NOTES for Mat 14:22-34
Walking on water is a story almost invariably interpreted as a symbol. Indeed, one could hardly offer a more precise image of faith—and of life in faith—than this. The fact that the Lord Jesus walks on water does not, however, astonish us as much as it astonished the apostles, because we already know that He is the Son of God. From a practical point of view, what Peter—a human being just like us—does is far more important for us. And when he, having volunteered to come to Jesus across the water, began to sink, we who read about it must remember that this was not happening in a children's swimming pool but on a large, stormy lake. And for Peter, as for each of us, walking towards Jesus in this situation is a matter of life and death.
For us living in a globalised world, where a stream of information pours down on everyone each day, it is obvious how important it is to know how to choose what deserves our attention, what deserves our gaze. And that is why the example of the apostle walking on water is so important to us. His faith is sufficient for this miracle as long as he looks at Jesus. As soon as Peter is distracted and looks down at his feet, as soon as his attention focuses on the “objective difficulties” of his path, he begins to sink. And so do we...