Caught

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:28-33 (NIV)

It would be easy to give Peter a hard time for doubting Jesus in this episode, especially with Christ’s comment on the smallness of Peter’s faith. He was walking on water; that act alone should have bolstered his faith!

Yet in our own case, our everyday fears and anxieties cripple us and choke out our faith, don’t they? This is exactly what Jesus calls “thorny soil” (Matthew 13:22). The negative realities of life and the fears that we associate with them can distract us from trusting in Jesus, and His Word is robbed of its transformative power in our lives. We focus on the wrong things, lacking trust in the authority, power, and plans of Christ.

With this perspective in mind, Peter’s willingness to walk on water seems pretty bold. His fears of the wind and waves amidst the violent storm on the lake actually makes perfect sense. Yet even as Peter got farther than most of us would have, Jesus says his faith was small? What hope is there for us?

Notice what action Christ takes in Peter’s life once he begins to sink, though. “Immediately” Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.

Can you imagine The Lord reaching out His hand toward you now?

In this moment, Peter simultaneously wrestled with bold faith as well as true terror. This is so often in our own experience today. Peter moved ahead with half-faith, yet when he failed and his doubts overcame him, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.

When has Jesus caught you in the midst of doubts, fears, and half-faith?

It’s only a few verses later that Jesus refers to God’s Kingdom as a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32), later teaching His disciples that even faith so little as that is enough to move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

Where do you have “little faith” in the Lord? What worries and anxieties are choking out your faith and trust in Jesus?

What might He say to your “little faith” right now?

There truly is hope in Christ. He does not leave us alone in our doubts. Thank you, Lord.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20 (NIV)