Sermon: The Boat

Walking on Water
Peter Koenig, 20th Century

Lectionary: Proper 14(A)

Text: Matthew 14:22-33

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.[1]

Thus begins the Bible. The watery deep and the sea—ancient people feared them. They represented chaos. They represented the source and dwelling place of evil spirits and demons. The first Genesis creation story[2] is a story of God systematically calming the chaotic storm of primordial Earth and replacing it with order and peace.

The fear of the sea is attested to by several sea monsters identified in Ancient Near Eastern mythology. In the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, a sea serpent named Lotan is defeated by the storm god Hadad-Ba’al. In the Babylonian Enuma Elish, the storm god Marduk defeats Tiamat, who is both the cosmic ocean and was a deity in Babylonian mythology. And in the Hebrew scriptures, the God of Israel, Yahweh, defeats the sea monster Leviathan.[3]

The Christian scriptures, in Revelation, depicts a land where “the sea [is] no more.”[4] The theological and emotional significance of this detail for ancient audiences was that God had achieved complete victory over chaos and evil. Nothing would be left—no more large body of water—from whence chaos and evil could reemerge.

Furthermore, in the Hebrew scriptures, Yahweh is shown as one who walks above the waters and calms the waves.

He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.[5]

You walked through the sea; you passed through the surging waters, but left no footprints.[6]

You rule over the proud sea. When its waves surge, you calm them.[7]

These are some of the elements that provide context through which the audiences of Matthew’s gospel would have heard the story of Jesus walking on water through the storm and bringing calm to the waves.

Some interpretations of today’s gospel reading which we have probably heard or read include:

·        The miracle of Jesus walking on water and the winds being calmed show Jesus’ power. Therefore, we can have confidence in Jesus when we go through life’s storms.

·        Peter began to participate in Jesus’ miracle when he stepped out of the boat. But he let fear overcome his faith. But we can step out of the boat and face whatever challenges life throws at us, if we have courage and keep our eyes on Jesus.

·        At least Peter had the courage and faith to step out of the boat while the rest of the disciples stayed on the boat. We should be more like Peter.

·        Jesus allows storms to challenge us. But he shows up at the right time and is always near to save us.

While none of these interpretations are bad, I don’t think these are what the writer of Matthew had in mind. These interpretations are colored by our culture of individualism. When distilled down to their common theme, they are mostly about me, my challenges, and my faith.

As I frequently remind you, the cultural context in which the gospel was written and heard was that of collectivism. Community and relationships were the primary source of meaning and value for a person. Salvation was found primarily through belonging to the community of God. This is why Jesus emphasized the kingdom and belonging to it. Salvation was not something solely in the future but began here and now with how the community members treated one another.

Matthew’s gospel was probably put together toward the latter part of the first century CE. The audiences for this gospel were probably predominantly Jewish and located close to Jewish land.[8] However, these were Jews who had accepted Jesus as the expected Messiah. The response from their compatriots who did not were highly negative. Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed and many Jews killed by the Romans not very long ago. Jesus-following Jews were at odds with both their fellow Jews and Rome. Even without systematic persecution, their lives would have been uncertain and difficult. I think they would have identified with the boat in the story.

The boat may be just a vehicle (literally and metaphorically), but I was surprised by how central it is to this story. True, that the boat has no spoken lines and it does not act, but it is where all the characters and elements of the story come together. Jesus has the disciples get in a boat and tells them to go to the other side. The boat is buffeted by the wind and waves. Peter gets out of the boat. Jesus and Peter enter the boat. When they enter the boat, the wind ceases. And at the end, those in the boat worship Jesus.

The early church would have seen themselves as the boat. Following Jesus’ instructions doesn’t always mean they will make it to the other side without trouble, as they were keenly aware. It might even have felt like Jesus had sent them deliberately into the storm.

And where is Jesus in all this? Is he absent? This story peels the curtain back to show his followers that he is “up the mountain” praying to God, praying for his community and their mission. He is not ignorant of the church’s needs and predicament. His apparent absence does not mean he is not with them in spirit.

Like God’s spirit who moved upon the primordial waters of creation, Jesus is moving above the chaos and dangers facing his community. He is always near and his power is there to guide and assist.

But what do we do about Peter? Was Peter a hero or a fool? There is a 2001 book titled If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.[9] But is this the only or best interpretation? Peter has some great insights, but in Matthew, he often has great stumbles almost immediately after the insights. Peter is even called out as Satan, tempting Jesus.

