveling from point A to point B. However, Jesus’ powers are displayed nonetheless. This is an encouragement for us then; that we can have faith that God can work anywhere and anytime in our lives.
Faith means a desire to be with God - many preachers and pastors speak on this story, highlighting Peter’s lack of faith when the waters begin to rage. However, we must acknowledge Peter’s faith in being one of the twelve to want to join Jesus on the raging waters. Against all laws of nature, gravity and buoyancy, Peter asked for the impossible, all for the sake of being near his Lord and Saviour. Faith in our every day walk looks like this too; a desire to be with God, even when the circumstances are impossible.
Mark 6:45-52
In this version of the story, the narrative is similar minus Peter’s part in walking on water. What’s there to learn here then?
Faith is welcoming Jesus into our space - as soon as Jesus entered the boat, the rough wind died downs. Similarly, our lives can look like this when we welcome Jesus as he enters our space. After a long day, when everything seems in disarray, welcoming Jesus into our space means he can calm the storm around us. But this can only happen if we have the faith to welcome Jesus as the disciples welcomed Jesus into their boats.
Faith means acknowledging Jesus’ sovereignty - in verses 51 to 52, the disciples are completely amazed despite not understanding who Jesus was (and is) from the previous miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Surely knowing this, Jesus performs this miracle of calming the waves, to impress on the disciples again who he is; that is the Son of God.
Finally, we look to John for the final version of this story.
John 6:16-21
The author of John simplifies the story even further with many similarities with Mark’s recount. However, there is one difference between this recount and the others that teaches us one more lesson on faith.
Faith is willingly (and joyfully) receiving God - in Mark’s recount, the disciples are confused when Jesus appears until he enters the boat and calms the storms. However, in the John recount, the disciples are written to willingly receive Jesus into the boat after he says, “It is I; do not be afraid (verse 20).” This is how we should receive Jesus into our lives as well. Willingly and joyfully receiving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords into our lives.
In our every day walks with Christ, we may not see each action or thought as needing to be done with great faith. Yet, these three accounts teach us that faith is required whenever and wherever.