Psalm 85: 8-13 (New Jerusalem Bible)
Matthew 14: 22-33 (Common English Bible)
When we come upon the miracles in the gospels the mistake many Christians make is to leave them frozen in time in the 1st century, with a WOW but no relevance for today. It doesn’t matter if you take the story literally or metaphorically, it’s the message behind the story that is important.
The story is about a storm, and it’s fair to say we all have faced storms in our lives. Some here today have encountered literal storms recently that have damaged their property during the early hours of August 7th. And certainly the people of Maui have faced a terrible fire storm on their island that has left more than 90 people dead and hundreds missing. But most storms are personal. The end of a marriage or relationship, the death of a loved one, depression and suicidal thoughts, the loss of a good job, severe illness or injury and dealing with a troubled child.
When Matthew’s gospel was written around 80 AD, the Jesus faith communities in Galilee, Judea and other close areas were facing religious storms. Most of the Jewish people that Matthew was writing to, had been cast out from the synagogues because they believed Jesus is the Messiah. The Temple in Jerusalem was gone, totally destroyed by the Romans. And it had been 50 years since the resurrection of Jesus and no signs of his return yet. Depression and pessimism had become the norm in the Jewish faith communities who believed that Jesus is the Christ.
Within this reading, Christian faith is not about certitude and the safety of believing from the boat. And in this reading maybe one can substitute boat for church. It can show a tension between doubt and trust. That can lead us even deeper into a mysterious relationship with God who comes to us during the darkness of the storm. God is present to us just when we risk everything and begin to sink. Theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Peter had to leave the boat and risk his life on the sea, in order to learn his own weakness and the almighty power of the Lord.” If Peter had not taken the risk, he would have never learned the meaning of faith.
We want to avoid storms at all costs. And we want to be picked up and placed where it is safe. This is the opposite of what Jesus does. Jesus did not find safe-places for himself or his disciples. Instead, Jesus reveals himself, speaks and comes to the disciples in the boat during the height of the storm. Jesus did not take his disciples out of the storm, he entered their storm.
Jesus came to the disciples walking on the lake, through wind and water. Now the Greek is confusing on verse 25. It can mean “walking over the sea” or “at the sea.” The Greek word “peripatein” used “for walking” in both verses 25 and 26, means to “walk about.” But one thing to realize is that the Scribes who copied the gospels over many centuries were not infallible. And the oldest complete copy of the New Testament we have, only dates to the 4th century AD, nearly 300 years after the resurrection. So it’s logical to think some things were lost or changed during the many years of scribal translation.
But the most important thing to remember is that during the disciples’ hour of need, Jesus came to them. As soon as the need arose, Jesus was there to help and save. Jesus’ words of peace, comfort and presence are never absent even in the worst storms we face. Where else would Jesus be, the one we call the Christ, the Son of God?
In our Western secular society, the Church needs a spirituality that is not other worldly, but understands the present social order, both good and bad. The storms that are raging today can be seen in the severe destruction that global warming is causing, income inequality, unending war, racism, inadequate health-care and corporate monopolies that control both political parties. Faith, hope and action can counter those evils. We are not called to walk on water, and I’ve never heard of anyone doing that since Jesus, but to trust the presence of the Spirit to guide us to work towards God’s alternative kingdom on earth. As it says in Psalm 85 verses 10 and 11, “Faithful love and loyalty join together, saving justice and peace embrace. Loyalty will spring from the earth and justice will lean down from heaven.”
When we replace the disciples’ boat with the church, we can see a parallel. A church focused on Jesus will always be able to withstand the storms, regardless of its size. Churches that use gimmicks to attract a crowd might be successful at first, but Jesus was no gimmick. He is the resurrected Son of God. Jesus’ teachings have more truth and power than any large church.
But the most important thing is faith. Faith is supposed to move and change us. And that journey is not easy for many. In fact, it can be the most difficult journey to be taken. Sometimes it might involve stepping out of the safety of the boat into the wind and waves of the storm around us.
Theologian Paul Tillich once wrote that faith should be dynamic. If faith becomes static, if it fails to move us, open us, deepen us or better us, then it is no longer faith. Instead it just becomes another idol we put on the mantle to worship which does nothing.
But no one needs to be alone when we are challenged by faith. Jesus comes to anyone who has to deal with the storms of life. A person with a good and open heart only needs to ask the Son of God for help. The great truth is, wherever Christ is, the most ferocious storm becomes calm.
The real miracle of this gospel writing is not the ability of anyone walking on water. Instead it’s the miracle that Jesus walks on the storms within us. That means the divine power and presence will always overcome human fear and doubts. It means that Jesus is Emmanuel (God With Us). Jesus’ presence is always with us, especially when we face our personal storms, even though we might not realize he is with us. After all, the disciples in this reading thought Jesus was a ghost.
But Jesus told them, “Be encouraged! It’s me! Don’t be afraid!” No matter how dark the night is, it is still the night in which Jesus appears. No matter how great the fear, it is the same fear that Christ has already overcome.
AMEN