A contrary interpretation is based on how Peter’s begins to ask Jesus, “Lord, if it is you…”[10] This sounds awfully similar to how Satan tempted Jesus: “If you are the Son of God…”[11] Peter, like the devil, is asking Jesus to prove himself.[12] At least to Peter’s credit (or is it foolhardiness?) he does follow through on his own demand when Jesus says, “Come.”

Additionally, the language around Peter getting out of the boat and walking to Jesus is ambiguous. Most translators and interpreters go with Peter getting out of the boat and walking on water toward Jesus. But the language leaves open the possibility that Peter intended to do this but never made it onto the water; that his simply trying to get out of the boat was fearful enough, requiring Jesus’ rescue of him.

From our individualist perspective, what Peter tried might be judged commendable. But from a collectivist, communal perspective, it could be argued that what Peter demanded from Jesus was not.

Nevertheless, when Peter fails, Jesus is there to rescue. And together they enter the boat and return into community with the rest of the disciples. When Jesus enters the boat, there calm and peace come over the boat and the waves. The wind and the waves have been defeated. The chaos of the waters can no longer threaten the boat.

For the church for whom Jesus is present through the Spirit, the chaos and dangers outside don’t necessarily disappear. However, the church can experience peace and confidence as they listen to and follow Christ.

Here is where we come to the actual miracle that Matthew probably intended for his audience to discover and experience: that Jesus is not just a great prophet, not just a miracle worker, but he is the Son of God. For these early Jewish Christ-followers, the act of walking on water and calming the waves signified that Jesus was God incarnate. Jesus’ actions has echoes to the Spirit at creation. Jesus walked above the waters and calmed the waves as their prophets had written about Yahweh. Jesus’ reassuring words to the terrified disciples, “It is I,” is a phrase that would have evoked “I am that I am” spoken by God to Moses.[13]

The miracle is that the disciples, at least for a moment, recognized the true nature of Jesus.

The church can be seen as a boat in which we exist. We carry Christ’s presence within our community. Whatever dangers and uncertainties surround us, we can take courage and have peace, knowing the God is with us in community. When we are troubled, our help is found as we come together, not through trying to wade into the storm alone.

Now, I don’t think this means we must isolate ourselves or treat the church as a rescue boat into which we try to drag people. Rather it gives us a behind-the-scenes perspective of Christ’s relationship with us. I think it shows us how to have a broader perspective and a more community-oriented perspective as we seek to carry out his commands to bring the message of God’s peace and love to the world.

In the name of God the Creator,

In the name of God the Savior,

And in the name of God who challenges us to face storms with courage, Amen.

References

France, R. T. (2007). New International Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Garland, D. E. (2001). Reading Matthew: A Literary and Theological Commentary. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing.

Heiser, M. S. (2018, July 4). What Walking on Water Really Means. Retrieved from Logos: https://www.logos.com/grow/walking-water-really-means/

Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2013). Feasting on the Gospels--Matthew, Volume 1: A Feasting on the Word Commentary. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Van De Laar, J. (2026, July 30). Lectionary Reflection for Proper 14A on Matthew 14:22-33. Retrieved from Sacredise Your Life!: https://sacredise.substack.com/p/lectionary-reflection-for-proper-af9

Wikipedia Contributors. (2026, July 8). Lotan. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotan

Wilson, W. T. (2022). Eerdmans Critical Commentary: The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Wilson, W. T. (2022). The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 2 (Matthew 14-28). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

 

 

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[1] Genesis 1:1-2, NET 2^nd Ed. (NET2)

[2] The second creation story begins at Genesis 2:4.

[3] (Wikipedia Contributors, 2026)

[4] Revelation 21:1

[5] Job 9:8 (NET2)

[6] Psalms 77:19 (NET2)

[7] Psalms 89:9 (NET2)

[8] Antioch of Syria is one city that is often suggested.

[9] Author: John Ortberg

[10] Matthew 14:32.

[11] Matthew 4:3, 6.

[12] To be fair, all the disciples think Jesus is a ghost. But extending this, why would an invitation to come walk on water prove that Jesus is who he says he is? Wouldn’t a ghost or a spirit be able to also give an invitation?

[13] Exodus 3:14.

Sermon: Two Banquets

Loaves and Fish

Lectionary Proper 13(A)

Text: Matthew 14:13-21

“When Jesus heard the news about John…”

Today’s gospel reading drops us in the middle of a story that is already in progress. Yes, the feeding of the 5,000 can be read as a standalone story. But it is also part of a literary structure that begins with another story, a story that the author intends to be a literary foil to the feeding of the 5,000. Here is the first part of the story, chapter 14, verses 1-12.

