Pentecost 12 - Walking on Water

Pentecost 12 – Matthew 14
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church – August 4th & 6th, 2005 – Vicar Matthew Peters
“Jesus walks on water… and Peter tries.”

Grace, mercy, and Peace from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the Epistle lesson for this week, we hear of Saint Paul’s pain and sorrow as he is a witness to the continued unbelief of the Jewish people. Paul states that he would even give up his share in Christ, if only the people of Israel would believe.
It is hard to understand for us, as Gentile believers, what it was like for these ‘chosen people’ to be presented with the sudden presence of a Messiah in Jesus. It wasn’t expected to be that way! God comes in power, in glory, restoring His people to their intended state in this world. Doesn’t He?
But as we saw when God dealt with Elijah – He did not come in the wind, God did not come in the earthquake, the voice of God did not come to Elijah in the fire… but after it all, God came and spoke to His prophet in a gentle whisper.

Surprises are all around when you deal with God. Just when you might think that you’ve got God’s intentions pegged and you know what He’s planning… God will find another, better way. Something that the disciples of Christ had to learn over and over again…

As we look at our Gospel lesson for this evening:
It was a dark and stormy night…
Well, the text doesn’t exactly say “stormy”, but it was a ‘Dark and windy night’ at least. Jesus had sent the disciples ahead to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee without Him. Now it was past midnight – and really getting nearer to the morning. They had been taking turns rowing against the wind all night – but the gusts and the waves had only let their aching muscles and their simple boat get three miles across the water… barely half way. This was not the best of nights for the disciples. Now, while many of them had a good knowledge of this lake - having been fisherman for their whole lives - still, even with good skill on the water, after hours and hours of work, getting stuck in the middle of such a body of water at night still makes you nervous… especially when Jesus isn’t around.
Then one of them shouts, there is a stir, and the boatful of men is afraid – they’ve seen a ghost! There it is again! A figure of a man walking upon the water… walking toward the boat!

When we already know the Bible stories like most of us do, it’s often very easy to think that there was something a little weird about those disciples. Why would they think that Jesus was a ghost? Didn’t they trust in God at all?
Then, after Jesus speaks to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” Well, leave it to good old Simon Peter to take this opportunity to be bold again.
“Lord, if it is you…”
IF!?! Is Peter doubting Jesus’ words?
It sure seems like it. So he tests this mysterious figure that’s walking on the water.
“Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
Now Peter was one of those disciples who had been a fisherman – so he’s got nothing to lose I guess. If it is a ghost, he’ll step out into the water and have to swim for a few seconds until he can grab a-hold of the side of the boat again. If it really is Jesus, as Peter probably was hoping, well, then he gets to defy the laws of nature and walk on water.
To answer this bold request, Jesus says one word, “Come.”

When I hear this Bible story, the image that strikes me most is not Peter and Jesus walking on the water together. Nor is it the image of Peter beginning to sink into the waters. The image that I appreciate the most when I picture this story, is that moment when Jesus’ hand catches the collar of Peter’s shirt just as he slips below the waves. I can almost see the look of determination mixed with some disappointment as Jesus, still walking on the water, drags a mostly submerged Peter over to the boat.

Matthew is the only Gospel author that describes the scene of Peter walking out toward Jesus on the Water. Mark and John share the account of Jesus coming out to the disciples by way of the lake, but it is only Matthew that records any such actions by Peter.
Perhaps this is because Matthew has a specific focus as a gospel toward convincing the Jewish peoples that Jesus was indeed the “Son of God”. So here is one of Jesus’ own disciples challenging God to prove himself, as was so common for Jews to request. But then, when Jesus meets His end of these outspoken demands, it is soon the skeptic who falters and must be saved by the one he doubted in.

Those Jews and their doubtings!
Those disciples and their shortsightedness!
That Peter and his unnecessary bravado!

I sure am glad that I never doubt God like that!
It sure is a good thing that I never falter in my faith!
We’ve got this ‘faith’ stuff all wrapped up and taken care of… in fact, get me on a lake with Jesus and my ankles won’t even get wet!

None of us have ever doubted in our creator. In fact, even before we call the doctor, I’m certain that every one of us prays first to God for healing.
No one here has ever doubted that Jesus is the only way to heaven, have we!?! And every time we see someone of another religion on the street corner we stop them and make sure that they know it as well – we wouldn’t want them to miss out.
And I know for certain that not a single Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod member, everyone here especially, has ever coveted, lied, stolen, had a lustful thought, been hateful, disrespected their parents, missed a single church service, swore, or thought of themselves before God… at all! No not us!

Ugh! Is your heart as heavy as mine? Of course none of these bold statements are true… they couldn’t be more false. We all fail at each and every one of these points.
Now, do you see how easy it was for Peter to suddenly become distracted from Christ – for his trust to waver – and for him to sink? … Whenever someone thinks that they have it all under control… that they can handle it… they’re proud of who they are before God… oh how easy it is to ‘see the wind all around’ and begin to sink.

Peter had some trust in Jesus. He did after all walk on the water for some time, at least for a few good steps… but he “saw the wind” and “was afraid”… he went down.
And here is that moment in the passage that I envision with so much ironic humor and gratitude: That moment when Peter has failed, and oh how he knows that he’s failed – Peter cries out, “Lord, save me!”
And just as he sinks beneath the waves, the strong and confident hand of Jesus comes and grabs him by the collar, and drags him back over to the boat. That hand of Jesus, reaching down to save Peter that night on the lake – that hand was the same strong and confident hand that would later be nailed to a cross in order to save all of us.

The faith of the prophet Elijah was shaken – but God restored him by a gentle whisper.
The faith of Simon Peter, a pillar of the early church, was turned to fear – and Jesus saved him from the deep and troubled waters.
The faith of God’s people today is certainly not a perfect faith either… We are shaken at times, we are afraid, we turn from God’s way and are lost in our sins… drowning in our hopeless despair – and Jesus is there to save us. Jesus is here to save you. We cry aloud in our confession, “Lord, save me!”
And so he reached out his hand, and he reached out his other hand – and Jesus was crucified upon that cross, for you!

All of our guilt and shame, all of our mistakes and weaknesses, all of our broken commandments and intentions are as if they never happened in God’s eyes.
Jesus has reached down, and grabbed each one of us by the collar, and brought us back to the safety of the boat.

As soon as Jesus entered into the boat again with the disciples, the text says that, “the wind died down”. This wind that was so distracting to Peter was now gone! Peter had expected to be able to overcome the elements on his own and go to Jesus. But instead, Jesus had used the inability of Peter to make it on his own, in order to show the goodness and the salvation of God. There was no longer any doubt about it in that boat; this was Jesus, the one who is come to save us all!

And now we too are ‘safe in the boat’, forgiven and saved for all eternity by Jesus. Where we can now join in the celebration with the disciples as they worshipped Jesus – “Surely you are the Son of God!” And Jesus is the Son of God, who takes away the sins of the world… mine and yours.

To Him be the glory and praise; in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.