When it comes to water, I am fundamentally afraid. It’s my mother’s fault. She was so concerned that one of her children might wade into a pond or fall into a creek that she put the fear of water into our psyche. So I was an adult before I learned to swim. When the water is deep and the waves are fierce, I can still find myself getting anxious.

Perhaps that is why I have never preached a sermon on this text about Peter walking on the water. It’s just too personally intimidating. But, here it is, in three of the four gospels. On a particularly stormy night, Peter climbs out of the boat and walks on the water toward Jesus. It’s one of those miracles that escapes explanation. The message, however, is clear. As John Ortberg puts it, “If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the …