14 At that time Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus. ² “He is really John the Baptist, who has come back to life,” he told his officials. “That is why he has this power to perform miracles.”

³ For Herod had earlier ordered John's arrest, and he had him tied up and put in prison. He had done this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. ⁴ For some time John the Baptist had told Herod, “It isn't right for you to be married to Herodias!” ⁵ Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the Jewish people, because they considered John to be a prophet.

⁶ On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in front of the whole group. Herod was so pleased ⁷ that he promised her, “I swear that I will give you anything you ask for!”

⁸ At her mother's suggestion she asked him, “Give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a plate!”

⁹ The king was sad, but because of the promise he had made in front of all his guests he gave orders that her wish be granted. ¹⁰ So he had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ The head was brought in on a plate and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. ¹² John's disciples came, carried away his body, and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.[1]

The two stories share a common theme: a banquet. There is Herod’s birthday party. And then there is the banquet for thousands in the wilderness. One is a banquet of self-indulgence. The other is a banquet of self-giving. One is a banquet of death. The other is a banquet of healing and life. One banquet has the appearance of abundance and wealth. The other has very little to show materially, but it is the one which ends up with more than can be had by the crowd.

Jesus had been teaching in the towns and villages around Galilee. But when he heard that his relative, John the Baptizer, had been executed, he tried to get to a secluded place. One likely reason was that he needed time for himself to work through his emotions. Another reason likely was that because Herod thought Jesus was possibly John brought back to life, Jesus’ life too, was in danger if he stayed within populated areas.

In any case, Jesus didn’t get his time alone, because the crowds followed him. Whatever personal distress and grief he may have been feeling, the overwhelming needs of the crowd touch his compassion, and he tends to their needs.

As the day begins to enter late afternoon, the disciples suggest a prudent course of action: dismissing the people so they can take care of their physical needs. But Jesus responds, “There’s no need to send them away. You give them something to eat.”[2]

The disciples are perplexed. Among them, they find that they have five loaves of bread and two fish.[3] Barely enough to for just Jesus and the disciples themselves. They bring these to Jesus, who takes them, then looks up to heaven, blesses the bread and the fish, and breaks the bread and gives them to the disciples. This act is frequently interpreted as a type of Eucharist, Lord’s Supper, taking place before the Last Supper event. It also shows Jesus’ continuing compassion for the crowd, providing for their needs before they even ask. It is also a sign that identifies the true Shepherd of Israel.[4] Finally, it can be seen as symbolizing the Messianic banquet, spoken by the prophets.

Here is where interpreters take two very different routes in attempting to answer, “How did there come to be enough food for the entire crowd?”

The first is the traditional and probably for many of us, the most obvious explanation: it was a supernatural act that Jesus performed. The strength of this explanation is that it parallels the miracle of manna during Israel’s wilderness wanderings. The text too, could be read as implying that is what happened: Jesus gave the bread and fish to the disciples, and then they in turn gave what they had been given to the crowds.

There are, however, pitfalls to be aware of when interpreting this way. One is coming to expect supernatural divine intervention to take care of many of life’s problems. It may become a temptation to excuse idleness and laziness as “waiting for God.” Another pitfall is that the miracle interpretation raises the question, if God can supernaturally provide sustenance, why are the needs of the world increasing instead of decreasing?

Before moving to the second possible way of interpreting the “feeding” story, I would like to take a slight pause and note that thinking of miracles as supernatural intervention is a modern concept. Ancient people simply assumed that divine beings and their agents performed miracles all the time. So, that many thousands of people had their fill would not have raised questions about “how did it happen?" Rather, it meant to them that it signified that Jesus was like Moses and Elijah, major prophetic figures in their history.

Returning to interpretations of the miracle, a second line of interpretation does not invoke supernatural intervention but sees in the story an act of sharing among the crowd. The act of Jesus and his disciples sharing is interpreted to have prompted sharing among the rest of the crowd. Among several thousand, it is highly unlikely that no one brought any food with them, especially knowing that they were going to be out on the road for many days. Perhaps some were low on or out of supplies, but not all. And once everyone got around to sharing what they had, there was not only enough, but more than enough to go around.

