Where do ideas come from? This question has intrigued philosophers, scientists, artists, and thinkers for centuries. Ideas are the lifeblood of human creativity and innovation, driving progress in fields from science to art. The origin of ideas is a multifaceted phenomenon, rooted in the complex interplay of biology, environment, culture, experience, and God.
Neurobiologists have identified several key regions of the brain involved in creativity. A web of interconnected brain regions is active during mind-wandering and daydreaming, often leading to spontaneous insights. The apostle Peter’s spontaneous idea of asking Jesus to tell him to walk on water didn’t arise during mind-wandering or daydreaming. The idea arose one night while he sat in a wind-buffeted boat on the Sea of Galilee.
Cultural values and traditions shaped the way Peter perceived the approaching object. Together with the other men in the boat, he concluded it was a ghost. He believed in angels and demons. He also believed God was spirit.
Peter didn’t initially experience creativity. He experienced horrendous horror. The talking ‘ghost’ saw the fear and spoke, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (v. 27) At that moment, Peter blurted out the unthinkable for Jesus to tell him to get out of the boat and walk to him. The request reveals two things about him. First, he wanted to make sure he heard Jesus’ voice. Second, the surest way to verify the speaker’s identity was to receive the ability to walk on the rough sea like him. He wanted to be like Jesus.
Today, I hope we want to be like Jesus. I hope we want his character, wisdom, courage, faith, confidence, power, and love. People make fun of Peter’s desire to be like Jesus with jokes.
A Christian asked an atheist, “If God isn’t real, how do you explain walking on water? Can you walk on water like Jesus?”
“Yes,” the atheist replied.
The Christian demanded, “Show me a video of you walking on water.”
The atheist declared, “I don’t need to. You just need to have faith that I did.”
This joke parodies Jesus walking on water. Some people don’t believe he did because it’s too unbelievable. People rationalize away the reality of the feat. They say the spiritual lesson to learn is that Jesus will come to us in the storms we face. That is true, but the reality of the miraculous walking on water supports that view better than not affirming the miracle.
Have you thought about why Jesus didn’t walk on water after his resurrection? Walking on water doesn’t work with holes in your feet.
This joke affirms the crucifixion and resurrection, however, it limits Jesus’ ability to walk on water because of the nail holes in his feet. Those holes in his feet can’t prevent walking on water. The water wouldn’t sink Jesus’s body; it would simply gush through the holes and spill back into the sea.
Peter’s sudden creativity has fascinated people for two thousand years. Today, we know ideas arise in mystical and mundane experiences. I received the idea for the title of this by the mundane process of studying a Bible passage.
Two weeks ago I looked at the May calendar. I saw that our son’s birthday and Mother’s Day were on the same day. I told my wife and suggested we consider visiting Maine to celebrate his birthday and Mother’s Day. I asked her to think about it. I washed our dinner dishes, sat down on the couch, and she told me Allegiant Airlines had inexpensive flights to Boston. We made ticket reservations then and there. Because I shared my observation, she thought to check for flights right away.
In 1991 I listened to a couple talk about their honeymoon bicycle trip across our grand USA. Their presentation gave me the idea to ride a bicycle across the country to raise money for mission projects. The church approved, my wife agreed, and I made the 3700 mile trip during the summer of 1992. How have you received ideas like walking on water?
Getting back to our passage, Peter asked Jesus to command him to come to him on the water if he was truly Jesus, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” (28) Think about his request. He wanted verification the voice belonged to Jesus, and he assumed Jesus possessed the ability to grant the request.
Where did Peter get his idea? From Jesus. In the previous passage, Peter witnessed the multiplication of loaves and fish. He saw the five thousand people and the small amount of food. He thought to himself, “This amount of food can’t feed five thousand people.” Then Peter saw and heard Jesus pray, break the bread and fish, and then, he helped distribute the pieces of food to the people. Jesus fed all the people. After the feeding, Jesus sent the disciples away in the boat. Peter and the others started talking about what they saw back on shore.
After the Lord dismissed the crowd, he prayed again, but this time he was alone. During the fourth watch of the night (3 a.m. – 6 a.m.), Jesus walked on the windblown sea to the disciples in the boat.
Peter witnessed Jesus’ compassion and power. He knew Jesus had divine power. Earlier in Jesus’s ministry, he saw Jesus calm a previous storm on the same lake. (8:23-27) Jesus was in the boat sleeping when the storm arose. The disciples cried out, “Lord save us! We’re going to drown.”
In Matthew 14, when Peter started sinking in the water, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (v. 30) Jesus immediately answered his plea. Peter let the wind disrupt his faith and walk. Jesus said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (31), and they climbed into the boat and the wind died down.
During the 1992 bike trek across country, I could count on the winds every morning to blow against me and slow down my progress. They didn’t frighten me like the wind frightened Peter, but the winds did discourage me. Knowing the winds would come each morning dampened my enthusiasm as time ticked closer to 10 a.m. I complained to my wife but she replied, “It was your idea to bike across the country.”
Where did Peter get his crazy idea to verify Jesus’s identity? He got it by seeing Jesus walk on water. He believed Jesus had divine power and he could give him the ability to walk on water like him.
I can’t think of another instance where Peter came up with such a crazy idea as walking on water. However, when God sent the Holy Spirit into Peter’s heart after Jesus went back to heaven, he received power to preach in Jesus’s name, heal the sick, and endure sufferings like Jesus. He became more like Jesus.
Do you want to be like Jesus? Have you been born again and did you receive the Holy Spirit? He is God’s gift to us along with the forgiveness our sins, adoption into God’s family, and the gift of eternal life. Today is a great time to turn to Jesus Christ. We don’t have to walk on water to be saved or be loved by God. If you are in a storm of doubts, you can ask Jesus Christ to verify his identity. He will extend his hand to help you. The winds of public opinion will push against you and you may lose confidence. Jesus Christ will extend his hand to strengthen you. Winds of temptation will arise when you least expect them. Jesus Christ is there extending his hand to deliver you. Keep your eyes on Christ.