Why did Peter get out of the boat in today’s Gospel (Matthew 14:22-33)?
As a fisherman who had worked on the Sea of Galilee his entire life, this is the last thing he would have done. He would never have even considered stepping out of the boat in normal circumstances, let alone when the boat was being tossed around by strong winds and high waves miles from the shore. In a storm, the boat was the safest place to be. The sensible thing to do would have been to stay put in the boat and ride out the storm.
So why did Peter step out of the boat right there in the middle of the Sea of Galilee?
Throughout the four Gospels we see that at times Peter can be very impulsive speaking or acting without thinking. He had a sincere heart, but a heart that was not always controlled by rational logic. Of course, he knew it was impossible for a man to walk on water. For a man, yes, but not for the Son of God! When the disciples in the boat saw Jesus coming toward them walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking he was a ghost. Peter spoke up saying “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” It must have been a powerful moment for Peter. Every fiber in his being as a fisherman told him not to get out of the boat, but he saw the Lord and wanted to be with him. That was all that mattered to him at that moment. The other disciples no doubt looked on in horror as Peter stepped out of the boat, expecting him to be immediately swallowed up by the sea and drowned. As long as Peter remained focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on water as well. It was only after he became frightened at the strength of the wind and the waves that he was no longer focused on Jesus and began to sink, calling out “Lord, save me!” And Jesus saved him, placing him back into the boat.
When we are battered by the storms in our lives, we may be tempted to seek safety by turning inward and hiding away from the world in whatever we consider to be our “safe zone.” But Jesus is always there, even in the midst of the storms
especially in the midst of the storms. We need to be more like Peter and climb out of our comfort zones, trusting where Jesus may lead us. Although it may be challenging at times, he will stretch out his hand to us as he did for Peter, and calm the storms of our life.