Among the disciples,
Peter possessed an unrivaled abandon toward JESUS. He was
the across the board leader of the twelve, and particularly
impetuous. Whether it was the tabernacles at the LORD'S transfiguration;
hacking away at Malchus during HIS arrest; or again casting himself into the sea
after CHRIST'S resurrection; Peter proved himself reckless.
It is precisely here though, out on the frontier, where faith
thrives. What men view as a blind leap, GOD views as
demonstrable love. Faith is dormant at the rear lines, but
vibrant and brash at the snort of battle. The flesh will
always lull you to: Row, Row, Row Your Boat; the SPIRIT of faith
however,
casts us into the deep and cries: Hallelujah ... man overboard!
... and contrary to that cute lil' tune, the Christian life is not a
breeze, it is a battle. In deference though to the
familiar, most go down with the ship when faced with the choices
a storm presents. Fear and ingenuity will row the boat,
faith will brave the wave!
"... if it be THOU," Don't confuse
Peter's words here with the voice of doubt ... it is rather
the eye of focus.
"For now we see through a glass, darkly;
but then face to face:" Our inner eye of faith is jaded this
side of Heaven by our outer eye of sin.
"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" The curse brought with it a
cursed myopia and paradoxically, the only anecdote is to look
without sight. "Looking unto
JESUS the author and
finisher of our faith;"
In response to Peter,
JESUS simply replies: "Come."
What a sweet salve for the eye is the voice of the SAVIOR.
There, somewhere just beyond your sight, is where the squint of
the SPIRIT brings HIS presence into perfect view. Where has JESUS
beckoned you "come"? (cf.
Matthew 11:28) Stay in the
boat if you must; but be warned, every boat
absent of HIM is destined for shipwreck.
"Holding faith, and a good conscience;
which some having put away concerning faith have made
shipwreck:"