Walking On WaterSample

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After the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus sent the disciples away across the lake and dismissed the crowd. The lake, in this instance, was the Sea of Galilee. As the lake is both small and shallow, the winds can whip up storms without warning. With several experienced fishermen amongst the disciples, they were already getting nervous as their boat was “buffeted by the waves” (verse 24). It was in that precarious state, in the twilight before dawn, that they saw a figure moving across the water.

One issue that we all face when confronted with something outside our previous experience is fear. It’s easy to be critical of the disciples for their reaction: “‘It’s a ghost’, they said and cried out in fear” (verse 26). We reason that they should have recognised Jesus, or that they should have been more open to supernatural phenomena, having just participated in the miraculous multiplication of food. Yet, if we’re honest, our own responses to things beyond our understanding are often remarkably similar. When God shows up in our lives in a manner that we’ve not seen before, people react in the same manner as the disciples did. Christians have often been disturbed by the physical manifestations that sometimes accompany a move of the Spirit, such as people falling, crying out or shaking violently.  We say things like, “This cannot be God because I feel afraid,” though that is exactly what the disciples felt that day! Or we misinterpret what is going on: “I’ve known God for a long time and I’ve never seen this, therefore this isn’t God.” The disciples, having not seen Jesus walk on water before, concluded that what they were seeing was a ghost. 

Sometimes, tragically I believe, the Church in many parts has concluded that a move of God in our midst was instead actually the work of the Enemy. When we give it even a moment’s thought, it is surely foolish to believe that we’ve seen enough of God to have seen everything that he might do. We are called to assess spiritual phenomena (1 John 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 etc.), but it’s important to remember that God never intends to leave us guessing or frightened. Just as the angels always announce their presence by saying, “Do not be afraid,” Jesus also immediately said to the twelve, “'Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid'” (verse 27). When God comes close, we may experience fear, but we should also expect to hear words of reassurance. In the end, all we need to know is that it is him.