Peter offers a real blessing for the Christian community because he repeatedly puts himself forward in his dealings with Jesus.  Sometimes, he teaches a good lesson that must be learned, and sometimes he offers an example that must be avoided.  In other words, he is like us.  In the story of the “walking on water,” Peter presents both sides of his journey in striving to follow Jesus.

In that account, the disciples are at sea and gripped by a fearsome storm.  When they see a figure walking towards them on the water, their first reaction is fear: “It is a ghost!”  Soon. however, they recognize Jesus.

Peter first reflects his eagerness to be with the Lord. He observes the Lord whom he reveres walking on the water, and he desires to join him.  He asks the Lord to summon him forth. The Lord offers the call, and Peter steps out of the boat.  How bold of him!  He takes those first steps courageously but then becomes more tentative with each following one.  Rather than keeping his eyes fixed on the object of his love, Jesus, he begins to pay more attention to his own feet and the wind and the waves, and he begins to falter—literally to sink.  He cannot generate sufficient momentum in those first steps which will carry him to the Lord as he grows in confidence and assurance.  No.  He begins to second-guess his decision and gives more weight to the turbulence than to the Lord.

We cannot be critical of Peter.  Kudos for those first steps!  But there is no such thing as tentative boldness.  As we embrace the challenge of following the Lord, there must be a resoluteness and a “no turning back” firmness.  We keep our eyes fixed on the Lord and we move toward him with a sure and steady step.  The reality of wind and wave are undeniable, but they cannot be the controlling factors.  The further we get from the boat and our “comfort zone” is the closer we get to Jesus.  We find a new place to stand and from which to move forward.  Let us envision those last steps to Jesus as generating momentum both because we want to be gathered into his arms and because standing on the water alone and in-between is frightening.

“Walking on the water” and approaching the Lord open up new possibilities for mission.  We can go places to which we have not been before because we can do something which we could not accomplish before.  And people will want to join us on the water.  They, too, would want to be bold, encouraged by our example.  The opportunity to make the Gospel known in a new way beckons us.  The mission is carried forth with energy and direction; it becomes a force with which to reckon.

And so, Peter once again offers us a model.  We, too, want to make our way to the Lord in the various manners in which we are called.  We know that the path of discipleship requires us to keep the Lord always at the center of our vision.  Other elements cannot stand in our path of faithful following.  Like Peter, we want to learn how to walk on water in drawing near to the Lord.