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Sermon August 13, 2023
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Track 1, Proper 14
https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp14_RCL.html
Audio: /documents/Eucharist__August_13__2023
Video: https://youtu.be/UJ6o1Vrp3sk
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him…. Matthew 14:31
I loved the Sea of Galilee. I have loved swimming in the water since I was a young child. Being in a body of water is like coming home for me.
So when I traveled to Israel in 2012, I was drawn to this beautiful blue body of water. I laughed, because it was called a sea, although it is salty. It’s so small. Not nearly as large as Lake Ontario, for instance. I had been studying Hebrew in seminary so knew about the hyperbole often seen in storytelling in the region.
But it was beautiful and calm and there were egrets, which reminded me of the Susquehanna and the New Jersey shore. A connection to something familiar and a faraway place at the heart of my faith.
I went swimming and thought about the fact that these were the waters Jesus knew.
I wrote this poem:
You come to me on the lake
The cool spring water winding its way
Feeding and cooling the lake
From the heat of the Galilean sun
It was here you called your beloved friends
It was here you taught all – both Jews and Gentiles
It was here you showed us the abundance of God
The hospitality of God
The graciousness of God
Loaves and fishes
It was here you calmed the storm
And drove out the unclean spirits
It was here you challenged the pantheon
The traditions and old beliefs
It was the rocks here – the black volcanic stone
Where you announced your church
It was here you set your face through the valley
And hill towns of Galilee
Towards the holy city of Jerusalem
The towns are mostly rubble and rocks
Only remnants remain
Yet the mighty mountains stand witness
Remember you
The spring flows
And the wind whispers your name.
How could such a beautiful lake and such a beautiful spot create such terrible storms that frightened Jesus followers? I mean, some of them fished the sea, so were very familiar with the water. But I was told, although I did not witness it, that the winds come through that area and terrible storms occur, sometimes suddenly.
In our reading today, Jesus has just been preaching to crowds of people and even fed at least 5,000 with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Of course, he and his followers are exhausted. Once again, what revives Jesus is to go off alone and pray.
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat to go across the sea to Gennesaret, the next stop for their preaching and teaching. While Jesus was praying, though, the boat was caught in one of those terrible storms that come. They were stuck in that storm all night. They just couldn’t get to the shore.
It’s early morning and they are trying to ride out the storm, when they see Jesus walking on the water towards them! What a sight that was and of course they were terrified. They couldn’t imagine that the figure walking towards them on top of the water was really Jesus.
As is true throughout the Bible when terrifying beings are encountered, Jesus tells them not to be afraid.
Peter still wants to test the figure that is appearing before him, so asked Jesus to command him to also walk on the water towards Jesus. Jesus tells Peter to come and Peter steps out of the boat and then loses heart once the strong winds start to blow again. Peter starts to sink in the water and cries out for Jesus to save him.
Then we hear that “immediately…immediately Jesus reached out and caught Peter. While Jesus admonishes Peter for not having much faith and for doubting Jesus, Jesus did not let Peter sink into the water fully. Jesus did not abandon Peter. Jesus did not tell Peter how foolish he was to even ask to walk on the water. Jesus does not even hesitate to help Peter out of the very situation that Peter created. Jesus does not hesitate to help Peter out of a foolish request that Peter made. Why would you ever ask to walk on the water, especially after you’d spent the night bobbing around in a boat during a terrible storm. Jesus does not admonish Peter for his foolishness. Instead, Jesus acts like it was a most natural request that could have been totally fulfilled if Peter had just trusted Jesus a little more.
And so, as followers of Jesus what do we see?
Yes, it is good to have more faith. Yes, it is good to have fewer doubts. Yes, it is good to put more trust in God. We need to find ways to build up our faith and confidence as individuals and as a parish when we walk with God and live the teachings of Jesus Christ.
And, in those times when we have only a little faith and in those times when we are riddled with doubts, Jesus will not let us go. Jesus will immediately reach out for us. Jesus will immediately offer us a helping hand. Jesus will not abandon us. Jesus will still save us.
Amen