A strength of this line of interpretation is that it highlights the fact that God has provided sufficient resources in the world and among the people of the world so that no one should be in need. Another strength is that it emphasizes the community that Jesus is building and one of the key tenets: that the community shares what it has with everyone else. There are no hierarchies or privileged ones. All are equal in this community. The very first generation of Christians were at their best when living this out in their community. Another strength of this interpretation is that it shows that God’s people are not simply passive observers waiting for God to act, but that they are active participants in finding and sharing resources in caring for the world. A final strength is that one could say that getting thousands to spontaneously share is a greater miracle than a supernatural provision of food.

But there are also pitfalls. The primary one is that it discounts or eliminates the supernatural from the story of the feeding of the 5,000, and this might cause us discomfort by challenging traditional assumptions. A second pitfall is that one could take it too far and say that the work of community is all up to us. Leading from both pitfalls is that we might be less inclined to wait for God when waiting is appropriate, and instead do something just for the sake of doing something.

What we are left is a paradox. Both can’t be true simultaneously, yet they are. There are principles, truths, and warnings that each line of interpretation offers. All are valuable in understanding how we are to live as a faithful community. Sometimes we wait. Other times we act. We also recognize that God has provided sufficient resources within God’s community and that what we are asked to do is share with one another.

The way of self-indulgence, self-protection, and self-aggrandizement leads to death. Just ask Herod Antipas and John the Baptizer.

The way of compassionate, sharing community leads to life. That is what Jesus taught and lived.

In the name of God, the Creator of the world,

In the name of God, the Redeemer of the world,

And in the name of God, who discomforts our tendencies toward self-indulgence and self-protection, Amen.

Bibliography

France, R. T. (2007). New International Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Garland, D. E. (2012). Reading the New Testament: Reading Matthew. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated.

Van De Laar, J. (2026, July 23). Lectionary Reflection for Proper 13A on Matthew 14:13-21. Retrieved from Sacredise Your Life!: https://sacredise.substack.com/p/lectionary-reflection-for-proper-23c

Wilson, W. T. (2022). The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 2 (Matthew 14-28). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

 

 

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[1] Matthew 14:1-12, GNT.

[2] Matthew 14:16, CEB.

[3] In the Gospel of John (6:9), the source of the food is a “youth.”

[4] Once more, in John’s gospel (6:14), this implication is made more clear.

Sermon: Jesus Liked to Eat

Lectionary: Proper 13A

Text: Matthew 14:13-21

Introduction

“Jesus liked to eat.” That is how one of the commentaries for this week’s text begins. Here is a little bit from the opening paragraphs of this commentary:

"Jesus liked to eat. The disciples of John the Baptist noticed enough to question why he did not fast. His enemies noticed enough to ask his disciples why he ate with tax collectors and sinners. They labeled him a glutton and a drunkard. His parables are often about wheat, or fruit trees, or banquets, or vineyards...

Eating is rarely listed as a spiritual practice, but it should be. Some of the best stuff in ministry happens over meals... Every pastor ought to have an expense account to be used to fund the pastoral ministry of feasting. It may be more important than paying the light bill. Mealtime is often where ministry happens."[1]

The act of eating together in the Christian tradition is traced all the way back to Jesus. The early church shared food and meals together. And food was one of the original controversies, too. The appointment of the original deacons in Acts was in response to a controversy regarding inequities around the distribution of food. Acts also contains the vision of Peter and the unclean foods, and how that led him to accept eating with Gentiles. The Epistle to the Galatians contains a report of Peter reverting to segregated eating at which point Paul challenges Peter. Several of Paul’s epistles contain discussions about food controversies around clean and unclean distinctions and distinctions around food offered to idols. The First Epistle to the Corinthians contains a controversy about the differences in the kind of food the wealthy Christians ate vs. what the poor Christians were left to eat. And of course, the tradition of the Eucharist, or the Communion meal is found in the gospels and in some of the epistles. The Didache describes the communion meal as well, and it is described as the prelude to a full meal.[2] The miraculous distribution of food is reported in all four gospel accounts.

In the present-day church, fellowship time and potlucks take place regularly, continuing the central place of food and meals in the gathered church.

Jesus and Eating

If Jesus liked eating and we love eating as well, why is eating subordinated to the formal order of a worship service? Why is the act of eating, when it is remembered through Communion, reduced to just a symbol?

We read about Jesus teaching through words, but we also have Jesus teaching through activities that occur around meals. What happens during this week’s reading is one, but we also have Jesus teaching at banquets held in his honor, through meals that happen in private homes, and so on.

