Rough Waters
Something we noticed recently when talking over the story of Peter walking on water (inspired by this talk). Peter was fine walking on water, apparently, until he noticed the boisterous wind making the waters rough.
That’s something we noticed recently when talking over the story of him walking on water (inspired by this talk).
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
As if walking on calm waters was no thing.
This may be a case of Peter ‘looking back.’ Obviously to a fisherman in a boat the difference between calm water and rough water with buffeting winds is huge. He borrowed that experience, so to speak, for the new context of miraculously walking on water where it did not apply.
What it made me think is that maybe we should be grateful for turbulence in our lives. The turbulence makes us aware that we are engaged in doing something miraculous and need constant help. Whereas when the waters are placid, we sometimes kid ourselves that its really solid ground.
John Mansfield
March 28, 2022
A habit that I think we overdo in Sunday school-type settings discussing people in the scriptures is to criticize how lame and slow to believe they were, “as if walking on calm waters was no thing.”
G.
March 28, 2022
Guilty as charged here.
If it helps, I strongly identify with Peter, especially in this story
E.C.
March 28, 2022
I mean, in general I make it a policy not to criticize anyone for doing things I would not be able to do myself. I find myself with far more sympathy for the children of Israel this read-through of the Old Testament.
Bookslinger
March 29, 2022
Bigger miracles require bigger faith, don’t they? IMO, there’s a gradiant, even after you cross the boundary line from the mundane into miracle-territory. I think it takes more faith, the farther you depart from your comfort zone.
Two related concepts: 1) the Holy Ghost has momentum: once in motion, He likes to keep going; 2) faith is contagious: once B sees A’s profession-of-fatih/act-of-faith/miracle, then B is more comfortable/likely to profess or act, or to even say “Hey, I want some of that.”