Simon Peter–Fisher Of Men

2. Walking on Galilee

Simon pulled on his oar silently. His fellow disciples were too busily engaged themselves on the same task to take much notice of his unusual quietness. It was only when the southerly squall struck them and rendered progress a matter of difficulty that they looked to him, as usual, for guidance. But this time he showed no sign of counselling an alteration of course so that they might use the wind to help them steer a course for the nearest shore. He went on pulling vigorously, without speaking. He evidently meant to obey the Lord’s instruction to make for the shelving beach of Gennesaret on the western shore of the lake in reliance upon Jesus’ word that, after His object in remaining behind on the eastern shore near Bethsaida was accomplished, He would join them. Neither wind nor storm was going to deflect Simon from that purpose; he laboured doggedly at his oar, leaving his comrades to do the same without question.

He had good reason for silence. He was thinking, deeply and seriously. Thinking did not come easily to Simon. He was a man of action; hasty, impulsive action for the most part, ill‑considered action that often landed him in trouble. He was not given to quiet reflection. But this time he had much to think about. He had just witnessed a miracle surpassing anything he had yet seen save the raising from the dead of the widow’s son at Nain. Together with his fellows, Andrew, John and James, and the others, he had for something like twelve months been following Jesus through the villages and towns of Galilee, spending much time around the Lake on which they were at this moment embarked, and he had seen the sick healed, the people with leprosy cleansed, the demon‑possessed made free, the blind given sight, in all these things the effect of healing power flowing out from Jesus to restore some one or other afflicted sufferer to health. He had seen the widow’s son rise from his bier (coffin) and live again: he had seen the daughter of Jairus heed Jesus’ call to return from the land of the shades. But now he had witnessed something belonging to a very different sphere; he had watched Jesus create food apparently out of nothing. Five thousand people there had been, there on the grassy plain between Bethsaida and the sea; the day was far spent, they had listened to Jesus for hours, hunger was asserting itself, and there was nothing to give them, nothing but five small loaves and two fishes. But with those in his hands Jesus had stood there handing loaf after loaf and fish after fish to each of his disciples until all that five thousand had received a sufficiency. What wonderful power from Heaven is this, Simon asked himself as he ploughed his oar through the water. If Jesus was indeed the king of Israel, the One that should come and Simon had no doubts at all on that score what marvellous events must await them in that future day when Jesus should assert His authority and commence His reign? With powers like that there was no limit to what could be achieved. And what of his followers? They were surely invincible; with His power exerted on their behalf there was no enemy, of man or of Nature, that could stand against them, his reverie was abruptly broken as a gust of wind stronger than ever momentarily halted the boat’s labouring progress.

Simon cast a professional glance at the heaving sea. The storm was getting fiercer, and they were not making much headway. They had left the eastern shore at "even" 6 p.m.—and now it was nearly the fourth watch 3 a.m. Eight or nine hours in "toiling and rowing" and they had only made a little over three miles (twenty‑five or thirty furlongs. John 6:19) Another four miles to go; as he looked at the tumultuous billows and felt the raging wind Simon began to wonder whether they were going to make it. He had flattered himself that he knew all the tricks and foibles of this unpredictable lake, on the waters of which he had gained his living for so many years, but never had he experienced a tempest like this. For the first time that night his heart began to fail him. Had Jesus been there with them things would have been all right; somehow or other, Simon knew, He would have dealt with the situation. But Jesus was not with them; the result of his miraculous feeding of the five thousand had been that the people wanted to take Him, against His will, to make Him a king (John 6:15) and that He would not have. So, He had gone into solitude on the mountain, to pray and reflect, telling His disciples He would meet them again on the other side of the lake. Now they were in this predicament, in terror for their lives, and Jesus knew nothing of it and was too far away to help anyway.

A terrified cry from one of the others, and Peter spun round. Following the other’s pointing hand, he looked across the foam‑crested waves and his heart gave a sudden lurch. Out there, a few yards from the boat, was a shadowy figure, the form of a man, walking on the water. "It is a spirit" (Matt.14:26) someone cried out; "we are all lost men." The rowing stopped; they gazed with apprehension at the apparition, moving so easily and effortlessly upon the troubled waters. As they gazed, there came a voice, a familiar voice, low and clear, yet plainly to be heard above the howling of the gale; "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." (Matt.14:27 RSV)

Reaction was swift. "It is the Lord," cried Simon. Everything was going to be all right; Jesus was with them again. But almost immediately a tiny seed of doubt implanted itself in his head. Could Jesus really walk on the water? Could this be a demon impersonating the Master and luring them on to destruction. Impulsive as ever, he put the matter to the test. "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water" (Matt.14:28 RSV) came the invitation "Come." Without more ado Simon leaped over the side of the boat into the sea; in the exaltation of that moment his faith was complete. To his joy he found that he too could walk on the water and boldly he set out to cross the few yards that separated him from his Lord. But ere he reached him a great swelling wave, higher than the rest, rose before him and blotted out the waiting Figure from his sight. Now he was aware only of lofty waves and racing water, the dark sky above and unutterable depths below, and the horror of his situation dawned upon him. At that his faith failed and he found himself submerged, swimming desperately to keep himself afloat. In sharp anguish he cried out "Lord, save me." (v.30)

A well‑known hand reached out and caught him, raising him out of the water: a well‑known voice in his ears "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" (v.31 RSV) So, Simon came hand‑in‑hand with Jesus to the safety of the boat. And the storm ceased, and there was a great calm.

It is a wonderful story, and full of significance to the Christian. There are times in every life when the storm‑waves mount high to the heavens with their overpowering threats and the gale‑winds seem as though they would sweep away all in which we trust. Something like Luke’s and Paul’s experience on the voyage to Rome when the ship ran into a great storm becomes our position also: "When neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away." (Acts 27:20) But Paul and Luke were saved, and Simon Peter was saved, and so are we, if we hold on tightly to the hand of Jesus. "They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion. which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever." (Psa.125:1) Sometimes it is not so much that our faith fails as that the pressure of well‑nigh intolerable circumstances almost overcomes our powers of endurance and we tend to cry out as did the Psalmist "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Is his mercy clean gone for ever?" (Psa.77:9,8) It is then that we need to remember that Christ is near us, just on the other side of the big wave, and His hand can reach right through that wave to hold ours and guide us through the storm into the calm that will follow.

This incident was an essential element in the training of Simon. It was not enough that he should realise Jesus’ mastery over the elements of Nature; he had already seen something of that on the earlier occasion when, crossing the lake, they had been hit by a wind‑squall whilst Jesus was asleep in the boat; on that occasion He had rebuked the wind and the sea and a great calm resulted. (Matt.8:24‑27; Mark 4:37‑41; Luke 8:23‑25) The disciples had been greatly impressed, but this time there was something more, the lesson of the Lord’s care for his own and the certainty that He is always at hand to save. He "will not suffer you to be tested beyond what you are able to bear, but with every test will direct the issue, that you might be able to endure." (1 Cor 10:13[Author’s own]) That was a greater thing and a more important thing than the stilling of a stormy wind and a tempestuous sea.

AOH