Peter's Boat

                In 1986 a drought in the Sea of Galilee region exposed mud and silt far off the typical shoreline. Two amateur archaeologists went poking around to see what might have been revealed by the lower water levels, and in the process they discovered a fishing boat - from the time of Jesus Christ. A wooden fishing boat 2,000 years old. It took twelve days to excavate, and then it had to sit in a chemical bath for seven years before it could be displayed.

                I'm sure it didn't belong to any of the apostles, but it was undoubtedly just like the ones they used. I was reading this recently, and it got me thinking about all the time Jesus spent with his disciples in different boats. Especially Peter. Peter had some great moments with Jesus in his fishing boat.

                I think the most famous was probably the time he and the other disciples were alone on the lake, and it was dark, and Jesus walked out to them. I mean, he walked out to them. It was unusual, but by then they'd already seen a number of unusual things. Remember the time they were terrified of drowning in a storm, and Jesus had stood up and ordered the sea to be calm? "Who is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him?" they wondered. He showed his authority over the sea - over nature - and his disciples were terrified.

                But then he trumped that by treating the surface of the water like his own personal sidewalk, from the shore to the ship, his face popping up between the waves like a ghost, scaring the kosher hot dogs out of his disciples, and then Peter had his big moment. Remember? "Lord, if that's you, tell me to come out to you." And it was; so he did. And Peter jumps onto the water and floats on top of it like a duck. And with that one brief, momentary victory, he gave us an enduring picture of faith.

                Then he sank.

                And Jesus grabbed him and rescued him, and told him he had miniature faith and asked him "why did you doubt?". So as long as you keep your eyes on Jesus, you don't have to fear the storm.

                But there was another moment too, similar in some ways. Again, Peter was on a boat with the other disciples, and once again they were all discombobulated (only not because of a storm on the lake, but because of a storm of fear and uncertainty within their own hearts) and like the last time, Jesus wasn't in the boat with them. Then, the same as before, they saw him, and once more, they weren't sure at first. But then (just like before) they saw a miracle. Only now it wasn't that Jesus was walking on water or controlling the weather, it's that he brought the fish into their nets. That's how they knew it was Jesus. But the thing that made this encounter really extraordinary was that just a few days earlier Jesus had been killed by the Romans.

                Now he was alive, and he was there.

                So once again, Peter jumped out of the boat, only this time he did things differently, because he himself was somehow different. You see, he didn't ask Jesus for confirmation. He didn't hesitate or question or dither. He didn't experience a personal miracle - and he didn't care, because he wasn't after a dramatic miracle. He stood up and jumped over the side into the water knowing that he'd have to swim, but not caring one bit. Because this time he heard the voice of his Savior, and the only thought in his mind was to get to him; to leap and swim and thrash his way up onto the shore.

                To be with Jesus.

                You see, there is a kind of faith (quite small, as it turns out) that will obey the voice of Jesus eventually, once it receives a little confirmation, a little reassurance, maybe some coaxing. It's the kind of faith that sometimes needs to be propped up with an amazing or even supernatural display. And often such faith fades away (fortunately, Jesus does not). Then there's another kind of faith; the kind Peter experienced in the boat when the weather was calm and it was an ordinary day and he suddenly realized that Jesus was there - right there - and he jumped out of the boat. He flew out of the boat, because all he wanted was to run to Jesus.

                No reassurances, no promise of safety or coaxing or "proof". He reached the shore and then, like before, Jesus asked him a question. Earlier it was "Why did you doubt?" This time it was a deeper question which got further down into Peter's heart, right to the center of his relationship with Christ; "Do you love me?"

                It's amazing how often Jesus Christ reveals himself to us - his love and his will, his words and his leading. Jesus wants to take you beyond, deeper into your relationship to him. Don't demand prodding, or official confirmation signed in triplicate. Throw aside your caution and fear. Don't hesitate.

                Run.