1. On Water-Walking with Jesus

 [In other languages: 中文 Zhōngwén ;]

1. On Water-Walking with Jesus

1. 论与耶稣在水上行走 Lùn yǔ yēsū zài shuǐshàng xíngzǒu

On Water-Walking

It's not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena... who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory or defeat ~Theodore Roosevelt

Some years ago my wife arranged for us to ride in a hot-air balloon as a birthday gift. We went to the field where the balloons ascended and got into a little basket with one other couple. We introduced ourselves and swapped vocational information. Then our pilot began the ascent. The day had just dawned-clear, crisp, cloudless. We could see the entire Canejo Valley, from craggy canyons to the Pacific Ocean. It was scenic, inspiring, and majestic.

But I also experienced one emotion I had not anticipated. Want to guess?

Fear.

I had always thought those baskets went about chest high, but this one only came up to our knees. One good lurch would be enough to throw someone over the side. So I held on with grim determination and white knuckles.

关于水上行走 Guānyú shuǐshàng xíngzǒu

 重要的不是批评家； 不是指出强者如何跌倒的人，也不是行动者可以做得更好的人。 功劳属于真正身处竞技场的人……充其量他知道最终取得伟大成就的胜利，而在最坏的情况下，如果他失败了，他至少在失败的同时又非常勇敢。 让他的位置永远不会和那些不知胜负的冷酷胆怯的灵魂在一起

~西奥多·罗斯福 ~Theodore Roosevelt

 几年前，我妻子安排我们乘坐热气球作为生日礼物。 我们去了气球升空的场地，和另一对夫妇一起进入了一个小篮子。 我们自我介绍并交换了职业信息。 然后我们的飞行员开始上升。 天刚刚破晓——晴朗、清新、万里无云。 我们可以看到整个 Canejo 山谷，从崎岖的峡谷到太平洋。 它风景秀丽，鼓舞人心，雄伟壮观。

 但我也经历了一种我没有预料到的情绪。 想猜吗？

 害怕。

 我一直以为那些篮子高到齐胸，但这个篮子只到我们的膝盖。 一次良好的倾斜就足以将某人扔到一边。 所以我以坚定的决心和紧张的指关节坚持了下来。

I looked over at my wife, who does not care for heights at all, and relaxed a bit, knowing there was someone in the basket more tense than I was. I could tell, because she would not move-at all. During part of our flight there was a horse ranch on the ground directly behind her. I pointed it out because she loves horses, and, without turning around or even pivoting her head, she simply rolled her eyes back as far as she could and said, "Yes, it's beautiful."

About this time I decided I'd like to get to know the kid who was flying this balloon. I realized that I could try to psyche myself up into believing everything would be fine, but the truth was we had placed our lives and destinies in the hands of the pilot. Everything depended on his character and competence.

I asked him what he did for a living and how he got started flying hot-air balloons. I was hoping for his former job to be one full of responsibilities — a neurosurgeon, perhaps, an astronaut who missed going up into space. I knew we were in trouble when his response to me began, "Dude, it's like this...."

He did not even have a job! He mostly surfed.

He said the reason he got started flying hot-air balloons was that he had been driving around in his pickup when he'd had too much to drink, crashed the truck, and badly injured his brother. His brother still couldn't get around too well, so watching hot-air balloons gave him something to do. "By the way," he added,"if things get a little choppy on the way down, don't be surprised. I've never flown this particular balloon before, and I'm not sure how it's going to handle the descent."

My wife looked over at me and said, "You mean to tell me we are a thousand feet up in the air with an unemployed surfer who started flying hot-air balloons because he got drunk, crashed a pickup, injured his brother, and has never been in this one before and doesn't know how to bring it down?"

Then the wife of the other couple looked at me and spoke-the only words either of them were to utter throughout the entire flight. 

You're a pastor. Do something religious.

So I took an offering.

