Tenth Sunday after Pentecost August 9th 2020
Matthew 14: 22–36
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Reflection:
Again I find there’s so much that’s noteworthy in all the readings this week. The story of Jacob and Joseph, the beautiful Psalm and of cause the depths of our reading from Romans! It’s hard to know just where to go with our reflections today.
The one that grabs my attention, however, is Peter. Not so much that he impulsively gets out of the boat onto the water. We all probably kind of expect that of Peter. And not that he takes his eyes of the Lord and instead his attention falls to the fierceness of the waves and wind. While I’m sure we have all heard numerous sermons on this aspect of the story, how we should keep our eyes on Jesus– and of course we should –
Yet I can sympathise with Peter. Think about the last thunderstorm you were caught in – it’s hard not to notice and be overwhelmed by the force of the wind and pounding of the rain! I still remember a hail storm that I was one=ce caught in. I was in my car and nowhere to shelter and the sky turned black and then down it came. The noise was terrible and I was very relieved when finally, the wind and the hail stopped and I looked out to see everything was white- it was as if it had snowed. Even the trees had big pockets of hail caught in them.
It’s hard not to be drawn into the power and the hostility of a storm. Notice, that when Peter loses confidence and begins to sink, when he basically fails the faith test and proves himself to be very human, still Jesus reaches out and grabs him.
Which gives me courage…courage to take on big challenges, like stepping out of the boat even though I may fail, but trusting that Jesus will reach out and grab hold of me, too. As I contemplated this I thought of my appointment to Bellinger parish. I seemed to no sooner have my induction and wham bam we are in pandemic! Talk about a storm…
But the question isn’t whether we’re caught in a storm or whether we have enough faith to walk on water, the question is whether we can dare great things trusting that Jesus will reach out and grab hold of us, even when we falter.
Have you ever noticed that it’s often in the most challenging times of life that we sense God’s presence most clearly? I’m not saying it should be this way. Or that God only appears when we most need him. Rather, I think that there’s just something about significant challenges and trials that clarify our priorities and cut through the assorted distractions of everyday life so that we may see God more clearly. This is certainly true in our present time of pandemic, when we have most likely had some extra time to ponder God and dwell with him. It’s like a storm is brewing and all we can do is to remember and recognise the power of God with us and trust.
After feeding the 5000 who followed him into the wilderness, and revealing his power, Jesus directs the disciples to head across the lake without him while he remains on shore to send the crowds on their way. He then spends some time alone with his Father on the mountain. While the disciples are crossing, there is a terrible storm that threatens to engulf them. Imagine how it would be in that boat, as they try to navigate the waves, and then in the early hours of the morning Jesus comes walking across the water towards them.
As if the storm is not enough, our text says the disciples are terrified as he draws near. Once Jesus tells them it is he, Peter for some reason is inspired to ask if he might join Jesus on the water. Poor Peter, soon realises what he’s done- My goodness, imagine the height of the waves and depth of the sea. This is huge! No wonder he loses heart, whereupon Jesus reaches out and saves him. And, while yes, Jesus remarks on his lack of faith, it’s at this moment that the disciples see Jesus as if for the first time, confessing, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Which is interesting when you think about what the disciples have experienced with Jesus and his ministry so far. Even only hours previously they were with and saw Jesus reveal his divine power as he fed thousands of people with just a few fish and loaves of bread. And yet it seems it is only at the moment of extremity that the disciples most clearly perceive who Jesus is.
Something occurs to me today about humanity. Often in the peaceful and good times of life it’s easy to overlook God’s presence, it’s easy to float along on the smooth waters and not really see our need of God or even recognise God for who he truly is. But then when the chips are down or the storm clouds gather, we call out desperately - God save us!
Generally speaking, we spend a fair amount of time and energy in life establishing a stable, safe and secure life for both ourselves and for those we love. We build our homes, create our lifestyles, save for our old age, and live as if all will always be OK. While there nothing wrong with that in many ways, the reality is the storms will come. We’ve certainly seen this in the last 12 months- drought, fire, flood, pandemic, economic crisis and more….. Suddenly our ongoing need for God becomes very clear!
But, don’t think that suffering is the only path to God. God in Jesus comes to the people as he feeds the 5000 and proves not only his compassion but his generosity. God reveals himself in his creation, and is not hard to find in this beautiful part of the world that we live in. The birds, the mountains, the sea and the sky. God also reveals himself through other people, in the laughter of children and the tender care of friends.
This story today, tells us about God. Certainly, it reminds us of our need for God, but it also reminds us that God responds. Jesus assures the disciples of who he is, then he reaches out to rescue Peter. Likewise, God responds to us with compassion and saving power. He encourages us to leave fear behind. God is with us in our need.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when we look at the size of the waves and listen to the howling wind. It’s easy to overlook and ignore our relationship with God even when times are good. Fortunately, God doesn’t let go- he doesn’t give up and he doesn’t just wait for us- he keeps finding us and rescuing us, holding us in forgiveness, mercy, comfort and grace- even when we don’t realise it. Jesus says ‘It is I’- the great I am.
Perhaps we can take this lesson one step further and imagine the hopes and dreams that God has for us. Not just for us as individuals but for us as a community of faith. The next few months are not going to be easy, there will be challenges and the waves will threaten, perhaps we will wish we could just stay in the boat but remember that God promises to be with us in our need. As we heard last week, God wants to bless us as we hold onto him. And God calls us to live whole-hearted lives with courage and hope.
Prayer: Dear God, encourage us, strengthen us, reassure us, and bless us with the promise that you will never let us go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.