Can I Walk With You?

Let’s walk

My dog, Doc, loves to go for walks with me. So much so that he often nudges his leash when I’m near it, as if asking, “Can I walk with you?”

It warms my heart every time – even when my answer is, “No,” because he just wants to be with me. He enjoys my company. He loves me.

Before the walk

Our miracle today is found in Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6, and occurs immediately after Jesus fed the 5,000 with only 2 fish and 5 loaves. And leaving 12 baskets of leftovers. [Read about that here.]

Jesus sent the guys by boat across the sea while He went alone to pray. The crowds wanted to crown Him. He needed to get with His Father and get His heart grounded for what was ahead. This time on the mountain in prayer showed He was very God and very human:

feeding – very God with creative energy
after – very human with the need for prayer

The guys were halfway across the sea when a sudden storm came up, and even these experienced fishermen had trouble. They stopped making progress. Remember, He sent them out TO MEET THIS STORM (Mark 6:45).

Jesus saw their struggle and came to them. Consider that He had once calmed a storm for them [read here]. So why didn’t He just suddenly stop it for them from a distance? Would they have seen the connection?

Probably not. So, He took a walk out to them instead.

Viewing the walk

At first the guys in the boat think He’s a ghost. Why?

Fear of death – a common cultural belief of the time

- darkness
- distressing storm
- frayed nerves
- unexpected appearance
- unorthodox travel

Then Jesus speaks, “It’s Me. Don’t be afraid.” In the original text He says, “I AM.” Yes! He uses the same word God used when He introduced Himself to Moses!

These words gave the guys hope. Once again, Jesus proves His authority over creation. He demonstrates His ability to counteract natural laws.

I marvel at His precise timing! When He was tempted, He didn’t fling Himself from atop the Temple to prove Himself to the one who had once loved Him in heaven. Yet here He flung Himself on the waves to prove Himself to those who loved Him on earth.

“Invite me to walk”

I just love Peter. He has great faith. And an over-boldness that lead him to make rash decisions. Today, he says to the figure walking across the water, “Since it’s You, Lord, tell me to come to you.” As in, “invite me to join You ON THE WATER!”

You see, Peter knew Job 9:8, “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.” Jesus was proving He was God! He was demonstrating that He was “the new Moses.” Only thing is, Moses just parted the sea, and Jesus walked on it!

From the moment of the miracle of the fish – or before, Peter has been convinced of the power and authority Jesus holds. From the safety of the boat, he KNEW Jesus could empower him to walk on the water alongside Him.

Sometimes, I’m like that, too. I can be in the big middle of a personal struggle (like a boat that’s making no progress during a storm). And from the relative safety of my “boat,” I can easily believe that my Savior can make the impossible – possible.

But when He asks me to step OUT of my comfort zone and step INTO a season/adventure I can’t manage on my own WITHOUT HIM, I start strong. But then I realize mid-way that this is crazy impossible.

Looking at the impossible walk

That happened to Peter, too. He was doing it. He could actually walk on water! But he took his eyes off Jesus. He saw what was impossible ALONE – and that’s when He sank.

I’m not sure he lost faith in Jesus’ ability to do the impossible. I mean, he still calls out to Him for help. I think, instead, that Peter lost faith in his own ability to complete what Jesus gave him permission to do during such harsh conditions. Remember, the walk was Peter’s idea, not Jesus’.

Of course, Peter couldn’t walk on water WITHOUT JESUS – and he would never have even tried without Him. But it WAS Peter’s goal to be like his Savior. Isn’t this our goal, too? Or at least, shouldn’t it be our goal? <sigh> Peter got started and then got overwhelmed with everything else around him. He got distracted from the task Jesus permitted.

The chaos around him kept him from fully joining in the walk to reach his end goal – Jesus.

Man, oh man! This hits me like a holy 2×4. You see, God gave me a task, and I’ve dropped the ball. My world got chaotic, and I took my eyes off my goal – and the One who makes my walk possible.

What this means for me:

1- Jesus calls us to do big things. I have several of these things I feel God has told me to do. Do you have any? Are you actively working on them?

2- The boat may feel safe, but that’s not where Jesus wants us to stay. If we can be brave enough to stop out in faith, we can get closer to Jesus – even in a world of chaos.

3- We must remain focused on the One who makes the impossible – possible. I’ve got to get back to work on my assigned tasks. I’ve been stalled – like the disciples – and it’s time to go for a power walk with Jesus. Will you come, too?