我看了看完全不在乎身高的老婆，心里松了口气，知道篮下有人比我更紧张。 我看得出来，因为她根本不会动。 在我们飞行的部分时间里，她正后方的地面上有一个马场。 我指出它是因为她喜欢马，而且，她没有转身，甚至没有转动头，只是尽可能地向后转动眼睛，然后说：“是的，它很漂亮。”

 大约就在这个时候，我决定要认识一下放这个气球的孩子。 我意识到我可以试着让自己相信一切都会好起来，但事实是我们已经把自己的生命和命运交给了飞行员。 一切都取决于他的性格和能力。

 我问他靠什么谋生以及他是如何开始驾驶热气球的。 我希望他以前的工作是一份充满责任的工作——一名神经外科医生，也许是一名错过进入太空的宇航员。 当他开始回答我时，我知道我们有麻烦了，“伙计，是这样的……”

 他甚至没有工作！ 他主要是冲浪。

 他说他开始放热气球的原因是他开着他的小货车四处兜风，当时他喝多了，撞坏了卡车，重伤了他的兄弟。 他的兄弟仍然不太方便四处走动，所以看热气球让他有事可做。 “顺便说一下，”他补充说，“如果在下降过程中遇到一点波折，请不要感到惊讶。我以前从未驾驶过这种特殊的气球，我不确定它会如何处理下降过程 ”

 我的妻子看着我说：“你的意思是告诉我我们在一千英尺的高空和一个失业的冲浪者在一起，他开始玩热气球，因为他喝醉了，撞坏了一辆小货车，伤害了他的兄弟，并且 以前从没来过这个，不知道怎么把它放下来？”

 然后另一对夫妇的妻子看着我说话了——在整个飞行过程中，他们俩唯一说过的话。

 你是牧师。 做一些宗教的事情。

 所以我接受了一个奉。

The great question at a moment like that is, Can I trust the pilot? 

I could try telling myself that everything would turn out okay. Facing the flight with a positive attitude would certainly make it a more pleasant journey. But the journey would be over soon. And the real issue concerned the dude who was flying this thing. Were his character and competence such that I could confidently place my destiny in his hands?

Or, was it time to do something religious?

Every day you and I take another leg of our journey in this giant balloon that's whirling around a vast universe. We only get one trip. I long to take it with an enormous spirit of adventure and risk —and I'll bet you do, too.

But it's a pretty uncertain ride sometimes. I wish the walls to my basket went up a little higher. I wish the balloon was a little thicker. I wonder how my little ride will end up. I'm not sure how it will handle on the way down.

I can try to psyche myself up for taking chances and believing everything will turn out okay. But the real question is, Is there some body piloting this thing? And are his character and competence such that he can be trusted? Because if they're not, I don't want to take a chance. My story, like every human story, is, at least in part, the struggle between faith and fear.

Because of this, I have found myself drawn for many years to the story of Peter getting out of the boat and walking on the water with Jesus Christ. It is one of the greatest pictures of extreme discipleship in Scripture. In the following chapters we will take a close look at each detail of this story for what it teaches us about water-walking. But for the rest of this chapter, let's get an aerial overview. What goes into the making of a water-walker?

Water-Walkers Recognize God's Presence

Peter and his friends got into a little boat one afternoon to cross the Sea of Galilee. Jesus wanted to be alone, so they were boating with out Him. Peter didn't mind — he'd been on boats his whole life. He liked them.

此时此刻最重要的问题是，我能相信飞行员吗？

 我可以试着告诉自己一切都会好起来的。 以积极的心态面对飞行，一定会让旅途更加愉快。 但旅程很快就会结束。 真正的问题与驾驶这东西的人有关。 他的性格和能力是否足以让我自信地将自己的命运交到他的手中？

 或者，是时候做一些宗教活动了吗？

 每天你和我都会乘坐这个围绕浩瀚宇宙旋转的巨型气球踏上另一段旅程。 我们只有一次旅行。 我渴望以极大的冒险精神和冒险精神来接受它——我敢打赌你也会这样做。

 但有时这是一个非常不确定的旅程。 我希望我篮子的墙能再高一点。 我希望气球厚一点。 我想知道我的小旅程将如何结束。 我不确定它在下降过程中会如何处理。

 我可以试着让自己振作起来，去冒险，相信一切都会好起来的。 但真正的问题是，是否有人在驾驶这东西？ 他的性格和能力是否值得信任？ 因为如果他们不是，我不想冒险。 我的故事，就像每个人类故事一样，至少在一定程度上是信仰与恐惧之间的斗争。

 正因为如此，我发现自己多年来一直被彼得下船并与耶稣基督在水面上行走的故事所吸引。 这是圣经中极端门徒训练最伟大的图画之一。 在接下来的章节中，我们将仔细研究这个故事的每个细节，了解它对我们水上行走的启示。 但对于本章的其余部分，让我们进行空中概览。 水上行走器的制作过程是怎样的？

 水上行者认出上帝的存在

 一天下午，彼得和他的朋友们乘着小船渡过加利利海。 耶稣想独处，所以他们和他一起划船。 彼得不介意——他一生都在船上。 他喜欢他们。

But this time a storm blew in. Not minor squall, either. The gospel of Matthew says the boat was "tormented" by the waves. It was so violent that the only thing the disciples could do was to keep the boat upright. They wished the sides were a little higher and the wood a little thicker. By 3:00 A.M. I would imagine the disciples weren't worried about making it to the other side-they just wanted to stay alive. 

