Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
- 6:30 Of little faith: except for the parallel in Lk 12:28, the word translated of little faith is found in the New Testament only in Matthew. It is used by him of those who are disciples of Jesus but whose faith in him is not as deep as it should be (see Mt 8:26; 14:31; 16:8 and the cognate noun in Mt 17:20).
NABRE footnote on Matthew 6:30
A fascinating passage. Jesus walks on the water in the gospel accounts of Mark and John, but only in Matthew does Peter join him. Impetuous Peter. Like the other disciples, they were fully in it in the faith they had, but they had to learn that they were in over their heads. Their faith needed growing or as the NABRE footnote points out above, deepening.
Peter, seeing Jesus walk on the water, asks if he can join him, to which Jesus replies, “Come.” And yes, Peter walks on the water toward Jesus. But then he sees the effect of the wind on the water, becomes frightened and begins to sink, crying out, “Lord, save me!” Of course Jesus does, and then they get into the boat.
There’s no escape from the winds of life. If you’re alive and alert, you’ll notice them possibly anywhere at any time. This is all the more true and pressing when you feel responsibility for others.
When I’ve looked at this passage in the past, I’ve mainly considered the point that Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and onto the waters, and then lost the faith needed to walk on the water. The main idea was looking at Jesus. Maybe my thoughts were more than that, but it’s important to make this point: We need faith in Jesus to carry us through the inevitable winds of life. We need the lifeline too, when at times we find ourselves sinking.
That doesn’t diminish for a moment our need to keep our eyes on Jesus. But just what does that mean? Surely everything we can imagine. In a mystical, Spirit-led sense; in our study of the gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of Jesus’s life, teachings and works; of the study of the rest of the New Testament considering what more is said and the light the gospel accounts cast on that.
When we look at a passage like this, or any number of them in Scripture, we would like a quick fix. After all, didn’t Peter get out of the boat and all the suddenly walk on the water of all things toward his Master who by walking on the water had emboldened Peter to do the same? That seems a tremendous leap of faith, a big enough faith. But Peter soon sinks.
Let me suggest that it takes time for faith to grow. In the narrative which follows, Peter is not given lessons on walking on water, like Jesus did. Such was rather a lesson of faith, for Peter, the disciples, and for us all. We need to believe that no matter what the winds of life bring, Jesus will see us through them as we have faith in him. Jesus will rescue us in our little, weak faith. But he wants us to grow in our faith. Learning to look at him, finding the wherewithal in him to continue on, to live, yes above the wind and the waves, to be strengthened and established in our faith. That with practice over time, that would be more and more our experience from a more and more settled disposition of faith.
Jesus community 