Besides the fact that both Jesus and Peter physically walked on top of the sea's wild waves, something no less remarkable--and instructive--is to be found in that true story....
As soon as Peter looked away from Jesus to gaze upon the storm, Peter began to sink. "Lord, save me!" Peter cried out. Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and lifted Peter from a watery grave that was swallowing him up.
What a powerful story of Christ's love and power! What a beautiful and comforting example of Jesus's ability and willingness to save! Still, there are other, unstated facts contained in those circumstances:
When Peter began to sink, he must have been standing right in front of Jesus--who simply reached out his hand and grabbed hold of Peter, at Peter's sudden cry. Looking even deeper between the lines, as it were, we may infer that Peter must have thought that since he had walked all the way out to where Jesus was standing, Peter evidently believed that it was therefore safe for him to turn his eyes away from Jesus, to gaze momentarily upon the howling winds and waves.But as soon as Peter turned his eyes away from Jesus, and he began to think about what a dangerous situation surrounded him, Peter's faith and supernatural ability suddenly vanished, as though it never was. "I'm walking close enough to Jesus," Peter doubtless thought; "If my faith brought me this far, then, I reckon I can stand here with him, just like he is doing." Well, evidently not, Peter. Just maybe there is something essentially different about Jesus, compared with the rest of us mere mortals. Maybe, just maybe, the fact that Jesus was and is divine, as well as human, has something to do with his uniqueness and the uniqueness of his ability.
"He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father," Jesus said. The key to that kind of power and authority, however, is revealed in the qualifying phrase, "He that believeth on me", that is to say, on Jesus.How little we esteem the merits, evidently, of Jesus's divinity and glory. Yet, how much we sometimes esteem our own worthiness and ability to be! Thus, too often we labor under the delusion that we are competent to do the 'work of God', while we, unconsciously perhaps, look to Jesus--not for his power and authority, but simply for his approving smile, as it were. "Aren't I working hard for you, Jesus?" we seem to say by our conduct (though we would never think to say such things with our words).
Had Peter kept his eyes on Christ, he never would have sunk. It was a lesson which Peter did not easily learn, however. For, it was not long afterwards, when Peter once again was standing close enough to Jesus to behold him face-to-face. And once again, Peter found himself in the midst of a great storm, one no less threatening than what he had earlier faced, on the Sea of Galilee. As Jesus stood--this time bound with ropes--in Pilate's judgment hall, Peter, standing in the courtyard just feet away from Jesus, turned his eyes away from Jesus to look at the darkness of his circumstances. There, in the cold of that night and contributing to the darkness of a dangerous situation, were some who recognized Peter as a companion of Jesus.
Oh, how often Peter had been so proud to be seen with Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Raiser-of-the-dead, Jesus the Miracle-worker, Jesus the Rabbi! Peter was among Christ's 'inner circle' of friends. But that night, that situation; that was a different story. The devil's crowd was hovering around Peter standing alone in the courtyard, like buzzards encircling their prey. "You're one of them," someone remarked, as they observed how Peter seemed to be watching Jesus with inordinate interest. Peter averted his eyes from Jesus--just long enough to glance at the armed soldiers, before he cast an unconvincing denial toward the accusing voice in the dark, so near unto him.
Peter, you're beginning to sink, his conscience pleaded. When Peter sank into the Sea, he was surrounded with unfriendly winds and waves, to be sure; but there were no unfriendly people around with swords and ropes. And this time, Peter did not cry out, "Lord, save me!" Though I wonder --not whether--but just how Jesus would have reached out his mighty hand, at that very moment, and lifted Peter up.
Ah, but Christ is so very mighty, indeed, far beyond our utmost capacity even to imagine! Jesus foresaw that Peter was headed for trouble and temptation, before it ever happened on that night. "Satan hath desired to sift you as wheat," Jesus told Peter, days before that fateful night was to come. "But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not." There it is: that Omnipotent hand, reaching down for Peter, even before he began to sink in the swirling vortex of condemnation and despair and self-loathing.
* * * * * * *
In the years following, we find Peter walking, though never alone. There was a shadow, the Bible says, which followed him everywhere he went. Multitudes would bring their sick folk and lay them along the roadside, as they saw Peter approaching on the road. (Think about that!) When that shadow, which moved with Peter, fell upon the sick, Scripture testifies, they were miraculously healed.
What was that shadow? and what great secret had Peter found whereby such miracle-working power was entrusted to him?
That shadow was the Holy Ghost, before whom Peter walked softly. Because, Peter finally learned--never, ever to take his eyes off of Jesus.
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