Fear, disbelief, amazement and reassurance are just some of the emotions the disciples experienced when they saw Jesus walking toward their boat on the wind tossed waters of the Sea of Galilee. It is Peter who speaks to the person on the water. Notice he says, “If it is you . . .” Obviously, he is not sure. But at least he had the courage to ask. Then he says, “command me to come to you . . .”
Peter hopes it is Jesus and he may even have believed it was Jesus. He wants to go to Jesus. But he does not want to take the responsibility for stepping out of the boat in the event he is wrong. He wants Jesus to “command” him so if he fails it is Jesus’ fault. Before we judge Peter and the other disciples too harshly we should reflect on our reaction when we sense Jesus is calling us, through his presence in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty, to step out of our comfort zone into a strange or risky situation.
Do we have the faith, hope and courage to do so without being “commanded” by Jesus? Are we willing to be responsible for our faith?
