Introduction
We have a small group at St. Dunstan’s called “Theology on Tap” (a very original title, I know). We’re reading A History of the Bible by John Barton, working through it chapter by chapter, and at our last meeting, we finally got to the chapter on the Gospels.
Now, as you might imagine, if you know anything about me at all, I have a lot to say about the Gospels. Just next week we’re resuming our Sunday School series on the Gospel of Mark, which we started at this time last year, and we’ve only made it through chapter nine. We’ve taken so long because I have a lot to say about the Gospels, especially the Gospel of Mark.
So, as I am prone to do, I did most of the talking at our last Theology on Tap, but one thing we didn’t get a chance to discuss was the different methodologies for interpreting the Gospels. Now, (fear not) I’m not going to go through all the different methodologies this morning, but I do want to say something about what is known as form criticism.
This is a very basic way to understand form criticism, but essentially this methodology asks us to read individual scenes in the Gospel accounts, like Jesus walking on the water, and ask, given all the incredible things that Jesus said and did (John 21:25), why this particular story in this particular form was remembered and passed down by the early church and eventually made its way into our canonical Gospels.
To read this way is to read with an eye to the earliest history of the church and to ask of a scene like Jesus walking on the water, “What is it about this story (or these sayings) that made it so memorable to the early church?”
On the one hand, you can easily imagine why some people in the early church, particularly those with some connection to Peter, might not want this story passed down. Sure, Peter walks on water, but then he becomes afraid and begins to sink. And, on top of that, Jesus then addresses him as “O you of little faith.”1 So, despite how the story starts (with Peter walking on water with Jesus), Peter doesn’t come out so well in the end.
Why then remember this story? Why tell a story, given all the other stories that could have been passed down and written down, that seems to shame Peter?
Is it because the early church expected all Christians to do what Peter did, but without failing? Did the early church expect believers to be able to walk on water miraculously without sinking, and so pass this story on as an example of what all Christians should be able to do if only they have faith rather than doubt?
Probably not.
There’s no evidence that anyone in the early church thought walking on water was supposed to be a normative experience for all believers. So then why remember, pass down, and write down this particular story?
A Divine Action
The first reason is fairly obvious. This action of walking on water, particularly in the midst of a storm, is a divine action. The last verse drives this point home.
And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matt 14:33, ESV).
The disciples in the boat get what’s happening here, or at least they seem to be saying the right thing. The sea represents the primordial chaos of creation, which is always threatening to undo the created order, and Jesus, in the midst of a storm as the wind and waves beat against the boat, calmly walks across the water. He can do so because he is the Lord of the wind and the waves. He is the one who brings order to chaos, the one who sets the boundaries of the sea, and the one to whom even the chaotic forces of creation bow and obey. This is why there is a sea of glass like crystal before the throne of God in Rev 4:6, because before the divine throne, the chaotic forces of creation are completely stilled and calm.
So, that’s the first reason the early church remembered this story. They remember this story and passed it down because of what it said about Jesus.
But you could tell this story and make that point without all the parts about Peter. Matthew could have said: “The disciples were in a boat and there was a big storm. They were afraid, but then they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat, and he got into the boat with them, the storm calmed, and they all said, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
Matthew could have told the story like that, but he didn’t. He didn’t have to include the parts with Peter, so why did the early church remember and write down that particular part of the story? What is it that we’re supposed to learn from the incident with Peter?
To answer that question, we have to hear this part of the story again in its ancient Near Eastern context, in which the sea was much more than a body of water. It was chaos.
Chaos and Christ
Do all believers find themselves in a boat tossed to and fro by the wind and the waves?
Literally, no. Metaphorically, absolutely.
These are literal wind and waves in the story, but they point beyond themselves to the chaos of this world that we all experience far too frequently.
Just this past Friday, Michelle and I took the kids to see our favorite band perform at the arena in Tampa. It was an absolutely awesome evening, and we came home still riding that emotional high. But then we walked through the front door, I sat down on the couch, and lo and behold, what do I hear but the sound of water spraying inside one of our walls.
Nobody shook the pipe. Nobody kicked it on our way out the door. (At least I hope not.) It just sprang a leak, and now there’s water in our walls again.
That’s chaos, and honestly, that’s a mild version of the chaotic nature of life. People get sick seemingly spontaneously. People lose jobs when they weren’t expecting it. Loved ones pass away before we get the chance to say goodbye. And the list could go on and on.
This life is full of chaotic waves that come crashing against our boats, and more often than not, even when we’re just trying to get by, it can feel as though the wind is always against us and that everything, even things that should be easy and simple, has become difficult, complicated, and challenging.
And what I’d love to do on Back-to-School is stand here, address all the students who are heading back to school very soon, and say, “This year is going to be your best year ever. You’re going to do great in all your classes. You’re going to make lots of new friends. No one will pick on you. No one will bully you. You’ll love every teacher you have. You’ll never forget your lunchbox or lunch money. All you’re going to get are A’s, and everything’s going to be smooth sailing for you.”
That’s what I want to say to the kids this morning, but I can’t.
If I said that to them, if I said something like that to all of you about life in general, I’d be a liar. The wind and the waves are real, and I can’t stand here and pretend that they’re not. Nor can I say that they won’t ever touch your boat.
But what I can say to all of you this morning is this.
No matter what you go through this year, when the wind and the waves are at their worst, (I promise you) Jesus will be there.
