Thoughts on Matthew 14

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 9; Matthew 14

Peter is the only one of Jesus’ followers to be chided by Jesus for his little faith in Matthew 14, but that’s because he was the only one to put himself in a position to need to exercise faith at all.

This is something John MacArthur points out in his chapter about Peter in his book Twelve Ordinary Men. To be honest, I can’t really say I recommend the book as a whole, but I heartily recommend the first half or a bit more. The book is looking, as the title suggests, at the apostles from a very human lens, considering their character traits and flaws, and how Jesus honed and put those traits to work for His kingdom. It’s really encouraging in that regard. The reason I don’t just wholly recommend the book is that MacArthur tries to write meaningful chapters about some of the apostles we basically know nothing about as well, which, more or less, turns into a lot of conjecture for the last few chapters. But the earlier chapters are honestly really encouraging and can give a fresh perspective on how God might be wanting to use us in His work as we see how He used people with similar personalities and flaws to our own.

But what MacArthur pointed out about Peter is that the only reason he gets so much flack in the gospels is because he puts himself out there more than any of the others, and that’s really something to commend and emulate. This has changed my perspective on a number of passages like this one today in Matthew 14.

When the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, Matthew tells us what happened:

And Peter answered [Jesus], “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

I love Peter’s boldness here. I don’t know if it actually comes from boldness, or if it was just the idea that popped into his head and he spoke before his thoughts had actually caught up to his words, but he doesn’t even ask Jesus if he can come join Him, but commands Him to have him come! There’s no timid, “Umm, Lord? Do you think it might be alright if… Actually, no, forget it, you probably wouldn’t want me to come out there… Well, I don’t know. Umm, do you think maybe, if you’re okay with it of course, you could make me able to come to you?” No, Peter declares, “If you’re really Jesus, then command me to come to you!” And Jesus does! I would bet that, far from being put off by Peter’s brash command, Jesus probably loved it. He probably loved that Peter wanted to be out there with Him. He probably loved that Peter felt close enough in their friendship to speak to Him that way. And He probably loved that Peter trusted enough in His power to know He could do it.

I’m not saying we should get in the habit of commanding God around and expecting Him to do exactly what we want, when we want it, but I know that I, for one, could use a bit more of Peter’s boldness in my spiritual life.

There are times the Lord has something before me and I hem and haw about it, rather than charging in with the full faith that He who is calling me to it is more than able to supply all power for it. Or other times when I do step out, but I try to figure out how to do what He is calling me to under my own power or by my own abilities rather than putting myself in a spot to have to rely fully on the Lord to supply the ability. 

I want to be more like Peter here. I want to more often operate out of just an innate assurance that Jesus will make me capable of even the impossible when I am stepping out for Him. And if fail due to lack of faith, I want it to be like Peter out on the water, not like the rest of the disciples still in the boat.