Early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”  Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.  Matthew 14:25-29

“A man walking on the water? That’s impossible!”

That may be our first reaction to this familiar story. Yet because we’ve heard it so many times, we’ve almost grown accustomed to the impossible. We hear the story and nod our heads, forgetting just how astonishing it really is.

All four Gospels tell of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm. But only Matthew tells us about Peter stepping out of the boat and walking toward Jesus. That detail is no accident. Matthew isn’t simply giving us another miracle story. He is using Peter’s experience to teach us something essential about discipleship and the mission of the Church.

Notice what happens.

The disciples are surrounded by wind, waves, darkness, and fear. Then Jesus comes to them across the water and says, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter responds, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus simply says, “Come.”

And Peter does.

He climbs out of the boat and begins walking on the water toward Jesus. Impossible? Certainly. Yet Matthew wants us to see that Peter’s ability to do the impossible has less to do with the water beneath his feet than with the One before his eyes. As long as Peter’s attention remains fixed on Jesus, he moves forward. But the moment his gaze shifts from Christ to the wind, from trust to fear, he begins to sink.

The fourth-century bishop Hilary of Poitiers offered a beautiful insight into this story. Peter did not walk on the water because he decided to perform a miracle or prove his courage. He walked on the water because he was simply “following in the footsteps” of Jesus. By following Christ, Peter found himself doing what Christ was doing. Without even realizing it, he was beginning to become like the One he followed.

That is the heart of discipleship.

Discipleship is not merely believing certain doctrines or following a set of religious rules. It is learning to follow Jesus so closely that our lives begin to resemble his. It is walking so faithfully in his footsteps that, over time, it becomes difficult to distinguish his footprints from our own.

Peter walking on the water is not primarily a story about an extraordinary feat. It is a story about transformation. It is about a disciple becoming like his teacher, participating in God’s work, becoming Christ’s hands and feet, heart and face in the world.

St. Teresa of Ávila captured this beautifully:

Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks with compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses all the world.

That is our calling as disciples.

To love as Jesus loves.
To forgive as Jesus forgives.
To give as Jesus gives.
To welcome those whom others exclude.
To seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. As we follow Jesus, we discover that discipleship is not simply about believing in him—it is about becoming like him.

That is why Matthew ends his Gospel with Jesus sending his followers into the world: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” The command is not simply to gather converts but to form people whose lives reflect the life of Christ.

Go, Jesus says. Be my hands. Be my feet. Be my voice. Be my compassionate heart in a hurting world.

And as you follow in my footsteps, you may discover that, by God’s grace, you are doing things you never imagined possible.