If you want to walk on water … expect a storm

If you want to walk on water ... expect a storm. If you want to walk on water is the beginning of a great John Ortberg book. His book title ended with You've got to get out of the boat. I borrowed the first part but switched out the ending to expect a storm.

John Ortberg's title is definitely on target. It really is impossible to walk on water while we're still in the boat.

However, there's part of that "getting out of the boat" that isn't always so obvious.  

Or maybe it is obvious. But we choose to ignore it?

I expect it's the latter. We want to ignore it.

Because if we take the time to think about it, walking on water is downright scary! Especially for those of us that can't even swim.

I do like to snorkel. Sort of. It takes me a good ten minutes to calm down and start to breathe normally. That's ten minutes after I can finally stop slipping in the little waves right at the edge of the sand. Get beyond the waves that make me feel dizzy while I'm trying to get further out. Get past the part where I can't stand anymore. At 6'4", that's sometimes pretty far out. And finally manage to get myself laying flat, face down, with my head in the water. Then, I can start to enjoy snorkeling. Did I mention - I can't swim?

I don't know why I didn't think of that about six years ago when I first wrote this. Maybe it's because the waves are bigger these last several years? It's given me a new perspective on the topic. We'll see how it turns out in a while.

If you want to walk on water ...

So - why do we probably want to ignore some parts of getting out of the boat? Well, do you remember what happened to Peter when he wanted to walk out to Jesus? On the water! Here's what Matthew recorded about that little excursion.

Jesus Walks on the Water - Matthew

14:22-33 pp — Mk 6:45-51; Jn 6:15-21
14:34-36 pp — Mk 6:53-56

Mt 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Mt 14:25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

Mt 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Mt 14:28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

Mt 14:29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Mt 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Mt 14:32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”