I wish Matthew, Mark and John had consulted me before they wrote their gospels. If they had only sent me their rough drafts, I could have put a big red "X" through this story about Jesus walking on the water. (Luke apparently had a good editor. He didn't include this story.) I would have written a note in the margin stating that I think it would be best not to include this story because it would cause two kinds of reactions in the twentieth century: some people would laugh at it, and others would take it so seriously that they would waste all their time trying to reconcile it with science and completely miss the point of the story.

The jokesters have had a field day with this story. Someone confronted with a body of water barring his way and no bridge or boat to get across may joke about…