Peter's Failure to Walk on Water Despite His Fishing Skills
Peter's Failure to Walk on Water and His Fishing Skills
The biblical account of Peter walking on water is found in Matthew 14:22-33. According to this passage, Jesus commands his disciples to get into a boat and cross the Sea of Galilee while he goes to pray. As they sail, a strong wind arises, and the disciples struggle against it. Jesus then comes to them walking on the water, and Peter, upon recognizing Jesus, asks to come to him on the water. Jesus invites Peter to come, and Peter initially walks on the water but then becomes afraid and begins to sink [3].
Peter's ability to catch fish is demonstrated in several biblical accounts, including Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14. In Luke 5, Jesus instructs Peter to let down his nets, and Peter, despite having caught nothing all night, obeys and catches a large number of fish. In John 21, Peter and other disciples go fishing and catch 153 large fish after Jesus instructs them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat [5, 1, 2].
The contrast between Peter's success in catching fish and his failure to walk on water has been noted by various commentators. According to Adam Clarke, a Methodist/Wesleyan commentator, Peter's faith was strong when he was catching fish, but it wavered when he was faced with the challenge of walking on water [4]. John Chrysostom, an Eastern Orthodox commentator, highlights the significance of Peter's actions, noting that he was willing to take a risk and come to Jesus on the water, even if it meant facing his fears [7].
One possible interpretation of Peter's failure to walk on water is that it was a result of his lack of faith. According to the Tyndale House commentary, a Protestant academic source, Peter's faith was not strong enough to sustain him in the face of adversity [3]. However, this interpretation is not universally accepted. John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, suggests that Peter's failure was not due to a lack of faith, but rather to his being "distracted by the wind and the waves" [6].
The biblical account of Peter's failure to walk on water serves as a reminder of the importance of faith and trust in Jesus. As the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary, a Presbyterian source, notes, Peter's experience is a lesson in the need to keep one's eyes fixed on Jesus, even in the face of adversity [8].
The contrast between Peter's fishing skills and his failure to walk on water also highlights the different nature of these two activities. Fishing is a skill that requires knowledge, experience, and practice, whereas walking on water is a miraculous event that requires faith and trust in Jesus. As the biblical account makes clear, Peter's success in catching fish was not due to his own abilities alone, but also to the guidance and blessing of Jesus [5].
Sources
- John “Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing. -- John 21:3”
- John “Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fish, one hundred fifty-three; and even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn. -- John 21:11”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 20:16: 20:16 See Matt 5:19; 8:11-12.”
- Mark (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Mark 8:4: etc. - See on Mat 14:14 (note); Mat 15:35.”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 5:4: 5:4 let down your nets to catch some fish: Peter was naturally skeptical when a rabbi told fishermen how to catch fish. Jesus’ command was odd for three reasons: (1) When the sun came up, the fish moved to the bottom of the lake (which is why they fished at night); (2) they fished with a heavy dragnet hung over the side of the boat by two men (or between two boats) and could not go deep with it; (3) they had just fished all night with no results, and the prospects were now much more unlikely.”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 21:3: Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing,.... Which was his business before his conversion; and now having nothing to do, and his Lord and master having, as yet, no service for him in the ministry of the word, until the Spirit was poured down in an extraordinary manner, which was given to be expected, in the mean while he was inclined to, and resolved upon taking up his former employment; partly that he might not live an idle life, and partly to obtain a livelihood, which was now to be sought after in another manner, since the death of Christ; and these inclinations ”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: this account John first recognized Jesus, Peter first came to Him. 2595 2595 Ver. 7 . “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher ’ s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.” N.T. For no ordinary signs were they which had taken place. What were they? First, that so many fish were caught; then, that the net did not break; 2596 2596 Ver. 11 . “Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred an”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 4:18: And Jesus, walking--The word "Jesus" here appears not to belong to the text, but to have been introduced from those portions of it which were transcribed to be used as church lessons; where it was naturally introduced as a connecting word at the commencement of a lesson. by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers--"called Peter" for the reason mentioned in Mat 16:18.”