With Jesus on the Shore of the Lake of Tiberias An excerpt from Encountering Jesus: A Holy Land Experience by Vincenzo Peroni
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ere in the hills around the lake, Jesus has just performed the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, which the Gospel writer Matthew recounts. So what does Jesus do now? Jesus seems to be saying, “Let’s see if you understand something. I am arranging to send the people home, so go to the lake ahead of me and begin crossing it.” The disciples obey and go to the boat on the lake. Jesus dismisses the crowd and once again retreats to pray. It was evening when he sent his disciples to cross the lake, and he prayed for a long time, almost the whole night. Meanwhile, the wind stirs up the water. Toward the end of the night, Jesus comes toward them, walking on the water. The sea, this great body of water, is once again, a symbol of sin and death. Why does Jesus walk on the water? Did he perhaps want to demonstrate that he is more capable and
physically versatile than others? No. It simply means he has the power to put sin and death under his feet, so much so that he waits for the end of the night because it is toward the end of the night that the resurrection occurs. It is at very early dawn when the women go to the tomb; they find it empty and hear the announcement of the resurrection. Jesus had risen toward the end of the night. Jesus, walking on the water toward the end of the night, preannounces his resurrection, saying, “I am able to walk over sin and death. I am also the Lord over sin and death.” When the disciples see him, they demonstrate something typical of human beings: we are disposed to believe absurd things rather than surrender to the facts. It is obvious that Jesus is walking on the water, that there is something extraordinary and divine about him, but they are ready instead to say that it is a ghost, to believe something that does not even exist. How many times, just to continue with what we are already thinking, are we willing to believe the irrational and the absurd rather than submit to the evidence of reality? “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” The disciples had cried out because they were afraid. Peter, sensing that it is Jesus, says to him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on
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