Article September 16, 1985 Issue

Keep your eyes on the Christ!

GEORGIANA LIEDER LAHR

Probably most Christians are familiar with the story of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee.^{See Matt. 14:25–31 .} But do we always remember that a disciple also walked on the water? The Apostle Peter, seeing Jesus, called, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." The Master then called Peter, and he came down out of the ship and "walked on the water, to go to Jesus." The account continues: "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

One important implication in this story is that Peter actually walked over the water toward Jesus until he noticed the raging sea. Then he began to sink. How very essential it is to keep our eyes on the Christ, through every trial and discordant human experience!

At this point who is yet ready to actually walk on the water as Christ Jesus did? Who has yet attained that very high degree of spiritual understanding that would enable one to do this? But there are "waters" over which all can learn to walk now. In one sense we can consider the word "waters" to represent all the disturbances that are part of the human scene—discordant conditions such as sickness, wrongdoing, and even death. There are also the troubled "waters" of hate, fear, frustration, anger, grief, to name a few. How can we possibly walk over these waters? Christian Science shows us how. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes, "You must utilize the moral might of Mind in order to walk over the waves of error and support your claims by demonstration."^{Science and Health, p. 455.}