When God gives us a cross to bear, and we find it too heavy, we turn to him for help. How do we pray? Do we ask him to remove the cross, or do we ask him for the strength to carry it? Our first inclination is asking its removal; without a cross, however, we can’t be a disciple of Jesus. So, it seems that our best prayer is for the strength to bear it.
Sometimes we learn a lesson by watching others make mistakes. Today we learn such a lesson from none other than our first Pope (Matthew 14:22-36). Typically, he was in a boat with some other disciples and a storm began to brew.
“During the fourth watch of the night (Jesus) came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost,’ they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’”
The disciples were in trouble, and Jesus showed up looking like a ghost. He told them to “Take courage” and not be afraid. Peter took him at his word and with a surge of courage said:
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
Peter had a sense that this was Jesus, but he wanted proof, so he said “if” it is you, command me to come. Peter wasn’t willing to take a step onto the waves unless Jesus told him to. We give him credit for that.
“(Jesus) said, ‘Come.’ Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened; and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord save me!’”
Peter’s courage ran out as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and put them on the ferocious wind. His shaky faith collapsed, and he began to sink into the water. At first it seemed Peter had great faith in Jesus. Who would be so foolish as to step out on a rough sea unless Jesus told him to?
“Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”
Did we catch this? Jesus “stretched out his hand” just as Moses did when the people needed a way across the Red Sea. Jesus is the “new Moses.”
Let’s give Peter a pat on the back. The logical request would be to ask Jesus to calm the wind. Instead, Peter asked for supernatural power to defy the winds and walk on the water. When his half-an-ounce of faith succumbed to his ton of fear, Peter began to sink and, wisely, he called out to Jesus for help.
Jesus didn’t chide Peter for wanting to perform a supernatural feat. He affirmed Peter’s boldness, and yet pointed to his weakness—his little faith.
Most of us are like the other disciples. We’d rather hide in the boat even if it starts sinking, than step out on the water. We’d rather ask God to remove a problem, instead of for faith and strength to move forward through it.
All of us face stormy seas in our lives. Sometimes Jesus says “Come.” He calls us to fix our eyes on him, forget about the wind, and walk confidently across the water. To do this we need more than a half-ounce of faith.
“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness…” (Ps 51:3).
