The Sacredness Of Failure



Yes, I know you know the story.  Even unbelievers know the story. Peter got out of the boat, took his eyes off Jesus and his faith failed. Peter's problem was doubting. A faith that doubts means you sink. Believe without doubting and you will be a water-walker too.

I don't see it that way, but then I've had some experiences in life where I sank, sank hard.  



You have to give it to Peter. He was so hungry for the supernatural. He and the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. Can we all agree that if we were to see a ghostly presence in front of us doing something unearthly we would be afraid?  Even if the ghost said, "Don't be scared. It's me!"   Of course they were afraid!  Like the storm wasn't scary enough?  But Peter, he calls out to the ghost, "OK buddy, if it's you tell me I can do what you're doing."  Who says that?  Someone who believed in his heart that Jesus was Divine and could do the miraculous. Go Pete!

Can you imagine what Peter felt like when he stepped out of that boat and the water became firm under his feet?  The miracle wasn't that impulsive Peter said something brash, like if it's you tell me to come to you on the water. The miracle was Jesus turning the water into a solid foundation under Peter's feet, but all the faith in the world wouldn't keep Peter from being terrified when he felt himself slide into that thrashing water. "Jesus save me," he cried. He wasn't only terrified of the water suddenly becoming water under him once again. He was afraid Jesus was going to let him drown.

Jesus asked Peter why he thought twice and told him that his faith was small, but didn't Jesus say if we had faith the size of a tiny mustard seed we could move mountains?  So what was Jesus correcting in Peter?




I believe that Jesus was telling Peter that faith in the supernatural is a small kind of faith, because when the evidence of the supernatural vanished Peter thought Jesus would let him drown.

Jesus performed miracles. He still does, but He never led anyone to believe that walking with Him was going to be one long miraculous event.  Jesus didn't come to us and die for us so that we could do miraculous things. Elijah did miraculous things. Moses did miraculous things  God has always done the miraculous, but He didn't send His son to us to change us into a body of water-walkers!

What was the most valuable thing Peter learned that day? Does anyone beside me ever wonder? How did Peter get back to the boat?  As a hungry disciple I want to know that.

You may think Peter strutted himself back to the boat walking beside Jesus on the water as the other disciples looked on in envious awe, but I don't think so.  I believe Peter rode Jesus piggy-back  to that boat that night!  I'm thinking Peter clung to Jesus like a life raft! Oh! Jesus is The Life Raft!

That's what Jesus came to show us all. Faith is being convinced that apart from Him we can do nothing.  He came to show us that we are meant to be one with Him.  Our trust is to be in Him. Our faith is never to be in an outcome. Our faith is to be in His singular power to save.

It is a blessing to sink beneath the waves. Our spiritual maturity is not having the power to miraculously manipulate the realities of this world. The devil can do that. Our spiritual maturity is found in total dependence on Jesus and our utter trust that He will never let us go, in this world or the next.






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