I expect one of the most beloved of Jesus' miracles is the one in which he walks on water. Mark's author's version of this miracle has Jesus making his disciples get into a boat and telling them to go before him to the other side to Bethsaida while he dismisses the crowd. They do so, but when Jesus comes down to the shore, he sees "they were distressed in rowing, for the wind was against them". They see a man coming to them, walking on the water. They fear he is a ghost. Now they are even more afraid until Jesus identifies himself and gets into the boat with them and the wind ceases.
Matthew's author borrows this story from Mark, as he often does, changing only a few words here and there. However, he adds to and embellishes the story as he did with the events that took place at the time of Jesus' death and resurrection. In his story there is a dramatic twist. When Jesus identifies himself, Peter says to him, "Lord if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." Jesus bids him to come and Peter gets out of the boat, doesn't sink, and starts walking across the water to Jesus. The wind comes up and Peter becomes afraid and starts to sink. Jesus reaches out his hand and catches him and says, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" They walk to the boat together and get in and when they do the wind ceases.
The story doesn't make it clear whether Jesus is using his divine powers to keep Peter on the surface of the water or whether Peter is able to do so on his own. Jesus often tells the disciples that they can do great things if only they believe that they can. If Jesus is using his powers here it would be a cruel practical joke to scare Peter by allowing him to start sinking for a second before rescuing him. This would be so out of character for Jesus, I think we can safely rule this out. Or perhaps Jesus' powers temporarily fail him allowing Peter to start slipping into the water. This doesn't seem very probable either, so I think we can safely rule this out as well. However, all we're left with is Peter managing this all on his own. Human beings can't normally defy gravity and walk on water, but perhaps Peter is prepared to test Jesus' promise to the disciples that if they prayed for something and could imagine it being done, it would be done. I think we can safely assume that Peter had never before walked on water, so he wouldn't have known he could. But he must have thought he could, hoped he could, believed he could or had faith that he could. One could argue that when the wind came up, Peter's faith faltered and he started to sink. At that point though, I don't think faith was an issue. I think you could say it took faith to throw one leg over the side of the boat and test the water, so to speak, and a little less faith to throw the second leg over the side, and even less to let go of the side of the boat. After standing on the water and taking a step or two he no longer needs faith that he can walk on water, he now possesses the knowledge that he can walk on water. How does he know he can do this? Because he's doing it. He has solid evidence. A bit of wind can't alter the knowledge he now possesses. It makes no sense for Peter to start sinking and for Jesus to accuse him of having little faith.
Luke's author does something amazing with this story. He leaves it out of his gospel altogether. You can read Luke from the first verse of the first chapter to the last verse of the last chapter and you'll never read anything about Jesus walking on water. Why? For me this is a huge mystery. This is a major league, gravity defying miracle and Luke's author takes a complete pass on it. It would seem to be virtually impossible for him not to have known about this miracle. It's in Mark, and as we know he borrowed liberally from that source. Is it possible that he didn't read that part? It seems unlikely since he included the miracle of feeding the 5000, which in Mark appears just before the walking on water miracle. It would seem that if he saw one he'd have seen the other. Perhaps he had some information from another source that indicated this story was spurious, so he left it out, or maybe he just didn't believe it had really happened. Perhaps he knew of it and believed it had really happened, but thought it was too over the top for his readers to believe Jesus had performed this miracle, and including it would cast a shadow of doubt over the validity of his entire gospel. I believe we are left with a mystery with no resolution. Luke's author took this one with him to his grave.
In the gospel of John, the author's version of this story is in close sync with Mark's, except that he doesn't claim to have any knowledge of Jesus' intentions on the water. (See note 2 below.)
Interesting Notes:
1. The only one of Jesus' miracles that appears in all four of the gospels is the feeding of the multitude (or the 5000).
2. In Mark's version of this story the author tells us that as Jesus was coming to the disciples on the water, (quoting from Mark), "He meant to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the sea......". Now, Jesus sees that the wind is against them and that they are distressed. They are afraid and in trouble and he intends to pass them by and what, hope they make it safely to the shore where he'll meet up with them? He walks all the way out on the water, but doesn't intend to help them? He changes his mind only when they spot him and call to him. This doesn't seem plausible. In addition, it seems very unlikely that Mark's author would have known what Jesus' intentions were, some 40 years after the fact. Since the author never met Jesus, the only way this information could have gotten to him would be through the disciples and those that they told, and then, only if Jesus had told the disciples in the first place that it had been his intention to pass them by while crossing the sea and to abandon them to their fate upon the waters. Not very likely. I think this is an example of an author embellishing his story with a not very well thought out detail.
3. This miracle is also found in other traditions, Buddhism, for example. Quoting from (Mahavastu 3.328.6; Lalitavistara 528), "After enlightenment, the teacher (Gautama Buddha)) went to Varanasi on foot. In this journey he wanted to cross (the) river Ganga, but being unable to pay the fare to (the) boatman, crossed it through(the) air." And from Asvaghosa who says the Buddha "walked in the air; on the water as if on dry land." (Saunerananda 3.23)
Also in the Buddhist tradition, the story of a lay disciple on his way to hear the Buddha preach: "He arrived at the bank of the river Aciravati in the evening. As the ferryman had drawn the boat up on the beach, and gone to listen to the doctrine, the disciple saw no boat at the ferry, so finding joy in making the Buddha the object of his meditation he walked across the river. His feet did not sink in the water. He went as though on the surface of the earth, but when he reached the middle he saw waves. Then his joy in meditating on the Buddha grew small, and his feet began to sink. But making firm his joy in meditating on the Buddha, he went on the surface of the water, entered the Jetavana, saluted the teacher, and sat on one side." (Introduction to Jataka Tale 190).*
*Robert M. Price, The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man (Prometheus Books, 2003), p. 156-157.
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