Matthew 14:29: So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Have you ever heard of the phrase “Hindsight is 20/20?” The implication behind this statement is if you were only able to see things perfectly, you could have avoided some pain and suffering or failure. From a human perspective, having “20/20” vision means you can see clearly – there are no material obstructions to seeing things as they are. You’ve also probably wondered to yourself thoughts like, “If I only saw that thing coming, I could have avoided getting into trouble or avoiding that accident.” We think if we can see things better, we will be better prepared to handle these things.
In today’s verse, we’re at a stage in the story of the disciples where they are out on the Sea of Galilee, there is a storm building, and they are getting frightened. Suddenly, Jesus is walking towards them on the water, and His first words to them are, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Peter asks the Lord that if it is Him to command Peter to come to Him on the water. Today’s verse has the Lord commanding Peter to “Come” [to Him on the water]. The verse goes on to say that Peter actually was walking on the water as he was going towards Jesus. No doubt, Peter’s eyes were completely on Jesus at this point. He had no need to look anywhere else. When his eyes were solely focused on the Lord, Peter was doing the impossible.
The rest of the story plays out with a gust of wind distracting Peter from His focus on Jesus, he began to sink. Peter would cry out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus, being a Savior, does exactly that and pulls Peter up out of the water – He saves him.
In this situation, Peter demonstrates a great lesson for us. Our pride and self-esteem tell us that if we can see things clearly enough, we can better avoid getting into trouble. There are several lies behind that thought process. First, this assumption presumes we have the ability to not only see something coming but also recognizing there is danger in it. In other words, we think we understand what is coming, but if what is coming is full of deception, then our ability to just see what’s coming is minimized by our misunderstanding of what it really is. Another fallacy to this idea of avoiding problems with “20/20” vision is that we have the power and/or the ability to deal with it – we think we’re in control. If what’s coming is being driven by something spiritual, our ability to deal with it with our own strength – our flesh – is greatly reduced, if not completely eliminated.
The truth is we don’t need 20/20 vision. We don’t need eyes like telescopes or microscopes. We only need to see as far as Jesus is in all things. He is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. He is our fortress and our strength. He is our defender. He stands before us, and He leads us. He is greater and stronger than anything else in the world. In Matthew 28, He tells us He will be with us always. Therefore, if our eyes are always focused on Jesus by living in the Spirit, we’ll never have to utter the phrase, ‘Hindsight is 20/20’. If our eyes are on Jesus, He’s always moving forward, so we don’t have to look back again.