WALKING ON WATER

“Wow! What a miracle!” Andrew still whispers to himself about the miracle Jesus did as he rows the boat. The disciples couldn’t shake off that afternoon’s astounding multiplication of bread and fishes. “Amen to that. It reminds me of manna from heaven, simply from nowhere,” John speaks excitedly as he overhears the soft utterances of Andrew. “Come on guys, let us go faster a little. I can smell rain already,” Peter warns. Just as he finishes saying that, they hear thunder cracking up above. The wind grows stronger by the minute. Their boat is already swaying left to right as they muster their strength to keep the boat going. To the horror of all the disciples. the waves now have begun to rock the boat in a dangerous way. “I think we are going to sink!” Phillip holds on to the sides. “Don’t tell me we are going to die like this. O..Let's pray!” Peter shouts desperately to everyone onboard.

“Hey, I saw something moving above the water! We are in deep trouble,” John cries out. “Ohhh! It’s a ghost!” Matthew shrieks. “We are doomed! JESUS….!” Andrew yells for his Master to help.

“It is I; don’t be afraid,” the figure walking on the water calls out in a loud voice. Peter falls down on his knees and blurts, “It’s Jesus! It's Jesus! Thank God!” Phillip chips in, “Hey, yes, it is Master! It is Master! And he is walking…”

The voice and the words of Jesus calm everyone down. “It is I,” Jesus walks nearer to the boat. Smiles appear on the disciples’ faces again.* They are actually more relieved in seeing their lives saved than being astonished in seeing a man walking on water. “If Jesus the Son of God can create bread and fish from nowhere, defying gravity should be by no means difficult. But how come we were so afraid just now?” John talks to himself, ashamed.

All Jesus wants is to get on to the other side to serve his Father by all means and that includes walking on water. As he walks on the treacherous water, he knows this miracle itself will teach the disciples to trust God in whatever circumstances they may face. More so, he would leave them one day for heaven, more storms will come into their paths. All followers of Jesus then would have to “walk on water” amidst "storms" to the other side to serve the will of God! But then, another like "Jesus", the Holy Spirit, will walk with them!

This story is taken from John 6:16-21.

*(In Matthew’s version of the story, Peter steps out of the boat and walks a few steps with Jesus before he sinks – Matthew 14:22-33; see also Mark 6:45-52 for another version of the same story).

Next: Healing of the man born blind.
http://psbible.blogspot.com/2011/06/healing-of-man-born-blind.html