There is an interpretive history that makes Peter a hero for his attempts. The other eleven stayed in the boat; at least Peter got out. As John Ortberg wrote, If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat. It’s a wonderful book on faith, courage, and risk-taking.

I’m just not sure about using this text.

Here are some reasons:

1. Read carefully and you see that it wasn’t Jesus’ idea. He’s coming to his frightened disciples, out in the dark, enduring a storm in a Galilean fishing boat. Jesus doesn’t say, “If you have courage, come to me”; rather, he’s going to them.

2. This is the first of five stories that will focus on Peter. Those stories don’t tend to tilt in his favor! (Think: “Get behind me Satan!”)

3. Peter says, “Lord, if it’s really you . . . .” Later Jesus challenges his doubt. The interpretive tradition is that this refers to his sinking. But perhaps it refers to that original doubt: If it’s you! As Barbara Brown Taylor has written, Peter needed to take a couple steps to cure his doubt; then he needed a noseful of sea water to cure his pomposity!

4. The point of most of Jesus’ miracles wasn’t for the disciples to repeat the miracle but for them to recognize who he is and to respond to him. The goal of the water-to-wine story isn’t to produce lots of disciples who can repeat the sign; the goal is to recognize the one who did it, to believe in him, and to find life in his name. There’s no indication that the early church thought that water-walking was a sign of faith, courage, or discipleship.

The high point of the story is Jesus’ coming. It’s not about Peter; it’s not about US. He comes to them in their terror. And when he gets in the boat, they worship him.

One Messiah is enough. He can walk on water. He’s coming to you.

Having a tough period with the economic downturn? Facing challenges with your children, with your relationships, with aging, with depression?

“Surely I will be with you always, even to the end of the ages,” he says in the last words of Matthew’s gospel.

Stay in the boat. You don’t have to walk on water. He can. And he’s coming to you.