Walking on Water

10th Sunday After Pentecost

Today's Readings: Psalm 85:8-13 & Matthew 14:22-33

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s story picks up where last Sunday’s story left off. After a long day of healing the sick and feeding

the crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children, Jesus sends off his disciples and dismisses the crowds and finally takes a moment of respite. Jesus goes up the mountain to pray alone. First and foremost, may we all take a cue from Jesus here and in the midst of our busy lives, schedule time alone for prayer with God. But secondly and no less important, in this story we remember the miracle of Jesus walking on water.

We Christians are no strangers to water. In the Thanksgiving for Baptism liturgy from the opening of worship, we recalled some of the monumentous times God has worked through water: In the beginning of creation there was chaos and water covered the earth until the Spirit moved over the waters, calmed and separated them so life could spring forth; God delivered Noah and his family from the Great Flood; God parted the Red Sea, leading the Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery into freedom; In the River Jordan, Jesus was baptized and anointed with the Spirit and in this way we are baptized, too.

Significant stories of water in our scriptures almost always tell of deliverance and God’s victory over chaos and sin. This story is no different; Jesus not only walks on the water, a total victory over the forces of gravity, but also calms the storm – the raging sea threatening the disciples. When Jesus is done praying he goes to join the disciples on their mission, but finds them in the midst of a storm on the sea. As he approaches the boat they are already frightened and the sight of Jesus brings them no comfort. They yell out in fear to one another, ‘Is that a ghost!?’ Yet Jesus greets them in the same way he does so often, ‘Do not be afraid.’

In fact, Jesus says, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ This would have sounded shockingly familiar to them because “it is I” is the same phrase God uses when speaking to Moses through the burning bush in Exodus (Ex. 3:14). Moses asks God, ‘When the Israelites ask me your name, what shall I tell them?’ To which God says, ‘I am who I am.’ This is the same phrase Jesus actually uses here with the disciples. “‘It is I,’ the same God you and your ancestors have known since the beginning of time! The God who conquered the chaos and created the earth, who rescued Noah from the flood, who parted the Red Sea is the SAME God who stands before you NOW.”

Peter then asks Jesus to confirm this revelation of his identity by commanding him to step out of the boat to join Jesus on the water. Jesus says, “Come,” and Peter too walks on water! And let’s be clear, it is not Peter’s disbelief that Jesus is God that causes him to sink, it is his fear of the storm. Peter takes his eyes off God to see the waves crashing around him and overcome by fear he starts to sink. Thankfully, Jesus, the Savior of us all, is right there to catch him.

Now we can read Jesus’ response to Peter two different ways; angry – “You of little faith, why did you doubt!?” or light hearted – “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” I tend to lean towards the latter.. and not because I think God is all sunshine and rainbows, but because we were just reminded of the numerous parables Jesus told about little seeds growing into huge sources of life. Right before this, Jesus tells us the kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed (Mt. 13:31).. and soon we will hear Jesus say that all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed and we will move mountains (Mt. 17:20)! So, yes, I believe Peter’s ‘little faith’ was and is enough and therefore Jesus does not respond to his sinking with anger. For remember, when Peter began to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Peter may have been afraid of the storm, but he never stopped believing Jesus was Lord. Peter’s ‘little faith’ was and is enough.

Peter is perhaps what we would even call today an example of strong faith. He not only believed and confessed Jesus was God, but believed that this reality would make it possible for him to do the impossible – walk on water. Peter, an average Joe like you and me, walked on water. There was no magical ritual Jesus performed to make this possible, Jesus simply said “Come.” The storm may have thrown Peter off course, but that makes this feat no less miraculous! And it makes me wonder, if we too can walk on water, but get discouraged by the turbulent seas?..

Like the disciples in the story, Jesus has put us in a boat and pushed us off shore, sending us in his place to do ministry in God’s name for the sake of the world. In today’s world this mission can often seem impossible.. Sometimes we are discouraged by the hate, corruption, abuse, violence, and disasters all around us and wonder ‘why even bother?’ Maybe sometimes we even wonder if God’s ever coming back or if God is even with us at all. But just when the waves threaten to swallow us whole, we catch sight of God in the distance; often unrecognizable and unexpected, but God nonetheless. And holding our focus on God alone, we are reminded that God IS HERE. That God always shows up. That in/with/through God the impossible is possible! That ministry is happening and the kingdom is breaking into our midst! That we too can walk on water.

Being a Christian does not mean that we will never experience turbulent seas, or that somehow we are magically exempt from the storms of this life. Rather, being a Christian is knowing that when life rages around us, we have nothing to fear; God is with us. It’s knowing that when we feel like we are drowning, the hand of God reaches in to rescue us. It’s knowing that we, like Peter, can step out in faith, trusting in the God who has been revealed to us in Christ Jesus.

In Peter’s courageous and risky choice to step out of the boat, all were able to recognize Jesus for who he truly was and is - God incarnate. In Peter’s courageous and risky choice to step out of the boat, he was able to be physically rescued by God, as the rest of the disciples witnessed what would be their salvation as well. As Church together, sometimes we are Peter – boldly and bravely jumping out to unchartered, turbulent waters for the sake of a closer look at our Lord and Savior. And sometimes we are the disciples – hanging back and witnessing in awe and wonder at God working in the world.

We aren’t always in a place in our lives where we can be Peter and I want to reassure you - that is okay. Peter too needed to sit back and witness the boldness of his siblings at times too. But if you spend your life circling around in the shallows and NEVER loosing sight of the shore or bravely step out in faith.. you may miss countless opportunities to deepen your relationship with God and be a witness to that

relationship to the world around you. Part of being a community is having the opportunity to be both; to stay back in the boat when you need to, but also to jump out and do the hard work when others need to rest and heal. In this way we take turns witnessing to one another, AND experiencing first hand, the loving and miraculous God who made us and works within us here on earth. For don’t you know faith the size of a mustard seed is all it takes to move mountains!?

Child of God.. disciple of Christ, Take heart. Do not be afraid. In the beginning the Spirit of God swept across the earth, calming the chaos and bringing forth life. This same God stood before Peter and the disciples and calmed the storm raging around them. And this same God stands in the midst of the stormy sea all around us and once again says, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Not a pandemic, not political strife, not even death itself can separate us from the love and salvation of God.

Jesus Christ sends us, the Church, into the world, accompanies us on our journey, and beckons us ‘Come.. Come, join me on the water, for with me all things are possible.. with me you have not only been called, but equipped to meet my commands. Trust. Believe. Come and walk with me.’

Amen.

Reflection:

What glimpses of Christ have you caught lately?

Where has God revealed Godself?

When have you heeded Christ’s call to ‘Come’ and stepped out in faith to do what seemed impossible? When have you witnessed in awe the majesty of our Lord present and at work in the world?