Hearing differently

This afternoon, Pastor Joel read the story of Jesus walking on the water. Great story, but it has always puzzled me.

If I were there, I'd be thinking that Peter was pretty amazing for stepping out of the boat. But then he sinks, and Jesus grabs his hand.  He says to him, 

"You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Whenever I read this story I hear Jesus' voice as a rebuke. "How could you possibly doubt me after knowing me the way you do?"

I did not like that rebuke. Peter got out of the boat, for heaven's sake. No one else was brave enough to do that...jump out of a boat on open sea in a storm to walk on top of the water toward what looks like a ghost??? But it must be right, because of course, it's Jesus, right? So you can't really question it. Jesus could see Peter's thoughts, so Jesus knew there was something there that should be scolded...

Joel read it differently. 

I don't know if he meant to, but the thing is, this time I heard it a new way. It sounded like a father, reassuring a child.

"You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

I think I may have used the same voice myself with my children, when I was late for something and they worried I'd forgotten them. Not angry, but reassuring.

It makes a huge difference in the story. Reassuring love instead of scolding accusation. 

And then, of course, comes the rest of the story. They get back into the boat, the wind stops blowing, and everyone in the boat worships him, saying,

Truly you are the son of God

In either reading, this conclusion makes sense. A huge thing had just happened to them and it changed them. I can't really know for sure how Jesus spoke those words. 

But if it was me in the boat, this loving and understanding voice would have elicited that immediate reaction in a more wholehearted never-look-back kind of way.