A Deeper point
The familiar story that’s told in this week’s Gospel reading—Jesus, then Peter walking on water—is replete with straightforward and practical lessons. And even if you read it fairly casually, you could point to most of them. Among them are:
Jesus refusing to be distracted from the necessity to be with the Father in prayer in the midst of an incredibly dynamic situation.
Peter, in a bold act of faith, stepping out of the boat and failing only when he took his eyes off Jesus.
And, of course, Jesus' presence calming the punishing headwinds for the disciples and the promise of the same for us.
All of these are helpful for framing the love of God and his desire to be “with us”, the power of stepping out in faith with our eyes fixed firmly on Christ, and the promise of Jesus’ presence and power with us in the midst of our own adversities. They’re all there, and they’re all valuable take-aways.
But if you read a bit deeper (pardon the pun), this passage also has a rich and vivid subtext that has some immediate and, candidly, demanding implications for us as we live our day-to-day lives.