Then one of the disciples noticed a shadow moving toward them on the water. As it got closer, it became apparent that it was the figure of a human being-walking on the water. 

Take a moment to let that image sink in. The disciples were in distress, and the very person who was able to help them was approaching them. Only he wasn't in the boat and the disciples didn't recognize him. Amazingly enough, being boatless didn't seem to slow Jesus down at all.

But the disciples were convinced he was a ghost, so they were terrified and cried out in fear. In hindsight, we may wonder how they could have failed to know it was Jesus. Who else would it be? But Matthew wants us to know that sometimes it takes eyes of faith to recognize when Jesus is around. Often in the middle of the storm, tormented by waves of disappointment and doubt, we are no better at recognizing his presence than they were.

Let's probe deeper for a moment. What was Jesus up to, walking around on the lake at three o'clock in the morning?

[What was Jesus up to, walking around on the lake at three o'clock in the morning?]

David Garland finds a clue in Mark's version of this story. Mark tells us that Jesus "intended to pass them by" on the water, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost. Why did Jesus want to "pass them by"? Did he decide to race them? Did he want to impress them with a really neat trick?

Garland points out that the verb, parerchomai , ("to pass by") is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament as a technical term to refer to a theophany — those defining moments when God made "striking and temporary appearances in the earthly realm to a select individual or group for the purpose of communicating a message."

但这次刮起了暴风雨。也不是小暴风雨。 马太福音说船被海浪“折磨”了。 太猛烈了，门徒们唯一能做的就是让船保持直立。 他们希望边高一点，木头厚一点。 凌晨 3:00 之前 我想门徒们并不担心到达另一边——他们只是想活下去。

 然后其中一个门徒注意到水面上有一个影子向他们移动。 走近一看，原来是一个人影——行走在水面上。

 花点时间让那个意象沉入脑海。门徒们很痛苦，而能够帮助他们的人正在接近他们。 只是他不在船上，门徒们也没有认出他来。 令人惊讶的是，没有船似乎根本没有让耶稣放慢脚步。

 门徒却以为他是鬼魂，吓得大叫起来。 事后看来，我们可能想知道他们怎么会不知道那是耶稣。 还会是谁？ 但马太想让我们知道，有时需要信心的眼睛才能认出耶稣何时在身边。 通常在暴风雨中，被失望和怀疑的浪潮折磨着，我们并不比他们更善于认出他的存在。

 让我们深入探讨一下。 凌晨三点，耶稣在湖边散步，他在做什么？

 [耶稣在做什么，凌晨三点钟在湖边散步？]

 大卫加兰在马克的故事版本中找到了线索。 马可告诉我们，耶稣在水面上“打算从他们身边经过”，但当他们看到他在湖上行走时，他们以为是鬼魂。 为什么耶稣要“让他们过去”？ 他决定和他们比赛了吗？ 他想用一个非常巧妙的把戏给他们留下深刻印象吗？

 Garland 指出，动词 parerchomai ，（“经过”）在旧约的希腊语翻译中用作技术术语，指代神显 - 那些定义上帝“在尘世中引人注目和暂时出现的时刻” 为了传达信息而选择的个人或团体的领域。”

God put Moses in a cleft in a rock so Moses could see "while my glory passes by.... The LORD passed before him."

God told Elijah to stand on the mountain "for the LORD is about to pass by."

There is a pattern to these stories. In each case God had to get people's attention-through a burning bush, or wind and fire, or walking on the water. With each person God was going to call them to do something extraordinary. In each situation the person that God called felt afraid. But every time that people said "yes" to their calling, they experienced the power of God in their lives.

So when Jesus came to the disciples on the water intending "to pass them by," he was not just doing a neat magic trick. He was revealing His divine presence and power. Only God can do such a thing: "He alone... treads on the waves of the sea."

