Visitors to the Holy Land like to take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, the sea on which Jesus walked. A certain tourist wanted such a ride and the boatman told him the fare was fifty dollars. “Fifty dollars!” exclaimed the tourist, “No wonder Jesus walked!” A proper understanding of the gospel story of Jesus walking on the sea has a lot to teach us about who Jesus is, but also about the church in its journey through the world, and about the life of faith of the individual believer.

About Jesus: The miracle story of Jesus walking on the sea, together with the one that goes before it, the multiplication of loaves, shows that Jesus is Lord and has authority over all forces natural and supernatural. The Jews believed that the sea was the domain of supernatural demonic forces. A rough and stormy sea was regarded as the work of these hostile spirits. By walking on the raging waves and calming the stormy sea Jesus is showing himself to be one who has power and total control over these hostile spiritual forces. Do you know Christians who have surrendered their lives to the Lord but who still live in constant fear of evil spirits, sorcery, witchcraft, potions and curses? Today's gospel brings us the good news that these powers of darkness stand no chance at all when Jesus is present and active in our lives and affairs.

About the Church: The boat on the sea is one of the earliest Christian symbols for the church in its journey through the world. Just as the boat is tossed about by the waves so is the church pounded from all sides by worldly and spiritual forces hostile to the kingdom of God. In the midst of crises Jesus comes to restore peace and harmony in his church. But he comes in a form and manner in which he is easily mistaken for the enemy. He comes in a way that makes many well-meaning Christians cry out in fear “It is a ghost!” (Matthew 14:26) as they try to keep him out. But if we listen carefully we shall hear through the storm his soft, gentle voice whispering in the wind, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid” (verse 27). If we believe his word and take him on board, the storm immediately subsides and the crisis is resolved.

How can we be absolutely sure that it is Christ and not a hostile ghost? We can’t. We must act in faith. We must stand on the promise of Christ that if we are busy going about the duty he has assigned us, just as the disciples were busy rowing their boat to the other side of the shore as Jesus had instructed them, then Jesus himself will come to us riding on the very waves that threaten to swallow us up. As the church in the modern world, like Peter’s boat, sails through the stormy seas of our time, we need to keep an eye on those very seas for Jesus who comes to bring deliverance and solace. We must strive to recognise him even when he comes in the unseemly and utterly unexpected form of a ghost.

About the Individual Believer: From the point of view of the individual believer, the story of Jesus walking on the seas, especially the involvement of Peter in the story, is a lesson for disciples who are tempted to take their eyes off Jesus and to take more notice of the threatening circumstances around them. Peter had says to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (verse 28). Jesus gives him the word of command, “Come” (verse 29). It would seem like Jesus is commanding the impossible. Yet whatever Jesus commands us to do he gives us the power to do it. And the ordinary man, Peter, begins to walk on the seas, coming to Jesus. “But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink” (verse 30) While Peter kept his eye fixed upon Jesus, and upon his word and power, he walked upon the water well enough; but when he took notice of the danger he was in, and focussed on the waves, then he became afraid and began to sink. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

May the Lord increase our little faith so that in all the storms of life we shall have our eyes and our trust constantly fixed on Jesus and his power and not on ourselves and our weaknesses.