Why Did You Doubt?

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?

Matthew 14:31

Let me tell you about how I learned how to swim. Back in secondary school while I was staying with my elder sister, the mother-in-law came from the village to visit us in Lagos. We became good friends and I decided to go help her with farming over the holidays. It was in that village that I met a few young boys who agreed to teach me swimming at the local stream. Every evening they would put me on their back and take me into the middle of the river and bring me back until one day, they took me there and left me there to survive on my own. Apparently they knew at this point that I could now swim but was too afraid to try on my own. In order to kill the fear, they took me straight into the middle of my fear and left me there. Instantly, my survival mode switched on, I began to swim like my life depended on it. The next time I opened my eyes, I was on the river bank. So, when I see the fear being expressed by Peter when he was called to walk upon the water, I could relate. 

First, Peter didn’t step on this water presumptuously, he asked Jesus, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” it wasn’t until Jesus responded ‘come’ that Peter stepped out of the boat. Notice he stepped out in faith because he knew that if Jesus’ word says come, then Jesus will take care of the logistics. So, Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. It must have been a beautiful sight to see Peter walking peacefully upon a turbulent water. 

As Peter kept on walking towards Jesus, “…he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” It is important to note that this wind didn’t start suddenly at the point of Peter walking on water, it started before Jesus appeared; verse 24 tells us that “…the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it”. In essence, the wind was there when Peter boldly stepped on the water but his confidence in the word of Jesus was stronger than the reality around. It wasn’t until the when he began to focus on the reality of the wind, that he suddenly began to sink and scream “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)

Jesus is asking us the same question today, why did you doubt?

PRAYER