As Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he thought like a typical disciple of his day: ?I want to be like my rabbi!? In an effort to be like Jesus, he took a huge risk and stepped out of the boat onto the wind-whipped waves.
We can only imagine what the other disciples thought as Peter stepped onto the water. They probably thought he was a fool, stepping into the abyss on a stormy night. No doubt a few of them prepared for a rescue.
But Peter didn?t care if he looked like an idiot. And he ignored his fear of the sea. As a result, he walked on water—just like his rabbi.
Then Peter saw the wind and the waves, and he began to sink. Though many people attribute his sinking to a lack of faith in God, this doesn?t seem to fit the story. In fact, he must have believed in Jesus because he cried out, ?Lord, save me!?
In the midst of the storm, Peter found the courage to walk on water. But in a very human way, he began to doubt himself. Jesus didn?t chide him for trying to walk on the water, and he didn?t berate him for fearing the wind—he simply affirmed his faith in Peter, asking ?Why did you doubt??
