Friday, September 10, 2010
[After feeding the multitude], Jesus had the disciples board the boat and go ahead of him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. When he had dispersed the crowd, he went up the mountain by himself to pray; and he was there alone when evening fell.
By then, the boat was well out to sea. An unfavorable wind arose; waves threatened to swamp the boat. In the fourth watch of the night, Christ came to them, walking on the sea. The sight of him, walking on the waters, upset the disciples so that they cried out for fear, saying, "It is a ghost." But Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Do not be afraid; it is I. Be cheerful."
Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, invite me to come out upon the water."
And he said, "Come."
So Peter climbed down from the boat and walked upon the water toward Jesus. But he became afraid when the wind freshened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately held out his hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "Your faith is weak; why did you doubt me?"
When they returned to the boat, the wind died down; and the men in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
The Bible tells us about Peter's struggle with his faith in several different passages. He was the greatest of the apostles, the rock upon which Christ founded his church. Ultimately, he gave his life for his belief. In today's passage, he is the only person in the boat whose faith is sufficient to impel him to step out of the boat, onto a stormy sea. And yet, even Peter's faith fails him. He becomes afraid and begins to sink.
Most Christians have crises of faith, periods in which we have doubts of one kind or another. We were reminded of this once again, in August, 2007, when the letters of Mother Theresa were published. She was a beacon of Christian compassion and strength for the 21st century; but her writings show periods of profound questioning and near-despair. If persons of such great faith as Peter and Mother Theresa have these struggles, who are we to think we should be free of them?
The point is, we should not fall apart with hysteria and guilt when we struggle with our faith. Stronger Christians than us have had these problems. Like any sin, it can be confessed and will be forgiven. Both the Bible and modern life teach us that our struggles are human, part and parcel of our Christian life. We can pray that the Holy Spirit will help us renew our faith, and pray in the name of Christ for forgiveness, and be at ease, confident in Christ's ultimate victory over sin.
| provided by elogicwebsolutions.com |
