It's A Ghost!

            Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

            During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

            But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

            “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

                ^"Come,” he said.

            Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

                Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. (Mark 14:22-34) 

            How often have you heard (or said) something like, "Yeah, Peter, where was your faith?" When we're in our armchair, it's easy to coach the team. John Ortberg wrote a good book called, If You Want To Walk On Water, You Have To Get Out Of The Boat. He points out that at least 11 others didn't have the faith to try.

          My own question is probably worse. I want to know where Peter's mind was. They disciples were in the middle of the sea in a storm. Someone saw something. Someone identified that something as a ghost. The ghost said, "Take courage! it is I. Don't be afraid." Peter had the sense to at least say, "Lord, if it's You..." So, are ghosts generally considered trustworthy? Is it likely that a ghost has Peter's best interests at heart? If it has lied about who it was, is it likely to then say, "Oh, no, wait, Peter. I was just kidding. Stay in the boat?" 

            Peter had the faith to trust that if it was Jesus, he could walk on the water. He got out of the boat. Perhaps the first two or three steps were easy. Perhaps not. He may have had to climb a wave, or slide down the other side of the wave. I suspect that somewhere along the line, a wave rolled over his path, soaking up to the knees and drawing his attention back to the insanity of what he was doing. When his faith failed, he called to Jesus for help. That's a lesson we all need to learn.

             I tend to believe I would be like the other 11 disciples. I am afraid to get out of the boat because I don't know it's Jesus out there walking. It could be a ghost pretending to be Jesus. It could be the ghost of my own ego. I suspect I'm more like Thomas. I want proof it's Jesus, a written guarantee and an engraved invitation. With every step, I want my path to light up and, oh,  once I put my foot on that water, the winds and the waves...they're supposed to be gone. Is that too much to ask?

            Apparently, it is. That is not the way God has worked in my life. His leading by the Holy Ghost seems to always require that I climb out of my safe boat without any of that, trusting that if I'm wrong - if the ghost isn't so holy - that God will not only be able to rescue me, but willing to when I've been so foolish as to trust Him when He wasn't "him."

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On The Calendar:

Paul Revere's Ride

San Francisco Earthquake (1906)

Birthday of

Clarence Darrow