It is interesting that the disciples entered the boat in the first place at Jesus' command. They would have to learn — as do we — that obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity. But now that the storm had their full attention, Jesus decided it was time the disciples got to know a little bit more about the guy who was piloting this thing. It's like this, dudes, he reassured them. You can trust me. You know my character and my competence. You can safely place your destiny in my hand.

Take courage. It's me. 

They didn't fully grasp it yet, but God was visiting them in the water-walking flesh.

Matthew wants his readers to know that Jesus often comes when least expected — 3:00 A.M., in the middle of a storm. Dale Bruner notes that, "according to the Holy Scriptures, human extremity is the frequent meeting place with God." Those divinely appointed defining moments will come to you and me. He still asks his followers to do extraordinary things. And if you're not looking for Him, you just might miss Him.

[If you're not looking for Him, you just might miss Him.]

Twelve disciples sat in the boat, and we don't know how eleven of them responded to that voice. Perhaps with confusion, wonder, disbelief, or a little bit of each.

上帝把摩西放在磐石穴中，这样摩西就可以看见“当我的荣耀经过时……耶和华在他前面经过”。

 上帝告诉以利亚站在山上，“因为耶和华快要经过了”。

 这些故事有一个模式。 在每一种情况下，上帝都必须通过燃烧的灌木丛、风和火或在水面上行走来引起人们的注意。 上帝要呼召每个人去做一些非凡的事情。 在每一种情况下，上帝呼召的人都会感到害怕。 但每当人们对他们的呼召说“是”时，他们就会在生活中体验到神的大能。

 因此，当耶稣来到水上的门徒那里，打算“让他们过去”时，他不仅仅是在玩一个巧妙的魔术。 他在彰显他神圣的同在和能力。 只有神能做这样的事：“他独自……踏在海浪上。”

 有趣的是，门徒是在耶稣的命令下首先上船的。 他们将不得不学习——就像我们一样——服从并不能保证免于逆境。 但是现在风暴已经引起了他们的全部注意，耶稣决定是时候让门徒多了解一下驾驶这件事的人了。 就像这样，伙计们，他向他们保证。 你可以相信我。 你知道我的性格和能力。 你可以安心地将自己的命运交在我手中。

 鼓起勇气。 这就是我。 

他们还没有完全领会，但上帝正在水上行走的肉体中造访他们。

 马太想让他的读者知道，耶稣经常在最意想不到的时候出现——凌晨 3:00，在暴风雨中。 戴尔·布鲁纳 (Dale Bruner) 指出，“根据圣经，人类的绝境是与上帝经常相会的地方。” 那些神圣指定的决定性时刻将会降临到你我身上。 他仍然要求他的追随者做非凡的事情。 如果你不寻找他，你可能会想念他。

 [如果你不寻找他，你可能会想念他。]

 船上坐着十二个弟子，不知道其中十一个对这个声音有什么反应。 也许是困惑、惊奇、难以置信，或者每一种都有一点。

But one of them, Peter, was about to become a water-walker. He recognized that God was present — even in the most unlikely place. He realized that this was an extraordinary opportunity for spiritual adventure and growth. So he got an idea.

He decided to do something religious.

Water-Walkers Discern Between Faith and Foolishness

Peter blurted out to the water-walker, Jesus Christ,  "If it is You, command me to come to You on the water." Why does Matthew include this detail? Why doesn't Peter just plunge into the water? I think it's for a very important reason. This is not just a story about risk-taking; it is primarily a story about obedience. That means I will have to discern between an authentic call from God and what might simply be a foolish impulse on my part. Courage alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by wisdom and discernment.

Matthew is not glorifying risk-taking for its own sake. Jesus is not looking for bungee jumping, hang-gliding, day-trading, tornado chasing Pinto drivers. Water-walking is not something Peter does for recreational purposes. This is not a story about extreme sports. It's about extreme discipleship. This means that before Peter gets out of the boat, he had better make sure Jesus thinks it's a good idea. So he asks for clarity, "If it is y

You, command me...."

And in the darkness, I think Jesus smiled. Maybe He laughed. Because one person in the boat got it. Peter had some inkling of what it is that the Master is doing. Not only that, Peter had enough faith to believe that he too could share the adventure. He decided he wanted to be part of history's original water-walk. Command me.

