Peter gets a lot of credit for getting out of the boat. And he should.
There were twelve disciples in that boat, but only one of them climbed over the side.
Only one put his feet on the water. Only one walked toward Jesus.
But there’s something about the story that we can easily miss.
Peter didn’t get out of the boat just because he wanted to walk on water.
He got out because Jesus told him to come.
That distinction matters. Because faith is not about becoming a bigger risk-taker. Faith is about becoming a better follower.
Peter Wasn’t Chasing an Experience
Read Peter’s words carefully. “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” Matthew 14:28 NLT
Peter didn’t say: “Jesus, watch what I can do.” He didn’t jump over the side because he wanted an incredible story to tell later. He didn’t decide that the truly spiritual people were the ones willing to attempt impossible things.
Peter waited for one thing.
A word from Jesus. And Jesus said: “Come.”
That one word changed everything.
Without that word, stepping out of the boat would have been foolish. With that word, staying in the boat would have meant missing what Jesus was inviting Peter to experience.
That’s the difference between faith and presumption.
Faith doesn’t say, “I’m going to do something crazy and expect God to bless it.” Faith says, “If Jesus is calling me, I’m going.”
Sometimes We Make Faith About the Size of the Step
We tend to admire dramatic faith.
- Quit the job.
- Move across the country.
- Give the huge offering.
- Launch the ministry.
- Start the business.
- Go to the mission field.
A big decision without Jesus is still just a big decision. And a small act of obedience can require enormous faith.
The size of the action doesn’t determine the size of the faith.
The question is: Am I responding to Jesus?
The Water Was Never Peter’s Destination
This is what really changes the story. Jesus wasn’t standing on the water saying: “Peter, come experience water walking.”
Jesus was saying: “Come to Me.”
The miracle was happening underneath Peter’s feet, but the destination was standing in front of him.
Jesus.
Peter wasn’t called to the water. Peter was called to Jesus.
And I wonder how often we get those two things confused.
We become fascinated with what Jesus might do through us and lose sight of what Jesus wants to do in us.
Jesus is not primarily trying to give Peter an experience. He is forming Peter into a disciple.
The water is simply where the lesson happens.
Be Careful Not to Worship the Water
There’s a subtle danger in stories like this. We can start believing that the goal of Christianity is to live an extraordinary life.
- Do something big.
- Take huge risks.
- Have incredible stories.
But Jesus never called Peter to become famous for walking on water. In fact, Peter’s water-walking career lasted only a few moments.
Jesus was preparing Peter for something much bigger.
There would come a day when Peter would stand in Jerusalem and preach Christ to thousands.
Jesus wasn’t developing Peter’s ability to walk on water.
He was developing Peter’s ability to trust Him.
And those are two very different things. Because Peter would never need to walk on water to fulfill his calling. But he would need to trust Jesus again and again and again.
Maybe the Boat Isn’t the Biggest Issue
On my Monday Morning Collision podcast, I asked: What’s your boat?
That’s still a good question.
What are you holding onto because it’s familiar? Where are you resisting Jesus because you want to maintain control?
But maybe there’s another question we need to ask:
Where is Jesus?
Because getting out of the boat is not automatically spiritual.
- You can leave a job Jesus never told you to leave.
- You can start something Jesus never told you to start.
- You can end a relationship Jesus is asking you to work on.
You can call something “faith” when it’s really frustration, impatience, ambition, or emotion.
Peter didn’t simply decide: “I’m tired of this boat.”
He saw Jesus. He listened for Jesus. And then he responded to Jesus.
That’s a very different way to live.
The goal isn't to spend your life constantly looking for boats to jump out of.
The goal is to stay so close to Jesus that when He says “Come,” you recognize His voice.
And That Requires Something Before the Big Moment
We love Peter’s dramatic step over the side of the boat. But moments like that aren't where faith begins. They reveal what has already been developing.
Peter had already left his nets to follow Jesus.
That matters.
Because if I want to recognize the voice that says “Come” in the storm, I need to know His voice before the storm.
Faith is built in ordinary days.
- Reading His Word.
- Talking with Him.
- Listening.
- Obeying.
- Serving.
- Giving.
- Forgiving.
- Following the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
- Doing the last thing Jesus told me to do.
Then there are moments when the familiar voice of Jesus calls us into unfamiliar territory.
And when that happens, we don't have to understand the water.
We know the One who said, “Come.”
You Don’t Have to Know How the Water Works
Peter had absolutely no idea how he was going to walk on water. There was no technique to learn. No seminar to attend. No five-step water-walking strategy.
He only had the word of Jesus.
Come.
And maybe that’s where faith gets very real. Faith doesn’t require you to understand everything underneath your feet.
Faith requires you to know who is standing in front of you.
Peter's confidence wasn't supposed to be in his ability to walk. It was supposed to be in Jesus' ability to call.
And when Peter forgot that—when the waves became bigger in his vision than Jesus—he started sinking.
Even then, the story wasn't really about the water.
Peter cried: “Save me, Lord!” And Jesus reached for him.
Peter discovered that the One who called him out was also the One who would catch him when his faith faltered.
So Don’t Just Ask, “What’s My Boat?”
Ask something deeper. Jesus, where are You calling me?
Not: “What impressive thing can I do for God?”
Not: “What risk would prove that I really have faith?”
Not even: “What am I afraid to do?”
Instead: “Jesus, what are You asking me to do?”
Because once Peter heard **“Come,”** the question was whether Peter trusted Jesus enough to put his weight on His word.
Keep your eyes on the One who called you.
Because the goal was never the boat.
The goal was never the storm.
The goal wasn't even the water.
The goal is Jesus.
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