Matthew 14: 22-36

The gospel story relates about our Lord walking on water. When the disciples saw him, they thought he was a ghost. Peter recognized him. He asked the Lord to let him walk on the water, too. He wanted him to suspend the laws of nature and experience the miracle.

Peter was very human just like many of us. We too want to see signs and miracles. We take pains to travel to places where miracles are reportedly happening. Per se, there is nothing bad about this. For many, however, faith in God seems to hinge on miracles alone. And as a noted theologian once said, such faith is immature. Remember Christ’s words, “Blessed are those who have not seen me but believe.”

The lesson this particular episode teaches concerns faith. When Peter felt threatened by the storm and the big waves, his faith faltered. Jesus censured him for his weakness. “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14,31)

Don’t we tend to act very much the same? Isn’t it true that when everything is going well for us, more often than not we forget God? But just as some strong wind, some bog problem arises – a grave illness that strikes us, the sudden death of a loved one or a natural calamity like an earthquake or sunami, then we get scared; we turn to God.

Fr. Albert Cywicki in his book ‘His Word Resounds’ writes: “As long as Peter kept focus on the Lord, all went well. As soon as he forgot about Jesus and worried about the wind, he began to sink. Perhaps this is what faith means: keeping our focus on the Lord regardless of the turmoil around us.”

But lest we forget, faith is not fatalism or irresponsibility. It does not mean running to God for our problems and difficulties all the time – a common attitude, by the way, among many. Indeed, God does help. But we must not forget that worn out but wise dictum: “God helps those who help themselves.”