Jesus walks on the waters of the sea of Galilee, one of most famous biblical stories. It is
the middle of the night. By all reports it is what was called “the fourth watch of the
night”, today’s equivalent of 3am.
It had been a busy day by anyone’s standard – to say the least – 5,000 men plus women
and children had followed him into the open countryside. There, in the late afternoon,
in the spring sunlight, on the green slopes above the seashore he had fed them all with
the breaking of the blessed bread and the fish.
As the feast was ending Jesus had ordered his disciples to get into their boat and cross
over to other side of the sea. He stayed behind alone. First, politely, he personally sends
off the crowds back to their homes and their ordinary lives. Then he heads up into the
hills, to pray. At the quiet ending of that momentous day there is a love both of God, his
Heavenly Father, and of his neighbor. An openness to both with all his heart and soul
and strength.
Now in the darkness and the wind he comes to his disciples, walking on the waters. “Do
not be afraid. I am with you. Take heart.” As so often, he believes that the opposite of
faith is not unbelief but fearfulness, anxiety, timidity or paralyzing terror. We all have
experienced that time in our life, where we forget who we are in Christ and that He is
with us.
The disciples on the boat are not at this point caught up in a storm. It is rather a matter
of a strong head wind and high waves battering the boat in the open sea. They have lost
control. They are getting nowhere. Directionless. They have no power. Jesus knows
what we are going through.
You have to ask why Peter says what Peter says. What puts it into his head? It is such a
strange request: “Lord if it is you, tell me to come to you across the waters”. How many
times have you questioned God?
“Come,” says Jesus. Peter steps out of the boat and across the waves towards Jesus.
And then, hit by the blast of the wind and the failure of his faith, he falters and stumbles.
Immediately, without a disruption, Jesus stretches out his arm to save him and leads
him back to the boat. “O man of little faith why did you doubt? We forget the faith that
mustard seeds can move mountains!
Now all of this is happening in the wee morning hours. If you have worked a “dogwatch”
you know nothing good is happening at this time. It is that lonely weak point when our
fragile humanity is at its weakest and most vulnerable to fear. There can be few of us
who have not woken up at this point in the night, appearing from a deep sleep into
confusion and swamped suddenly by anxieties as things from the past flood in on us. Or
fears for the future, or what the next day will bring, overwhelm us. We are incapable of
reasoning as the turbulence overtakes us and terror drags us down. Like Peter trying to
walk on the water, we are in water over our head, drifting and panic filled.

Perhaps then it is at these times that the Christian is to say into the darkness, “Lord if it
is you, tell me to come to you across these dark waters.” And for us to hear the voice of
our compassionate master saying once more, “Come, take courage, I am with you.” And
to feel too the touch of his outstretched hand and the gentle lecture, “O ye of little faith
why do you doubt? I am with you, with an outstretched arm”.
So as this short story ends, something of shimmering beauty has been revealed in the
darkness, and a firm foundation of courage and hope in God has been given in the midst
of the turmoil of the sea. Back in the narrow confines of the boat they worship the
cherishing massiveness of the divine presence: Jesus. Son of God and Son of Mary. I AM
with you.
“Do not be afraid for I have redeemed you. I called you by your name and you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers they will
not overwhelm you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.
Do not be afraid for I am with you.” (Isaiah 43. 1-5).
Jesus is Jesus, God is God, and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit, it is us that forget the
power we have in the Trinity.