JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER

Mat 14:22-36

 “It is I, do not be afraid,” these are Jesus' word in today’s gospel. Jesus says this to the Twelve when they give in to panic upon seeing Him walks on the water. It is the episode of the twelve in the boat on the agitated sea; the master is in the mountain praying, and then suddenly he appears walking on the water in the darkness. This is very terrifying. Though some of the apostles were fishermen, they have never seen a man walking on the water. But Jesus ensures them; it is I, do not be afraid.

When we read a gospel story like this one, sometimes we tend to focus on the act itself. However, this story should push us to ask ourselves: why did Jesus do it? Why did he come walking on the water? I think there are two purposes as to why Jesus walked on water: First, Jesus wants to reveal His divinity. Second, Jesus wants to teach his apostles a lesson about trusting God.

The first reason, Jesus wants to show his disciples that he is God. In the Jewish tradition, 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 that live in the sea. By walking on the raging waves and calming the storm Jesus is showing himself to be one who has power and total control over these hostile spiritual forces. This episode comes just after the multiplication of the loaves where 5000 men were fed and where Jesus revealed himself as a powerful God who satisfies the needs of his peopple. Now he comes walking on the water as to reveal that he is a powerful God who crashes the evil forces.

Second, Jesus wants to teach a lesson about trusting God. When Jesus ensured his disciples, Peter said: Lord, if it is you command me to come to you. As Peter was walking on the water, he forgot to focus on Jesus, he focused on the wind and the waves and he started sinking because of fear. Fear cripples us. In today’s gospel the disciples are terrified of the storm, and Peter starts to sink because, instead of looking on Jesus, instead of trusting God, he focuses on the wind. He starts to sink when his attention is no longer on Jesus but on the strong wind. He looks down instead of looking up on God.

This is also what happens to us when we less focus on Jesus and give more focus on our problems and difficulties. Peter represents us when we take a bold step in our lives and then once we have stepped out we start focusing on many difficulties around us; we become afraid. This image of Peter gives us a lesson that we should not look down to the storm of our problems, but look up to God. Trust God. The eyes need to be fixed only on Jesus without whom any endeavor sinks into nothingness. Do not look at difficulties, but let us focus on Jesus. Let us fix our eyes only on Jesus.

It is true that the natural tendency is to be in control of what is happening in our lives, to take change of ourselves. But this gospel tells us not to focus on the difficulties, not to focus on the wind and the waves, but fix our attention, our heart and our will on Christ. Trust in the strength and power of his saving hand. He will not let you down. Whatever Jesus commands us to do he gives us the power to do it. If we remain focused on him. While Peter kept his eye fixed on Jesus, and his mind focused on Jesus’ word, he walked upon the water correctly; but when he took notice of the danger he was in, and focused on the waves, then he became afraid and began to sink.

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 on his power.