Why Did You Doubt?
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
It was one of Jesus Christ’s most memorable miracles. While His disciples were dealing with high waves and contrary winds on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus Himself came walking by on the water!
The disciples cried out in fear, but Christ replied, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (verse 27).
Impetuous Peter asked Christ, if it was Him, to help him walk on the water too! And Christ did. But when Peter “saw the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’”
So in addition to the miracle of both Christ and Peter walking on water, Christ saved Peter from sinking. After they got in the boat, Christ miraculously caused the wind to cease as well.
In asking, “Why did you doubt?” Jesus wasn’t saying He didn’t understand the natural human inclination to doubt something we know from experience is “impossible.” He was chiding and encouraging the disciples to grow in faith so they could do the impossible—move mountains (Matthew 17:20) and walk on water.
For more about growing in faith, see the section on “Faith,” including “How to Grow in Faith” and “Dealing With Doubt.”
