Joe Allotta

I noticed something interesting the other day when reading one of the accounts of Jesus walking on water. (That’s a Top 5 miracle for sure.) What I noticed this time around was that as Jesus is walking on water there’s an intense storm and He has to navigate the wind and waves, but as soon as He gets into the boat, He calms the storm. Why not calm the storm before walking out there? Walking on water is miraculous enough, it’s not like walking on water in the storm is THAT much more impressive. My immediate thought was that this is reflective of life. When storms come, Jesus endures the storm with us. When He invites us out of the boat to join Him, the storms still rage on. I know I want Jesus to just stop the storms, but He doesn’t usually do that. He promises to be with us no matter what, and I want that to be enough. But like Peter, I still get nervous as I look at my circumstances. I know I should look at my Creator and Savior instead, but it’s hard at times. I honestly would rather have God just stop difficult things from happening to me, but I know, more often than not, He wants to change me instead of my circumstances. 

But then, when Jesus gets back in the boat, He calms the storm. Why didn’t He just do that to begin with!? And in John’s account they miraculously end up on the other side of the lake (yes, the Sea of Galilee is a lake). Well then why have them go through the storm at all?  Maybe this is a reminder that at the end of our lives, the storms finally stop when we get to the other side of heaven. Maybe it’s a reminder that He can do ANYTHING and that NOTHING is out of the realm of possibility. Maybe Jesus was running a get two miracles and receive a third miracle of equal or lesser value. I’m not sure which is true. I don’t think there always has to be a deeper meaning. Sometimes Jesus is just addressing the situation in front of Him and His disciples are just reacting in a totally genuine way. 

In any case, I love that this is the miracle that gets the disciples to finally worship Jesus.  Jesus was worshipped by the Magi in Matthew 2 as a baby (or maybe toddler), and we don’t see him explicitly worshipped since. A few people looking for healing bow down here and there, but that could be just an act of contrition or begging. But the disciples saw ALL SORTS of miracles, and none of them get them to start worshipping Jesus. 

Here’s a good guess of the chronological order for the miracles the disciples saw BEFORE Jesus walked on water. 

• Turning water into wine 

• Healing the official’s son 

• Driving out an evil spirit 

• Healing Peter’s Mother-in-law 

• Healing numerous sick people 

• Catching of fish 

• Cleansing a man with leprosy 

• Healing of the centurion’s servant 

• Healing the paralytic lowered down from the roof (and forgiving his sins) 

• Healing a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath 

• Raises the widow’s son from the dead 

• Calming the storm 

• Casting demons into the heard of pigs 

• Healing the woman who was bleeding 

• Raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead 

• Healing two blind men 

• Healing the man unable to speak 

• Healing an invalid 

• & then Feeding the 5,000 

Not once did the disciples drop to their knees and worship Him. I don’t blame them. It’s hard to grasp that God has come in the flesh and is standing right there before them. But at this moment, when Jesus walks on water. Now they get it. Maybe this was just the miraculous straw that broke their stubborn backs? Maybe Jesus enduring the storm with them when He could have easily calmed it made a huge impression. Maybe they finally understood Jesus could do anything, and He is choosing to be with them no matter their circumstances.   

Jesus is about to endure a whole lot worse than just some wind and waves pretty soon. He doesn’t avoid the cross, He endures it. He endures it for us. That’s infinitely more amazing than walking on water. That should remind us to worship Him every. single. day.