A day will come when you feel beaten down by the waves and as though the wind opposes you on all sides, no matter what you are trying to do. In that moment, the first and best thing that you should do is look for Jesus, and (I promise you) he will be there.
At some point this year, you will feel as though you are in the midst of chaos, but when you set your eyes upon Jesus, what you’ll see is that around him, the chaos is calmed. Around him, the sea is flat like glass.
And he will invite you into his calm. He will invite you into his peace.
When that moment comes, don’t be like Peter. Don’t let your attention rest on the wind and the waves still circling around you. Don’t focus on the chaos that wants to consume you by making sure that it’s all that you can focus on and think about.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, and he will see you through the storm. He will make sure that you walk in his peace rather than sink into the chaotic waters of this world.
When life is hard, when school is hard, when chaos rears its ugly head, focus on Jesus. He is the one who brings order to chaos. He is the one whom the wind and the waves obey. He is the one who will see you through the storm.
Conclusion
Doubt is easy. Doubt is our natural inclination. When Peter sees the wind and is afraid, that’s an entirely normal and natural response. It’s easy to doubt. We’re inclined to it.
But belief, keeping your eyes focused on Jesus in the midst of life’s storms—that’s hard work.
And so, students, if I could give you one piece of advice in conclusion (and this isn’t really just for the students), it would be this.
It’s going to be much harder for you to focus on Jesus if you wait until the moment that the wind and waves are at their worst, so start now.
Every new school year is a chance for a new beginning.
Start developing the habits of keeping your eyes focused on Jesus now (through Bible study, prayer, small groups, whatever works for you), so that when the wind and the waves come (and they will come), you will already know how to block out all the nonsense and keep your eyes focused on Jesus.
That’s why the early church remembered and passed down this story of Peter’s failure: so that we could learn from it and so that we could walk with Jesus where Peter sank.
Amen.
Life Group Discussion Guide
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you as a community of faith, grateful for the gift of your Word and the stories you have preserved for our instruction and encouragement. As we open this passage together, quiet the noise and distractions in our hearts and minds. Help us be honest about the storms we each face, and give us eyes to see Jesus clearly in the midst of them. May your Holy Spirit guide our conversation today, and may what we receive be not simply what we hoped to find, but what you know we truly need. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ice Breaker
What is one thing you are genuinely looking forward to in the season ahead, whether it is a new school year, a new project, or simply a fresh start of some kind?
Questions
In the ancient Near Eastern worldview, the sea represents primordial chaos rather than simply a body of water. How does understanding that background change the way you read the story of Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14?
The disciples in the boat respond to what they witness by saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God” (Matt 14:33). What do you think it means to genuinely confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and how does that confession shape the way we face difficulty?
Peter actually steps out of the boat and walks on the water toward Jesus before he begins to sink. What do you think motivated him to step out in the first place, and what does that tell us about the relationship between faith and action?
Jesus responds to Peter’s sinking by saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt 14:31). How do you personally understand the relationship between faith and doubt? Is doubt always a sign of spiritual failure, or can it be part of an honest faith journey?
In this account, fear and doubt lead Peter to begin sinking, while trusting Jesus in the midst of the storm requires him to resist that fear actively. Do you agree that keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus is harder than giving in to doubt or fear? Why or why not?
The literal wind and waves in this story point to the metaphorical chaos we all experience in daily life. What does the chaos in your own life look like right now, and how are you responding to it?
Developing spiritual habits, such as Bible study, prayer, and small groups, before the storms arrive can prepare us to keep our eyes on Jesus rather than waiting until we are already overwhelmed. What habits have you found most helpful for keeping your focus on Jesus during difficult seasons?
The early church chose to remember and pass down Peter’s failure alongside his moment of faith. What does it say about the character of the Christian community that we preserve and share stories of failure alongside stories of triumph?
Life Application
This week, identify one spiritual habit you can begin or strengthen before the next storm arrives in your life. It might be a daily time of prayer, a commitment to reading a portion of Scripture each morning, or showing up consistently to a small group. Write it down, share it with someone in this group for accountability, and take one concrete step toward making it a regular practice. The goal is not perfection but preparation, so that when the wind and waves come, you will already know where to fix your eyes.
Key Takeaways
Jesus walking on the chaotic sea reveals his divine identity. He is the Lord over creation, the one who brings order to chaos and the one to whom even the wind and waves submit.
The early church preserved Peter’s failure in this story not to shame him but to teach every generation of believers what happens when we shift our focus from Jesus to the chaos surrounding us.
Doubt and fear are natural human responses to life’s storms, but faith, actively keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, requires intentional effort and practice.
Spiritual habits formed in seasons of relative calm are what equip us to remain focused on Jesus when the storms of life are at their most intense.
No matter how severe the chaos we face, Jesus is present in the midst of it, and he invites us into his peace rather than leaving us to sink.
Ending Prayer
Heavenly Father, we praise you for your Son, Jesus, the one who walks upon the waters and stills the storm with his presence. We confess that we are far too quick to fix our eyes on the chaos around us rather than on him. Forgive us for the times we have let fear and doubt pull us under when he was standing right before us. As we leave this time together, send us out with a renewed commitment to keep our gaze set on Jesus, in the ordinary rhythms of daily life and in the moments when the waves feel overwhelming. We pray especially for those in this group who are walking through a particular storm right now. Meet them in it. Calm what only you can calm, and carry them safely through. May we be a community that reminds one another, again and again, to look to Jesus. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ὀλιγόπιστε is singular. This saying is addressed specifically to Peter, not the disciples in general.