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What if Peter Had Stayed? 

Matthew 14:22-33 

August 9, 2026 

The Presbyterian Church of Coraopolis 

Last week I had the privilege of spending the week serving as the chaplain at the Presbyterian House at Chautauqua Institution in western New York.  

It was one of those weeks that filled my soul. I had the opportunity to preach, to worship, to learn, to meet people from all over the country, and to have conversations that reminded me why I became a pastor in the first place.  

But here’s something you may not know. 

Before I even packed my suitcase, there was a part of me that wondered if I should just stay home.  

There was plenty of good work waiting for me to do here. There were e-mails I could have sent. Meetings that could have been scheduled. Homework I could have started. Not to mention the fact that my mom fell and fractured four ribs the week before I left for Chautauqua. It would have been much easier for me to stay home and keep all the plates of my life spinning.  

Sometime during the week leading up to Chautauqua I found myself asking a different question.  

What if I had stayed? 

Yes, if I had stayed home, I would have gotten plenty of work done.  

But I would have missed the conversations that renewed my spirit.  

I would have missed new friendships.  

I would have missed the opportunity to preach in a place that has shaped generations of Christian leaders. I would have missed the chance to discover what God had waiting for me there.  

And it occurred to me. Sometimes the greatest things God has prepared for us are found on the other side of a step we almost didn’t take.  

That brings us to today’s Gospel lesson. Most of us know the story of Peter walking on the water. Usually we remember the part where Peter begins to sink. But this week I found myself wondering about a different question. What if Peter had stayed in the boat? 

As I read through this familiar passage I realized that nobody in Peter’s boat was being unreasonable. The disciples weren’t out on the lake because they had ignored Jesus. They were there because they had obeyed him. 

Matthew tells us that after feeding the five thousand, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat while he dismissed the crowds. So the disciples were exactly where Jesus told them to be. And yet, somewhere out in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, the wind began to howl. The waves grew stronger. The boat was battered by the sea. It was still dark. And Jesus was nowhere to be seen.  

I think that’s important. Sometimes we assume if we’re following Jesus, life will somehow be easier. That obedience should lead to smooth sailing. But Matthew tells a different story. Sometimes obedience leads us straight into the storm. Sometimes faithful people find themselves rowing against the wind wondering why the God who sent them there seems so far away.  

I suspect many of know what that feels like.  

Maybe you’ve tried to do the right thing in your family, only to discover it created more conflict instead of less.  

Maybe you’ve made a difficult but necessary decision, and afterward wondered why it hurt so much.  

The disciples weren’t faithless, they were exhausted and scared. And then, just before dawn, they something they never expected.  

Jesus walking toward them across the waters.  

The disciples are, understandably, terrified. They think they’re seeing a ghost.  

But Jesus speaks into their fear when he says Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid. 

Then Peter does something that has always fascinated me.  

Peter says, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. 

And Jesus’ response is astonishingly simple Come. 

One word.  

No explanation. No guarantee that the wind will stop. No promise that Peter won’t be afraid. Just. Come. 

I wonder if that’s often how Jesus works. We’d like to know exactly how everything is going to turn out before we take the first stem. 

But so often God doesn’t hand us a plan. God offers an invitation. Come.  

Think about Abraham. 

God didn’t tell him every place he would travel. He simply said Go to the land I will show you. 

Think about Moses. God didn’t tell him about the Red Sea or the Burning Bush. He simply said Go. 

Think about the disciples themselves. Jesus didn’t begin with a strategic plan. He simply said Follow me.  

And now Peter hears that same invitation. Come.  

Here is where I feel this story intersects with our own lives. Most of us won’t be invited to literally step out of a boat onto the Sea of Galilee. But all of us will have moments when Christ calls us beyond what is comfortable.  

Sometimes it’s forgiving someone who hurt us. Sometimes it’s serving in a ministry we’ve convinced ourselves we’re too old-or too busy- to begin. Sometimes it’s making a difficult decision because it’s the faithful one, even when it’s unpopular. Sometimes it’s simply trusting God with a future we cannot yet see.  

The question isn’t whether the water looks safe. The question is whether Jesus is calling. Because Christian faith has never been about taking reckless risks. It’s about responding to the voice of Christ. Just look at Peter. Through him, Jesus made room for extraordinary things to happen. All because an ordinary disciple trusted him enough to take one step.  

I sometimes wonder how Peter told this story later in life. Can you imagine him as an old man? The disciples are gathered around a table. Someone asks him to tell the story again.  

Peter, tell us about the night you walked on water.  

I wonder if Peter smiled.  

I wonder if he laughed a little. 

And then I wonder if he said something like this.  

You know, for years, I thought that story was about the night I walked on the water. But the older I’ve become, the more I realized it wasn’t. It was the night I discovered what kind of Savior Jesus is.  

I remember stepping out of the boat. 

I remember the wind.  

I remember the waves.  

I remember the fear.  

And yes, I remember sinking.  

But what I remember most 

Is His hand. I can still feel it.  

The moment I cried, ‘Lord, save me,’ He didn’t hesitate.  

He reached down and took hold of me.  

The miracle was discovering that even when my faith gave way, His grip never did.  

It’s so interesting to imagine the story Peter would tell about this day as an old man because according to Matthew, Matthew tells us that Peter noticed the wind. The waves that had been there all along suddenly became all he could see. His fear returned and he began to sink.  

Lord save me! 

Peter prays a desperate prayer in the midst of his fear.  

And Matthew says, IMMEDIATELY, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  

I love that word immediately. Because it tells us something about the character of God. Jesus is quicker to save than we are to sink. His mercy outruns our fear. His grace reaches farther than our failures. His hand is stronger than the waves that threaten to pull us under. 

Maybe that’s why I’ve come to believe this story isn’t really about Peter. It’s about Jesus. Peter is remembered because he walked on water. Jesus is worshiped because he reaches for sinking people. 

That’s the gospel. Not that we hold on tightly enough to Jesus, but that Jesus holds on tightly enough to us.  

And I wonder if that’s why the church gathers around this table. Because every month we come carrying different storms. Some of us come weary. Some come grieving. Some come uncertain about what the future holds. Some of us feel as though we’ve taken a step of faith this week. Others feel as though we spent the week sinking.  

The good news is that this table was never prepared for people who have it all together. It was prepared by the One who reaches for sinking disciples.  

When Peter cried, Lord, save me. Jesus didn’t stand at a distance. He came near. And today, Christ still comes near.  

He comes to us in Word.  

He comes to us at this Table.  

He comes offering not condemnation, but grace.  

Not shame, but mercy. 

Not rejection, but bread broken and the cup shared.  

So perhaps the question isn’t simply.  

What if Peter had stayed? 

Perhaps the better question is this: 

When Jesus says, Come, will we trust that even if our faith falters, his hands never will?  

Friends, the table is ready.  

Come- not because your faith is perfect.  

Come because Christ is faithful.  

Come, for all is now ready.  

Thanks be to God.  

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.