As the last year has shown us, living up to our most important values during times of crisis isn’t always easy. During periods of great stress, in fact, we may often feel that our sense of faith has been diminished in some way. These crises of faith may even cause us great sorrow; however, they are quite normal for any person who has struggled to put the teachings of Christ into practice.
Faith Put First
To illustrate this fact, simply consider the story of St. Peter in the New Testament. The most devoted disciple of Jesus, Peter nonetheless experienced many moments of self-doubt and worry. By the end of his life, however, Peter had succeeded in establishing the very foundations of the Christian church. It was not always certain that this would be the case.
The following quote from Matthew 14:30-31 tells us as much:
“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Walking on Water
Sometime during the “fourth watch of night,” we are told Jesus walked across the waters of the Sea of Galilee in order to reach a ship on which his disciples had gathered. We know that this occurred at a time very early in the morning because Ancient Roman soldiers used to divide the night into four shifts or “watches.”
In other words, the scene takes place sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.; it should be remembered that this is often a significant time of day in the Gospels. Indeed, it was around this time of morning that Jesus was first arrested by Roman authorities in the Garden of Gethsemane. As we know from the New Testament, this event would lead directly to Jesus’s trial before Pontius Pilate and his subsequent execution by the Roman government.
Understanding Christ’s Teachings
By any measure, the portion of the Gospels which describes Peter walking on water is a very significant scene within the Bible as a whole. Firstly, it shows one of Jesus’s most important miracles; as usual, Christ’s action serves to illustrate a lesson about faith and devotion.
For a brief moment, just consider the scene as a metaphor: Like most of us, Peter struggles with his sense of faith. Even when Christ is walking on water before his eyes, in fact, Peter still has difficulty summoning up enough self-belief to follow in Jesus’s footsteps. Consequently, Peter begins to sink into the water.
The Rock on Which the Church Stands
It is of great import that Peter is the first disciple to attempt to reach out to Jesus in this miraculous way. In the Greek vernacular of Christ’s time, the word “Peter” or “Petros” would have meant “rock” or “stone.” As we know, Jesus gave Peter this name because he foresaw that Peter would become the solid foundation on which the Christian church would be built.
After Jesus’s death, in fact, Peter was the first leader of what would become the Christian belief system. Like Jesus, Peter also suffered martyrdom at the hands of Roman authorities.
From the outset, then, Jesus has seen something truly special in Peter’s character. Jesus understands that the success or failure of the Christian church will depend on Peter’s faith in God.
True Faith
Indeed, Jesus must have known that Peter would require great faith to fulfill his duties as the steward of the early church. Accordingly, Jesus shows Peter that faith is not an easy quality to develop. In fact, the development of faith is literally akin to walking on water: It is both frightening and outwardly irrational. The development of faith may require us at times to transcend our fears about the world around us.
Of course, few people have ever had their faith tested as thoroughly as Peter. And yet how many of us are like Peter when life becomes difficult? How many of us struggle with our sense of faith when the risks are great? Truly, this episode in the Gospels speaks to the very heart of belief. In the words of the Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, the lessons of Jesus require us to make a leap of faith. As Peter’s experience shows, that is no easy task.
Understanding Christ’s Teachings
So how can this passage allow us to keep the word of God first in our hearts this year? In many respects, we are living at a time that mirrors the experiences of the disciples in the New Testament. Most of us have struggled in some way over the last 12 months. Some of us may have even lost everything. These are times that require great faith; to draw an analogy to Peter, there may be many moments when we will feel ourselves sinking beneath the waters.
It is at these times that we must truly learn to draw on our beliefs. Faith does not exist in a vacuum: In times of plenty, we will hardly need to draw on the courage of our convictions to survive. But when the world is in an uproar, we will most certainly have to rely on our sense of faith to move forward. As Peter’s story shows, even the most dedicated Christians will sometimes struggle to believe in Jesus’s teachings. What matters is that we persevere when we have doubts.
To help us keep the teachings of Jesus at the forefront of our minds this year, let’s consider the following prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the chance to experience the wonders of the world that you have created. Thank you for the opportunity to be like you. Thank you for sending your only son to show us the right way to live. Thank you for the miracle of his good works.
As we continue to struggle with difficult problems, allow us to draw upon our sense of faith. Let us be like Peter when he walked upon the water. Even when our sense of doubt is causing us to sink beneath the waves, let us find the strength to rise above our emotions.
Above all else, Lord, let us be like your son Jesus Christ and strive each day to do right by those we interact with. Amen.