When asked who their favorite person in the Bible is, besides Jesus, a lot of people go with David. He was King after all and was a man after God’s own heart. And even though King David is very high on my list, it is Peter that I find interesting and would love to know more about. Although there is a not really a lot of detailed information about him in the scripture, what is written is intriguing.
Peter was a lot more like folks that I might know, than David. He wasn’t anointed king as a teenager, he never slew a lion or a bear, he never killed the giant. Peter was a fisherman, quick to get into trouble and spoke often without much thought beforehand. I don’t believe you had to wait long to know what Peter was thinking. It was his disregard for the usual that got him into trouble, and I also feel put him in line to be the Voice of the new Church on the day of Pentecost.
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Peter walked upon the water. The twelve were in the boat, in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves. The Bible says in the fourth watch, so between 3:00 and 6:00 am they saw Jesus walking on the water. In the Book of Mark chapter 6, it says …he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed them by.
There’s a whole message in that. They were in the storm, struggling to make forward progress, feeling like they may not make it when the Lord came walking by. Not just walking by but walking upon the thing they were fighting. And then there’s the “would have passed them by” part. He didn’t get that close to toy with them, He got that close so they would see him and remember where their help comes from. Had they not cried out to him I believe he would have walked on by. He made himself available to them but wasn’t going to interfere without being invited. That’s the same way he deals with us today. God is a gentleman, he will not force Himself on you. You’ll have to invite Him.
But Peter, the one who would cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant when they came to take Jesus. The one that would push past John and enter Jesus’ tomb. The one that held the Keys to the Kingdom. The one that would stand up and answer the call “Men and Brethren what must we do?” in the second chapter of Acts.
When Peter saw Jesus walking on the storm, he cried out “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” When Jesus said “come” he climbed down onto the sea. But as he walked on the water toward the Lord, he lost focus, the storm caught his attention, and he began to sink.
For some reason when I play this out in my head, I always see Peter slowly start to sink. But the reality of it is, while he was focused on Jesus he was operating in the supernatural. When Peter took his eyes off the Lord he reverted back to the natural, so did the water beneath him, and Woosh, down he went! He went from standing to swimming in a blink.
Peter is perceived as the failure in this story, but that’s not how I see it. Remember Micah 7:8 …When I fall, I shall arise… When you are doing, you will have setbacks. If you are not moving, you may not stumble, but you’ll never get anywhere either.
Another part of this story, when played out in my head is that Peter looks like me. I’m the one brave enough, close enough, spiritual enough, bold enough, or whatever enough to step out onto the water. I want to be that person, but am I, am I really?
Peter no doubt felt like a failure, but to me, the failure was a missed opportunity by the Eleven, the ones that stayed in the boat. Those that were too caught up in the natural, affected by the storm to realize that Jesus was standing on it. That the answer to, not just this storm, but to all their questions was walking on the storm before their eyes.
Imagine the Faith that could have been built had they all cried out Lord bid Us come to You. Gotten out of the boat and walked with Jesus, possibly to the other side. What would have happened? They didn’t, they stayed in the “safety” of the boat, where all of a sudden they felt comfortable, so we’ll never know what might have been. There were probably at least a couple “I knew he couldn’t walk on water” and What was he thinking, who does he think he is” remarks and sideways looks when Peter was back in the boat.
They had the same fears and doubts then that we have now when God is moving and we see opportunity and feel the tug of the spirit to move. Where do you see yourself, are you standing on the Storm or cowering in the bottom of the boat as one of the Eleven. I probably would have played a better Thomas than Peter, had I even been there.
Peter made his share of mistakes, he denied the Lord three times in one night. But he also goes down in history as the Only Man that is known to have walked on the Sea, if only for a few steps. He was the voice of the early Church, he was the voice that God used to bring the Gospel to the Non-Jewish world.
Peter was not a Perfect Vessel, but he was a Willing Vessel.
And there’s the lesson, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”
Jump when God says Jump, run when He says run. Be Willing!
Lord help me to be a willing vessel, to keep my eyes fixed ever on You.
Lord Bless You Richly,
Greg
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The Swimming Axehead 