Water-Walkers Get Out of the Boat

Before we go any further, I want you to put yourself in the story. Picture in your mind how violent the storm must have been if it was strong enough to keep seasoned professionals struggling just to avoid being capsized. Imagine the size of the waves, the strength of the wind, the darkness of this night — and no Dramamine*! These were the conditions under which Peter was going to get out of the boat. (*Dramamine is an antihistamine used to treat or prevent nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. It may cause serious side effects, including seizures and fast or irregular heartbeats.)

但是他们中的一个，彼得，即将成为一名水上步行者。 他认识到上帝存在——即使是在最不可能的地方。 他意识到这是一次精神冒险和成长的难得机会。 于是他灵机一动。

 他决定做一些宗教性的事情。

 水上行者辨别信仰与愚蠢

 彼得对水上行走者耶稣基督脱口而出，“如果是你，请命令我在水面上走到你身边。” 为什么马太包括这个细节？ 为什么彼得不跳入水中？ 我认为这是一个非常重要的原因。 这不仅仅是一个关于冒险的故事； 这主要是一个关于服从的故事。 这意味着我将不得不辨别来自上帝的真实呼召和我可能只是愚蠢的冲动。 光有勇气是不够的； 它必须伴随着智慧和洞察力。

 Matthew 并不是为了冒险本身而美化冒险。 耶稣不是在寻找蹦极、悬挂式滑翔、日内交易、龙卷风追平托司机。 水上行走不是彼得为了娱乐目的而做的事情。 这不是关于极限运动的故事。 这是关于极端的门徒训练。 这意味着在彼得下船之前，他最好确定耶稣认为这是个好主意。 所以他要求澄清，“如果是

 你，命令我……”

 在黑暗中，我想耶稣在微笑。 也许他笑了。 因为船上有一个人得到了它。 彼得对主的所作所为有一些了解。 不仅如此，彼得还有足够的信心相信他也可以分享这次冒险。 他决定要成为历史上最初的水上漫步的一部分。 命令我。

 水上行者下船

 在我们继续之前，我希望你把自己置身于故事中。 在你的脑海中想象一下，如果风暴足够强大，让经验丰富的专业人士挣扎着避免被倾覆，那该风暴会有多猛烈。 想象一下海浪的大小、风的强度、今晚的黑暗——没有 Dramamine*！ 这些是彼得要下船的条件。 （* Dramamine 是一种抗组胺药，用于治疗或预防与晕动病相关的恶心、呕吐和头晕。它可能会导致严重的副作用，包括癫痫发作和心跳加快或不规则。）

It would be tough enough to try to walk on the water when the water is calm,  the sun is bright, and the air is still. Imagine trying to do it when the waves are crushing, the wind is at gale force, and it's three o'clock in the morning  — and you're terrified. 当水面平静、阳光明媚且空气静止时，尝试在水面上行走会很困难。 想象一下，当海浪汹涌，狂风猛烈，凌晨三点时尝试这样做——你会感到害怕。

Put yourself in Peter's place for a moment. You have a sudden insight into what Jesus is doing  — the Lord is passing by. He's inviting you to go on the adventure of your life. But at the same time, you're scared 😱 to death. What would you choose — out on the water or inside the boat? 把自己放在彼得的位置上一会儿。 你突然洞察到耶稣正在做什么——主正在经过。 他邀请你继续你的人生冒险。 但与此同时，你害怕😱。 你会选择什么——在水上还是在船上？risk, adventure, danger 风险 fēngxiǎn，冒险 màoxiǎn，危险 wéixiǎn .

Staying inside the boat is safe, secure,  and comfortable. 留在船内是安全、可靠和舒适的。

On the other hand, the water is rough. The waves are high. The wind is strong. There's a storm out there. And if you get out of the boat — whatever your boat might happen to be — there's a good chance you might sink. 另一方面，水很粗糙。 浪很高。 风很大。 外面有暴风雨。 如果你下了船——不管你的船是什么——你很可能会沉没。

But if you don't get out of the boat, there's a guaranteed certainty that you will never walk on the water. This is an immutable law of nature. 但如果你不从船上出来，就可以肯定你永远不会在水面上行走。 这是不变的自然法则。

If you want to walk on the water, you've got to get out of the boat. 如果你想在水上行走，你必须从船上出来。

I believe there is something — Someone  — inside us who tells us there is more to life than sitting in the boat. You were made for something more than merely avoiding failure. There is something inside you that wants to walk on water  —to leave the comfort of routine existence and abandon yourself to the high adventure of following God. 我相信我们内心有某种东西——某个人——告诉我们生活比坐在船上更重要。 你被造的目的不仅仅是为了避免失败。 在你的内心深处，有些东西想要在水面上行走——离开日常舒适的生活，放弃自己去追随上帝的崇高冒险。

So let me ask you a very important question: What's your boat? 所以让我问你一个非常重要的问题：你的船是什么?

