He Gets Us: Questions Jesus Asked | Plan 3Sample

Why Do You Doubt?

Yes, it’s irrational but that doesn’t make the fear any less frightening.

One of Jesus’ students who earned his living as a fisherman was Peter, who lived his whole life around the water. Just imagine that he grew up hearing stories of the deep. “Be careful when the water is calm, Peter, because that’s when you are passing over the abyss.” Or, “Be careful when waves are high because it’s a sign that down deep, the demons are fighting.” As a fisherman on the lake, a storm could drop over the mountain at a moment’s notice, and you could be easily caught in the depths with who knows what happening beneath you.

Like on that night. Jesus had told them to sail ahead to the next town. He wanted to pray, he said. They’d meet them over there in an hour or two.

But with the darkness came a storm that drove the seasoned fishermen to the depths. Each swell took them closer, they thought, to the darkness below. Then someone screamed, “Look . . . a ghost!”

And there was Jesus. Not a ghost, but their teacher, walking on the water, looking like he was taking a Sunday stroll. “Courage, my boys! It’s just me. Don’t be afraid.”

Peter said, If it’s really you, then let me come to you. And he said, C’mon.

So, Peter got out of the boat and stood on a wave. Yes, for the eternity of a second, Peter stood on a wave. Only when he looked down did he begin to sink.

Teacher, save me! And he did. Jesus said, “I have you . . . why do you doubt?”

Sometimes the deep teaches us something deep. Fear will always remind us of our human-ness. But Jesus knows the depth of our fear and asks us instead, “Why do you doubt? ... I’ve got you.”