Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 14:28

"And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto the upon the waters." — Matthew 14:28 (ASV)

How far Peter got is unclear, but at Jesus’ command he walked on the water. But his outlook changed: when he saw the storm, he began to sink. It was not that he lost faith in himself, but that his faith in Jesus, strong enough to get him out of the boat and walking on the water, was not strong enough to stand up to the storm. Therefore Jesus calls him a man “of little faith” (GK 3899; 8:26), and his rhetorical question helps both Peter and the reader recognize that doubts and fears quickly disappear before a strict inquiry into their cause. Thus Peter here is both a good example and a bad example. His cry for help is natural, and Jesus’ rescuing him is akin to God’s salvation in the OT (69:1–3; 144:7).