One of my favorite things to do in Israel is to take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. There is no other experience like it.

As we set out on our boat ride this morning, we looked at the story in Matthew 14:22-33. Where Jesus was walking on water and Peter went walking out to him. I’ve often wondered what possessed Peter to want to go walking on water to Jesus. Honestly, I’ve wondered if it wasn’t his own pride that led him out there, then when he started to sink, he kind of got what he deserved. But I’ve come to understand more fully what it meant for Peter to be a talmid, or a disciple who followed Rabbi Jesus. Part of following a rabbi, meant that you did everything in your power to model the rabbi. You wanted to be like him, so you talked like he talked, you believed what he believed, and you did what he did.

So when Peter looks out and sees his Rabbi, walking on water, he says, “Hey I want to do that too.” And so he sets out, but you know that when he does get out and takes a few steps, he begins to sink, and Jesus says to him, “Why did you doubt, Oh you of little faith?” What or who was Peter doubting? It couldn’t have been Jesus or his ability because he was still standing on top of the water. Peter was doubting himself.

When a rabbi allowed a talmid to follow him, he only allowed the ones that he had confidence could be like him. Jesus picked Peter to be his disciple because he knew Peter could be like him. In this case and so many other times when Jesus rattles his disciples for their lack of faith, its not their faith in him that is weak, its their faith that they can be like Him. Jesus was never frustrated at His disciples inability to do the things He did, it was the fact that they doubted themselves, thereby doubting that HE knew what he was doing when He chose them.

Have you ever felt like God made a mistake when He saved you, or called you to do something? Remember what the rabbi, said “You didn’t choose me, I chose you.”

You know what that means? As much as you understand that you must believe in Jesus, you must also understand that Jesus believes in you.