Walking on Water

Matthew 14:22-36

I often wonder what Jesus prayed about. He went off by Himself a lot. I always assumed He had some sort of different relationship with the Father than the rest of us do. Not because we can't have that same sort relationship, probably because we just don't. He was like us, so we at least have the potential to be like him. But the vast majority of us don't live up to that potential. At least I don't, I can't speak for everyone, obviously. At times I don't even know where to begin. There was a long stretch where I would try to pray, and I would be at a total loss for words. Even now, I don't always know what to pray when it comes down to it, but I think it's getting better. I figure some of the mystics through the centuries were able to approach a sort of prayer life like Jesus, people like Teresa of Avila and Francis of Assisi. But all that's conjecture.

The whole walking on the water part is interesting. It's another one of those miracles that Jesus didn't have to do. He must have had a point to prove to His disciples. They were pretty freaked out (I'm sure I would have been, too). It's interesting, too, that Peter's ability to walk on the water was dependent solely on his faith. Jesus was the same from start to finish, the only thing that changed was Peter's response. To me, that says that my faith plays a part in what I'm able to accomplish. There may be things that Jesus wants me to do, but without my faith, they won't be done (to my own detriment, not His). I think Jesus wanted the disciples to step out of the boat like this, but only one did, and he didn't get very far. Lest we be too hard on them, they were just in the learning stages, and not everyone gets it right the first time. He probably didn't expect them to do very well, but that doesn't diminish the lesson, especially in light of the fact that they bowed down in worship to Him in the end.

Again, I'm left wondering what more Jesus could have accomplished in my life by now if I had shown the faith to accomplish it. Would we be missionaries now? I know that in some sense we are where we are supposed to be. I can clearly see God's hand in the way our lives have progressed over the last several years, but maybe He'd have preferred some other path. I just accepted a new job at work today. It's shift work, but it pays well, and it certainly will provide for our family. Anyway, I hope I can get out of the boat when the time comes.