Matthew 14:28 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 14:28

Comments

What Peter did was admirable; it was also highly characteristic of him – he was very forward in all his responses. He heard the words, ‘It is I’, and he wanted to respond in the clearest possible way. Perhaps Christ is just a few yards away. Peter sees his Lord on the water, performing a miracle in front of their eyes, and wants to take advantage of this. He sees an opportunity to exercise and strengthen faith, and so he wants to go to his Lord, walking on the water. He believes that just as Christ can do this, so he can also give Peter the power to do this, and he is right. But there is some overconfidence in Peter and even though the Lord will grant his request, he is also going to allow him to fail.Nevertheless he does ask for authority. He doesn’t get over the side of the vessel and attempt to do it without asking. He specifically asks: ‘Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water’, and he receives his authority, his commission to come. The Lord says it. ‘And he said, Come.’ So he goes in obedience to Christ. He did not presume anything; he asked for authority and he received it.

Application

Questions

Mark doesn't mention Peter’s attempt to go to Christ, walking on the water, and the question is often asked, why does he leave it out? There are various answers given. One answer for example is, ‘We know that Mark’s Gospel is really Peter’s own Gospel. Mark was the penman, the secretary, but Peter is behind it’, which is true, and therefore Peter is presumed to be too modest to mention his own encounter of walking on the water. But surely the explanation is quite simple. Mark’s Gospel was intended to be an evangelistic tract, and had an entirely evangelistic intent. It passes over a number of things that are not directly linked to its evangelistic purpose, and it takes the reader from miracle to miracle, from wonder to wonder, and from one event to another that directly address the evangelistic purpose of the Gospel. This event involving Peter is first of all a lesson about faith, for believers.

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Matthew 14:28 Commentary and Bible Study