Walking on Water

August 9^th 2026

Scripture: Psalm 85:8-13 & Matthew 14:22-33

Today’s gospel story picks up where last week’s story left off. You may recall that last week, Jesus was on his way to take some time alone, likely to grieve the murder of John the Baptist, when he got distracted by a crowd of thousands who gathered on the shore, seeking healing. Jesus had compassion on them and fed them dinner with just two loaves and 5 fish. Now he’s back it at again, trying to get that alone time to go and pray and tend to his own soul. He sent the disciples off in a boat and promised to catch up with them later!

However, while Jesus is off praying, the disciples are caught up all night in a terrible storm. A storm so strong it threatened to capsize the boat! (Our translation doesn’t quite do the description justice here) These poor men are already frightened out of their minds and then.. a figure appears in the distance.. walking toward them. “A ghost!” someone shouted.. because of course! What else could it be! But much to their surprise.. it’s Jesus! But they want to make sure it's really Jesus and not a tricky ghost, so Peter decided the best proof would be to ask if he could also walk on water. I probably would have just asked Jesus to calm the storm, but to each their own.

But, Peter steps out onto the water and takes a few steps! But remember, the storm is still raging around them, so of course Peter’s fear rises to the surface once more and he begins to sink. Still believing in Jesus’ divinity, he calls out, “Lord, save me!” Then we get the famous line from Jesus, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” Oof. Way to add insult to injury there Jesus. But this is actually the phrase I’d like to recast for us today..

You see in the Greek, when Jesus speaks of Peter’s “little faith,” he does so with the same language he uses for the little mustard seed that grows to be the biggest of all the bushes, remember that parable? So while we have always read this line as Jesus’ frustration with the disciples for not believing in him with their whole heart.. perhaps Jesus delivered this line with compassion and encouragement.

Think about it.. Jesus SEES that Peter trusts in him when Peter is willing to step foot on the water. How many of us can say we would be as bold as Peter that day? I certainly wouldn’t have even suggested such a thing, let alone given it a try! Peter has faith. The seed has been planted within him and begun to grow. It may be possible that Jesus was acknowledging this, pointing out that he is yet but a budding seed, yet also believing in Peter and his ability to grow his faith into a strong bush, offering life to other creatures.

We are created by God and so dare I say God has some idea of how humanity functions, right? So perhaps it’s not such a stretch to think that Jesus could have even been proud of Peter that day? Jesus sees Peter trying and also sees how far he has to go.. and that’s okay! God knows that our human brains cannot fully fathom the Divine! God knows that it takes time for humans to learn, to trust, to believe, and even to act. God created the very process through which human beings learn, grow, and transform.

Therefore, I’ve decided to stop reading this passage as if Jesus gave Peter a gut punch, punishing him for his bravery.. And start reading this as if Jesus had compassion and encouragement for Peter. Like a great little league coach that says, ‘you of little faith in yourself; why did you doubt? You’ve got this and you’ll hit the ball next time.’

How often do we beat ourselves up for not being perfect? For not being great at something we’ve just tried for the first time? For doubting God? For doubting ourselves? Jesus doesn’t want the disciples to lose heart, to be afraid of him, nor doubt their own ability to participate in his ministry. Rather, Jesus wants the exact opposite! Jesus wants the disciples to watch, learn, and do. He tells them to go out and heal people just as he did. He asks them to teach, baptize and feed the masses, just as he did. If Jesus’ goal was to make the disciples believe in themselves enough to continue on his ministry in the world.. how could Jesus have criticized Peter that day?

I love this quote by Barbara Brown Taylor, “What if Peter had not sunk? What if he had jumped out of the boat with perfect confidence, landed splat with both feet flat on the water and smiled across the waves at Jesus, gliding toward him without a moment’s hesitation?.. It would be a different story. It might even be a better story, but it would not be a story about us.”

I may not read the Bible literally, but I do read it seriously, as a collection of stories that tell us something about God, ourselves, and our world. So, what does this story of Peter’s encounter with Jesus tell us about who we are? We are not God, we can never be God, and Jesus would never ask such a thing of us. We are God’s beloveds. We are little seeds God has planted in the world, which God intends to watch grow and transform. We are all Peter: testing the waters, testing our limits, wavering constantly between courage and doubt. And God is there for it all.. calling us out onto the water and reaching down to pick us back up when we fall.

Yes, we of little faith.. isn’t it wonderful that we still have so much room to grow?

Amen.