{"id":29057,"date":"2026-08-05T01:56:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T01:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=29057"},"modified":"2026-08-05T02:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T02:18:11","slug":"when-faith-steps-out-of-the-boat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=29057","title":{"rendered":"When Faith Steps Out of the Boat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/a> A Reflection on Matthew 14:22\u201333 \u2013 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are moments in the Gospels when a familiar story becomes so well known that we risk overlooking its depth. The account of Jesus walking on the water is one of those passages. We remember Peter stepping out of the boat. We remember him sinking. We remember Jesus reaching out His hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet Matthew is inviting us to see far more than a miracle on the Sea of Galilee. He is revealing who Jesus is, and, in doing so, he is asking us what it really means to trust Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing that strikes me is that this entire scene is initiated by Jesus Himself. Matthew tells us that Jesus made<\/em> the disciples get into the boat before He dismissed the crowds and withdrew to pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That detail matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The storm is not an accident. The disciples have not wandered into difficulty by mistake. Jesus has deliberately sent them across the lake while He remains behind in prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How often we assume that difficulties in our lives must mean that God is absent? Yet this Gospel reminds us that discipleship does not exempt us from storms. Sometimes the Lord leads us directly into situations where our faith will be stretched, purified and deepened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only then does He come to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew also reminds us that before Jesus comes to the disciples, He spends time alone in prayer. We often associate Jesus at prayer with Luke’s Gospel, but Matthew quietly reveals the same truth. Everything Jesus does flows from His relationship with the Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps that is where our own discipleship must always begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> More Than a Miracle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Jesus comes across the water, Matthew is not simply describing something extraordinary. He is presenting one of those moments where the identity of Jesus shines through in unmistakable fashion. The disciples are terrified. They think they are seeing ghost. Then Jesus speaks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Greek text, those simple words, “It is I,”<\/em> echo the divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM.” <\/strong>Matthew is gently lifting the veil. This is not merely Jesus performing an astonishing miracle. This is God drawing near to His frightened disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout Scripture, whenever God reveals Himself, the first words are often the same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do not be afraid.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear gives way to faith whenever we recognise the presence of the Lord. That movement continues throughout Matthew’s Gospel until the disciples finally make one of the clearest professions of faith found before the Resurrection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Truly, you are the Son of God.” The miracle leads not simply to amazement, but to worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Peter’s Courage… and Ours<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Matthew adds something Mark does not. He gives us Peter. I have always found Peter wonderfully encouraging because he is so recognisably human. His strengths and weaknesses often exist side by side. When Peter sees Jesus, he immediately wants to step out of the boat. That takes courage. Very few people ever leave the safety of the boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter does. And for a few moments, he actually walks towards Jesus. Then everything changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of keeping his eyes fixed on Christ, he notices the wind. Fear replaces trust. He begins to sink. How often that happens in our own lives. We begin with generous intentions. We make commitments. We respond to God’s call. Then our attention shifts from Christ to the circumstances around us. The winds become stronger than the One who called us. The problems appear larger than the promises of God. The future feels uncertain. Faith begins to give way to fear. Yet what moves me most in this Gospel is not Peter’s failure. It is Jesus’ immediacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Immediately Jesus reached out His hand.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no hesitation. No lecture. No delay. Only the outstretched hand of Christ. That is always the heart of the Gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Learning to Recognise Jesus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One question remained with me as I reflected on this passage. The disciples ask,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Is it a ghost?” In other words, they must discern whether the one approaching them is truly Jesus. That question is not confined to the Sea of Galilee. It belongs to every disciple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every day we encounter opportunities, challenges, unexpected events and difficult conversations. Where is Jesus in all of this? Is He calling me through this unexpected situation? Is He inviting me to trust Him here? Or am I allowing fear to determine my response? Discernment is part of every Christian life. We are continually learning to recognise the voice of Christ amid the noise of our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Little Faith Can Still Grow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jesus gently asks Peter,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew often uses the expression “little faith” when speaking about the disciples. Notice what Jesus does not say. He does not say Peter has no<\/strong> faith. Peter has enough faith to leave the boat. Enough faith to call upon Jesus. Enough faith to cry out,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Lord, save me.” Sometimes we become discouraged because our faith feels small. Yet perhaps the important question is not how much faith we possess, but where that faith is directed. Even little faith, when fixed on Christ, becomes the beginning of something much greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Living This Gospel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This Gospel invites me to ask several questions of my own life. Where have I become preoccupied with the storms instead of the Lord? What fears are preventing me from stepping where Christ is calling? Am I trying to navigate life’s difficulties by my own strength rather than allowing Jesus to reach out His hand? Most importantly, am I learning to recognise His presence in the ordinary events of each day? Faith is not the absence of storms. Faith is discovering that Christ is already present within them. The disciples thought they were alone. They were not. Peter thought he was sinking alone. He was not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And neither are we. Wherever Christ calls us, His grace always arrives before we do. Perhaps that is why this Gospel continues to give hope to every generation of Christians. The One who says, “Come,”<\/strong> is also the One whose hand is always stretched out towards us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bishop David Walker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Reflection on Matthew 14:22\u201333 \u2013 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) There are moments in the Gospels when a familiar story becomes so well known that we risk overlooking its depth. The account of Jesus walking on the water is one of those passages. We remember Peter stepping out of the boat. We […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":29058,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,17],"tags":[38,45,26,44,24,55,8,32,50,41,25,51,34,54,47,31,42,39,48,46,52,40,37,35,28,43,53,36,27,33,29],"class_list":["post-29057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bishop-david-walker","category-newsletter","tag-ancient-wisdom","tag-contemplative-prayer","tag-enlightenment","tag-guided-meditation","tag-inner-peace","tag-introspection","tag-lectio-divina","tag-lectio-divina-for-beginners","tag-life-transformation","tag-meditation-guide","tag-meditation-mastery","tag-meditation-tips","tag-mindfulness","tag-mindfulness-meditation","tag-mindfulness-practices","tag-mindfulness-techniques","tag-personal-development","tag-reflect-and-transform","tag-reflective-living","tag-sacred-reading","tag-self-discovery","tag-self-help","tag-soulful-journey","tag-soulful-living","tag-spiritual-awakening","tag-spiritual-growth","tag-spiritual-guide","tag-spiritual-insights","tag-spiritual-practice","tag-spiritual-reflection","tag-transformative-journey"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t