What Christ Would Have Wanted to See

These may not make it to the movies, but the following alternative Bible scenes might help awaken our dormant spiritual lives:

1. The story of the storm: Christ calmed the storm.

What if this happened: Instead of panicking, the apostles would follow Christ's example and lay down beside Jesus and went to sleep. It's a comical thought but I believe that's what Jesus was trying to show them. If I can sleep through a storm, why can't you? If they had done that, Christ would have had no need to calm the storm outside because the storms within us are subject to the power of our faith in God.

2. The story of Peter walking on water: Peter alone walked but faltered, scaring the rest from trying the feat.

What if Peter did not doubt? The rest of the disciples would have come down and played on the water like kids splashing among the waves. What a sight it would have made to Jesus, His followers really following Him. I believe He had expected not only Peter but all of them to try walking on water but the waves kept them from venturing down the boat. Again, their faith could not go beyond what they were seeing with their own eyes -- Jesus walking on water. In fact, their eyes -- like Peter -- were on the big waves. That's the problem with fishermen, they know what waves can do and so they fear. We know what the world can do with us and so we allow the world to prevent us from working for the Lord in spite of the world.

3. The walk to Calvary: Christ carried His cross alone.

What if the apostles had the boldness to declare Jesus as their Master, they would have walked with Him on the way to Calvary. Each one of them would have taken turns at helping Him carry the cross. Why, Simon of Cyrene could have been Simon Peter!

Question: Do we learn only because we see our mistakes? Do we need to go through a painful process of shame before God for us to be awakened to our duties? What kind of people are we that we have to take tiny steps at a time before we can run with wild abandon in our journey with God? In our timidity we behave like rats nibbling when we can be lions devouring big bites at life.

Why is faith in God such an utterly difficult thing to develop? Who can say he or she has faith enough to stand before God and be justified? Only those who have walked with Jesus on the water. Only those who have ridden the boat with Jesus during a storm. Only those who have walked the streets of Jerusalem from the judgment hall to Calvary. In short, only those who walk daily with Jesus in their hearts.

God rebukes us like we were His children. He does so out of love and not out of plain impatience or pure anger. The rod of discipline applies to incorrigible kids as well as to intractable adults. The Apostles also started out as bungling disciples. We can learn a lot by following how they eventually followed Jesus.

Suffer pain now and reap lasting victory in life.

(Photo above: A huge cargo ship seems to drop below the horizon as if sinking in the diamond-littered Subic Bay in Zambales. Note the small banca below the ship.)