Pentecost 13 year A sermon 08 Matthew 14:22-33
I just couldn’t help myself...with the Olympics starting...
Jesus wins the gold in the walking on water event... the crowd goes wild...his Galilean team mate Peter...
starts... but doesn’t even finish...
suddenly a hush spreads through the stadium...
as the truth impacts on the crowd...
no silver or bronze.... will be awarded for this event.. no one is standing on the podium with Jesus...
he’s there all alone... he is the only one...
whose faith was strong enough.
So far in Matthew’s Gospel ... there’ve been several events in the faith Olympics...the most recent of course was ‘the... feeding the 5000 event’... played out on a distant shore ...
of the lake. Again no one finished that event except Jesus.
In ‘the... feeding the 5000 event’ Jesus’ disciples wanted to drop out at the starting line... but Jesus’ effort... showed them faith possibilities they’d never dreamed of. And everyone ate... and was satisfied. And only Jesus had enough faith... to complete the course.
Jesus hopes his team mates will learn from this.
Hopes their faith fitness...their faith muscles...
will be greatly strengthened...for the difficult trials...
yet to come...in the faith Olympics.
The next scheduled event will be... early the next morning so...our storyteller Matthew continues...
‘Immediately...after feeding the 5000...
Jesus makes the disciples get into the boat...
and go on ahead to the other side...while he dismisses the crowds.’ 14:22 [pause]
Now there are three things about this...I never ever noticed before. Jesus doesn’t get in the boat with his disciples...
and he doesn’t ask them...to come with him up the mountain to pray...instead....
Jesus packs them off by themselves... into the sunset
Now maybe... Jesus has had enough company...
for the time being...maybe he’s had enough of their grizzling and their doubts... and just wants some distance...some time out alone... to recover and to grieve for his cousin.
Or maybe Jesus just wants his team mates...
to do a... little reflecting on their fitness...
for these faith events...those times when the kingdom of God is being revealed on earth. And did you notice...
Jesus wont allow his disciples...
to dismiss the crowd for him...And only
‘after he dismisses the crowd, Jesus goes
up the mountain by himself to pray.
When evening comes, he‘s up there all alone’. 14:23
And so are his disciples...
but by this time Matthew tells us... their boat, battered by the waves, is right out in the middle of the lake... for the wind was against them.14:24
Now isn’t that interesting...Jesus team mates...Jesus disciples... have to spend the whole night... out on the lake... being battered around in a howling gale...
a contrary wind so strong... it keeps them from reaching the safety of land... they are stuck out there...
And isn’t it fascinating... that Jesus not only sends them out into... this weather...
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but from his prayer place... probably on the lee side of the mountain...the story doesn’t tell us Jesus’ directs the weather by remote control... so his disciples can be comfy.
And there’s no hint in Matthew’s story that Jesus causes the storm... as a test for his team mates...
in fact there’s no hint that Jesus has any idea...
what’s happening to his friends...
All we’re told is that
In the fourth watch... Jesus comes walking toward them on the sea. 14:25
Now you see the Jewish night is divided into four watches.
The fourth or final watch is… the time… just before dawn.
So Jesus has prayed and rested with God right through the night...and did you notice...Jesus doesn’t miraculously...
zap a raft together from driftwood on the shore...
nor does he choose to swim out...to calm his team mates shattered nerves.
Jesus decides to walk out to them...on top of the water...
But instead of calming their fears...
When the disciples see him walking on the sea, they’re terrified, and cry out in fear. "It is a ghost!" 14:26
Now I’m sure Jesus would know such a sight...
would just add to their distress...but decides to walk...
right out on the water toward them anyway. And in the dim light and the choppy sea and the stormy spray...
it’s not surprising Jesus friends can’t recognise...
what it is their looking at...
The disciples don’t have a clue what’s happening...
the only possibility they can think of...
is that it’s some kind of ghost blowing around in the wind...and that’s because... as far as they’re aware...
human beings... do not walk on water.
The possibility never occurred to them.
And then... through the howling gale and the crashing waves...Jesus...yells out to them...
"Have courage, it’s only me; don’t be afraid." 14:27
Relax...it’s only me...
But Peter isn’t sure it’s really Jesus... voice he’s hearing
so Peter yells back...
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 14:28
Peter isn’t ready to trust it’s really Jesus voice he’s hearing Peter wants more evidence. Peter wants proof.
And all Jesus says is
"Come."
On hearing this... Peter’s faith is strong. And Matthew tells us
Peter gets out of the boat, and starts walking on the water, toward Jesus. 14:29
You can just hear the Olympic commentators...
Peter’s eyes are on Jesus...his whole concentration is on Jesus...he doing well...walking right on top of the water...
and oh oh... Peter has taken his attention off Jesus...
Peter has allowed himself to be distracted....
‘He notices the strong wind, he becomes frightened, and begins to sink... 14:30 [pause]
Peter’s takes his attention off Jesus...
and his faith becomes weaker.
So in his fear and distress Peter cries out,
"Lord, save me!" 14:31
Did you notice that? It’s when Peter’s faith is failing...
that he calls on Jesus. When Peter knows his faith isn’t strong enough... he calls out... for Jesus to save him.
Immediately Jesus reaches out his hand and catches Peter, saying "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 14:32
Now this is the most amazing thing of all...
Jesus is telling Peter...
that if only his faith had been strong enough
Peter would have been able to walk on water too...
Jesus isn’t saying hey look at me I can walk on water because I’m divine...or I’m magical or I because I have miraculous powers...
Jesus is clearly implying... that his faith has given him... the ability to walk on water. His faith enabled him to do it.
Jesus has perfect faith...[pause] And Peter does not.
Matthew wants us to see that when Peter recognises his weakness and his predicament... he automatically calls on Jesus... who has perfect faith...to save him.
Jesus has been in prayer...Jesus has turned to God...to his father in heaven... his Abba... for strength and comfort through the dark night grieving for his cousin...Jesus has trusted there’d be enough to feed 5000 hungry hurting people... and Jesus decides to walk out across the water.
Maybe that’s what makes the incarnate Christ...maybe that’s what makes Jesus... so different in the end...
living as he did with all the same restrictions of time and space as every other human being...existing in a fragile crucifyable human body...like all of us...
maybe during his time on earth...what was so powerful... so compelling about Jesus... was his perfect faith...
even in the face of death... even when he felt forsaken and abandoned... Jesus was able to say...
not my will... but your will be done.
You of little faith why did you doubt?
Like Peter our faith fails...we sink beneath the waves of fear and doubt...and at the heart of Matthew’s story is Jesus majestic message to all cowering believers...
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Have courage...don’t be afraid.
Once again Jesus accomplishes a great feat of faith...and reveals possibilities we never imagined...and gradually we begin to understand...that Jesus exercises a level of faith... we can never achieve on our own.
our meager faith... is in the one whose faith is strong enough...
and as we climb back into the boat with him...
we see that our hope must rest in him
and so we make our confession of faith...with his disciples
"Truly you are the Son of God." 14:33
Let us pray
Lord, we want to be bold in our response to your commands but when the storms rise up our faith is weak. Help us recognise your voice. Empower your church to trust you in courageous ventures of faith and reach out your hand to us when we doubt.
In your strong name AMEN.
