If it is you...

Been looking at Sunday's gospel reading at the first meeting of 'The Good Book Club':
Matthew 14: 22-33

Mark & John both have this story too, but only Matthew has the strange bit including Peter.
I say 'strange' because I can't quite understand why, when Jesus walks on the water & then reassures the disciples that it IS him, Peter then says 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water'.
Is Peter genuinely unsure that it is Jesus? But surely a more natural thing to say would have been 'if it is you come into the boat with us'. Or is he sure now that it is Jesus & trying to gain 'top disciples' standing by doing what jesus does?

I can't help contrasting this with John's account of the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus on the beach, when again it is Peter who is first out of the boat - this time to swim to shore.

We all like Peter because he is fallible, like us - so what does this story tell us about our following of Jesus? Our faith, our doubt? Our need to call out "Lord, save me!"...

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