Your boat is whatever represents safety and security to you apart from God. 

Your boat is whatever you are tempted to put your trust in, especially when life gets a little stormy. 

Your boat is whatever you keeps you so comfortable that you don't want to give it up even if it’s keeping you from joining Jesus on the waves. 

Your boat is whatever pulls you away from the high adventure of extreme discipleship.

🚢 🚣‍♂️ 🛥 🛶 ⛵️  🚣‍♀️ 

你的船就是代表安全和保障的任何东西，特别是在上帝之外。

 你的船就是你想要信任的任何东西，尤其是当生活变得有点暴风雨的时候。

 你的船就是让你如此舒适以至于你不想放弃它的任何东西，即使它阻止你在海浪中加入耶稣。

 你的船就是把你从极端门徒训练的高冒险中拉开的任何东西。

Want to know what your boat is? Your fear will tell you. Just ask yourself this : What is it that most produces fear in me — especially when I think of leaving it behind and stepping out in faith? 想知道你的船是什么吗？ 你的恐惧会告诉你。 问问自己：最让我产生恐惧的是什么——尤其是当我想把它抛在脑后，凭着信仰走出去的时候？

For one person,  it is his vocation. He has been a builder for thirty-five years; he is in his late fifties now. But he has been gnawed his whole life by a sense that God was calling him into church ministry. He has quieted his conscience by giving a lot of money and doing many good things, but he can't shake off the haunting fear that he has missed his calling. And he's afraid that perhaps it's too late. 对于一个人来说，这是他的职业。 他做了三十五年的建筑师； 他现在五十多岁了。 但他一生都被一种上帝呼召他进入教会事工的感觉所困扰。 他捐了很多钱，做了很多好事，良心平静了下来，但他无法摆脱挥之不去的恐惧，因为他错过了他的使命。 他担心也许为时已晚。

For another person, it is a relationship.  She has been involved for years with a man whose commitment to her is ambivalent at best. He is sending her signals that everyone else can read clearly; he never initiates the language of affection, avoid talking about their future, and creates as much distance from her as possible. But she never pursues discovering his true feelings — she's too frightened. She doesn't believe she could handle losing him. Her boat is pretty shaky. But she is too scared to leave. 对于另一个人来说，这是一种关系。 多年来，她一直与一个男人交往，而这个男人对她的承诺充其量是矛盾的。 他向她发出信号，让其他人都能清楚地阅读； 他从不主动说情话，避免谈论他们的未来，并尽可能地与她保持距离。 但她从不追求发现男人的真实感受——她太害怕了。 她不相信她能承受失去他。 她的船摇晃得很厉害。 但她太害怕了，不敢离开。

Ralph is the pastor of a church he neither fits nor loves. It is filled with division and petty squabbling. Rather than speaking prophetic truth or leading with clear vision, he finds himself constantly trying to placate angry attendees and keep the peace. He does not like the church; he resents and fears it. But it's his boat. If he leaves it, it will only be to find himself in another just like it. 拉尔夫是一个他既不适合也不爱的教会的牧师。 它充满了分裂和琐碎的争吵。 他发现自己没有说出预言性的真理或以清晰的愿景领导，而是不断地试图安抚愤怒的与会者并保持和平。 他不喜欢教堂； 他厌恶并害怕它。 但这是他的船。 如果他离开它，只会在另一个和它一样的人中找到自己。

Doug's boat is secrecy. He is addicted to pornography. It is a mild addiction, or so he tells himself, mostly adult movies on business trips and occasional sprees on the internet. Nothing that has cost him a job or a marriage — so far. But no one knows. He's afraid to admit it. He's afraid to get help. Secrecy is killing him. But it's his boat. 道格的船是保密的。 他沉迷于色情。 这是一种轻微的上瘾，或者他告诉自己，主要是在出差时看成人电影，偶尔在互联网上狂欢。 到目前为止，没有什么让他失去工作或婚姻。 但是没有人知道。 他不敢承认。 他害怕寻求帮助。 保密正在杀死他。 但这是他的船。

Kim's boat is her dad. She raises her children, keeps her house, and pursues a career designed to make her dad happy. The irony is that her dad is not happy, and nothing she can do will ever be enough to please him. But the thought of crossing him terrifies her. His approval is pretty leaky vessel. But it's her boat.

