Jesus Walks on Water | A Contemplative Art Experience

Welcome back to the Art Pastor Live summer journey through scripture and art! I’m Steve Thomason—pastor, visual artist, and professor of spiritual formation at Luther Seminary. Every week, we gather in real time to explore the intersection of art and theology, pushing back against the frantic pace of modern social media with an intentionally slow, contemplative practice.

In this session, we dived into Matthew 14:22–33, the story of Jesus walking on the water. Below is a look into our visual scripture study and the step-by-step process of bringing this powerful passage to life through digital art.

walking through the session…

Setting the Scene: From Deep Grief to the Stormy Sea

To fully understand Matthew 14, we have to look back at what happened right before it. Jesus had just experienced deep personal grief: he was rejected by his hometown and received the heartbreaking news that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded. Seeking solitude to mourn, he was instead met by thousands of people—and out of profound compassion, he fed the 5,000.

Immediately after this exhausting miracle, Jesus makes his disciples get into a boat to cross to the other side of the lake while he goes up a mountain alone to pray. Finally, he gets a moment to catch his breath and talk to Abba.

Meanwhile, out on the water, a storm rages:

• The Environment: The boat is battered by waves, fighting a fierce headwind deep into the night.

• The Cultural Context: In the ancient world, turbulent waters represented chaos gods and the underworld. When the disciples saw a figure walking across the waves in the early morning, they were terrified, thinking it was a ghost.

• The Divine Presence: Jesus immediately responds with “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.” In the original Greek, “it is I” (Ego Eimi) translates directly to—”I AM.” This is the divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Right there in the middle of the storm, God was present.

When Peter hears this, he makes a bold move: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus says “Come,” and Peter actually steps out of the boat. But the moment Peter shifts his focus back to the roaring wind, fear takes over and he begins to sink. He cries, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus immediately reaches down, catches him, and pulls him up.

Key Takeaways for Your Walk of Faith

• Jesus Is Unshaken by Chaos: While the disciples panic and the storm rages, Jesus stands firmly in the center of the noise. He doesn’t struggle against the waves; he rests in his identity as the “I AM.”

• Courage Means Stepping Out: We often criticize Peter for sinking, but he was the only one with the faith to step over the edge of the boat onto the water.

• Focus Dictates Direction: As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked on water. The moment he focused on the strength of the wind, fear pulled him under.

• Grace Reaches Instantly: Jesus didn’t let Peter drown to teach him a lesson; the moment Peter cried for help, Jesus reached out his hand.

Join the Creative Community

Creating art around scripture isn’t about perfection or technical skill—it’s an “art party” and a spiritual practice to slow down and listen to what God is saying.

If you created your own artwork during this session or want to dive deeper into visual scripture studies, I invite you to join the Art Pastor’s Network. You can test it out with a 7-day free trial to join our weekly Zoom text studies, share your creative journey, and connect with a supportive community.

Until next time, keep creating, keep breathing, and remember that even in the middle of life’s wildest storms, the “I AM” is right there with you.

This is my chance to invite you into my studio, talk about the fusion of art and theology, explore spirituality and scripture through visual art, nerd out about the Bible and Visual art, and just hang out with you.