Tanya Marshall
Pilgrimage Reflections: On the Sea of
Galilee
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you
on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked
on the water and came toward Jesus. But
when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord,
save me!” (Matthew 14:28-30)
During our pilgrimage in Israel, I tried to picture Jesus in
the locations we visited. Early in the
trip we went on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where the story of Jesus and
Peter walking on the water took place.
We heard the Scripture, and were then asked, “If you had been there,
what would you have done, or which character would you have been like in the
story? Would you have quickly stepped
out of the boat, like Peter, but then start sinking when you took your eyes off
of Jesus? Or would you have sat back in
the boat, like the other disciples, and just watched to see what might
happen? Or would you have done something
different than these options?”
As I imagined Jesus and Peter in this scene, I realized that
I’d have probably sat and watched from the relative safety of the boat. I wish I were a bold disciple, but I know I
often wait to see what others (seemingly “stronger” Christians) will do. I depend on the faith of others. I wish I wouldn’t doubt so much. I wish I could be the one taking that step
into the water, trusting Jesus without waiting for a sure result.
Prayer: O Lord Jesus,
thank you for asking us to trust you.
Thank you for accepting us where we are, with our particular
personality. But continue to challenge
us to a stronger, bolder faith. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.