金的船是她爸爸。 她抚养孩子，养家糊口，追求一份能让她父亲开心的事业。 具有讽刺意味的是，她的父亲并不开心，无论她做什么都无法取悦他。 但一想到要惹他生气，她就害怕了。 他的批准是相当漏洞的容器。 但这是她的船。

What is your boat? In what area of your life are you shrinking back from fully and courageously trusting God? Fear will tell you what your boat is . Leaving it may be the hardest thing you ever do. 你的船是什么？ 在你生活的哪些方面，你正在退缩，不敢完全勇敢地信靠上帝？ 恐惧会告诉你你的船是什么。 离开它可能是你做过的最艰难的事情。

 但如果你想在水面上行走，你就得下船。

But if you want to walk on the water, you've got to get out of the boat.

Water-Walkers Expect Problems 

So Peter goes to the side of the boat. The other disciples are watching closely. They have seen Peter shoot off his mouth before — a lot. They wonder how far Peter will take this thing.

He puts one foot over the side, carefully gripping the edge of the boat. Then the other foot. He's holding on with grim determination and white knuckles

Then he does something religious — he lets go. Peter abandons himself utterly to the power of Jesus. And suddenly, for the first time in history an ordinary human being is walking on the water. 

For a while it's as if only Peter and Jesus are present on the water. Peter is beaming with delight, Jesus is thrilled with his student. Like master, like disciple.

Then it happens. Peter "saw the wind."

Reality sets in, and Peter asked himself, What was I thinking? He realized he was on the water in the middle of a storm with no boat beneath him — and he was terrified. Nothing has really changed, though. The storm should have come as no surprise--it's been there all along. 

The storm should come as no surprise--it's been there all along. 

What has really taken place is that Peter's focus has shifted from the Savior to the storm. 

We all know what it is to "see the wind." You begin a new adventure full of hope. Maybe it's a new job, maybe you're testing an area of spiritual giftedness; maybe you're trying to serve God in a new way. At the beginning you are full of faith — it's blue skies.

Then reality sets in. Setbacks. Opposition. Unexpected obstacles. You see the wind. It should be expected — the world's a pretty stormy place. But somehow trouble still has the power to catch us by surprise.

Because of the wind, some people decide never to leave the boat. If you get out of the boat, you will face the wind and the storm out there.  

水上行者会遇到问题

 于是彼得走到船边。 其他弟子都在密切注视着。 他们以前见过彼得大发雷霆——很多次。 他们想知道 Peter 会把这件事走多远。

 他把一只脚放在一边，小心地抓住船的边缘。 然后是另一只脚。 他以坚定的决心和紧张的指关节坚持下去

 然后他做了一些虔诚的事情——他放手了。 彼得将自己完全交给耶稣的大能。 突然间，历史上第一次有普通人在水面上行走。

 有一段时间，水面上好像只有彼得和耶稣。 彼得喜气洋洋，耶稣对他的学生很兴奋。 有师有徒。

 然后它发生了。 彼得“看见了风”。

 现实开始了，彼得问自己，我在想什么？ 他意识到自己身处暴风雨中的水面上，身下没有船——他感到害怕。 不过，一切都没有真正改变。 这场风暴本不应该让人感到意外——它一直都在那里。

 风暴的到来应该不足为奇——它一直都在那里。

 真正发生的是，彼得的注意力已经从救世主转移到了风暴上。

 我们都知道什么是“见风”。 你开始了充满希望的新冒险。 也许这是一份新工作，也许你正在测试一个精神天赋领域； 也许你正在尝试以一种新的方式侍奉上帝。 一开始你充满信心——那是蓝天。

 然后现实开始了。挫折。 反对。 意想不到的障碍。 你看风。 应该预料到 - 世界是一个充满风暴的地方。 但不知何故，麻烦仍然有能力让我们措手不及。

 因为有风，有些人决定永远不离开船。 如果你下了船，你将面临外面的风和风暴。