In the story of the Feeding of the (at least) Five-Thousand, Matthew portrays Jesus only as continuing his healing ministry. In Mark, Jesus teaches the people. In Luke, Jesus both teaches and heals. And in John, Jesus teaches, but directed to the disciples. From this I find potentially broader possibilities for worship than what we have traditionally accepted as the order of worship.[3],[4]

Question About Resources

The issue facing many smaller churches, including this one, is a lack of resources, especially the human kind. Many smaller, rural churches are finding it difficult or impossible to attract a pastor.[5] The congregation itself is getting older and fewer in number, making any kind of ministry difficult, both internal ministries and external ones.

And I think that is where today’s gospel reading touches our present realities.

¹⁷ [The disciples] replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves of bread and two fish.” (Matthew 14:17 CEB)

When given the audacious task of providing food for the entire gathered crowd, this is all they could find. It wasn’t enough to feed even themselves.

¹⁸ He said, “Bring them here to me.” (Matthew 14:18 CEB)

That is Jesus’ response to human need and apparent insufficiency of resources. And then,

He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples. Then the disciples gave them to the crowds. (Matthew 14:19b CEB)

Jesus gives thanks for what they could find, and then he returns the food back to his disciples.

This story is nearly always portrayed as Jesus providing a miraculous multiplying of food. But that is not anywhere in the text. (One can certainly read between the lines and possibly infer that Jesus might be doing the multiplying.) It is in the act of the disciples going out among the crowd with what they were each given, that the food somehow is not only sufficient, but abundant by the end.

That is a detail I found that I hadn’t really noticed before. Several commentaries I read noted that the miracle, however it might have occurred, is not the central theme or even a point of the story.

What is the point, then?

Start With Sharing What You Have

If the story is restated, it consists of Jesus seeing an initial need, Jesus having compassion and acting on it. Then a new need develops which the disciples see, but they can’t see how it could be solved. They suggest a very reasonable and logical solution, which Jesus rejects. Jesus tells his disciples that they are to solve the problem using their means. Their means appear far insufficient. Jesus takes what they do have, offers gratitude to God, then returns the items back to the disciples. And it is, as the disciples share what they have, that they discover that what they have is not only enough, but abundant.

The full mission of Christ’s Church is to minister to all the world. But what this story seems to be saying is that it doesn’t happen all at once. The story seems to be showing the growth of the kingdom through initial small steps of sharing. And that reminds me of the parables that we heard the past three weeks: “the kingdom of heaven is like” a sower sowing seed, a mustard seed, yeast, weeds, and so on.

Perhaps the gospel writer placed this story in this place, immediately after the parables, as what he saw to be an explanation and illustration of the meaning of the abovementioned parables. The beginning of the kingdom of heaven may appear small, inauspicious, even ordinary, but as God and God’s people work together, the influence and effects sprout and spread quietly, even mysteriously and miraculously, until the end of this age when at the harvest the full picture of how much it has grown is finally seen.

Our responsibility is to do what we can with what we have. Another parable comes to mind: the parable of the talents. Some groups start with larger resources, and they can have greater (in our way of thinking anyway) results. But one of the messages of that parable is to be faithful and use (or share) all that we were given, and whatever the result is, is sufficient. Faithfulness is not a competition or a comparison with the next person or group. Faithfulness is between you and God; between us and God.

Returning to Food and Fellowship as Worship

This congregation is struggling, and it is not alone. There are many all over the country facing similar struggles. What does it mean to be faithful with the resources that we do have?

When we think about resources, the first thing that most often comes to mind is probably financial.

But what about human resources? That may be a more pressing concern. Where are our human resources currently being utilized in this local congregation? How are our time and efforts currently being allocated? Who is being fed? Do we like what we see, or do we want to see something different? If something different, what needs to change?

Even if God was ultimately the source of multiplying the loaves and fish, it was in the act of the disciples taking and sharing to the crowd, not among themselves, that was the critical piece of the multiplication. How might that inform decisions we make about the resources we have among us today?

When I look at today’s story about how a huge crowd was given abundant food, I wonder if the church tradition of compartmentalizing and isolating worship from eating is necessary or good. Can the two be integrated so that worship and eating mingle together, where one moves back-and-forth seamlessly between the two? Where eating and socializing is one form of worship?

If worship is honoring God, is there a more appropriate way to honor how Jesus used food and meals to bring people together and teach the importance of sharing and community? Many of the ancient sacrifices and offerings were “shared meals” with the divine. Why couldn’t we practice and experience the same here, through our meals with one another?

The commentary I started with ends with this sentence: “When you have no idea what else to do, plan a meal, invite as many people as you can, offer what you have, and prepare to be amazed.”

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[1] Feasting on the Gospels--Matthew, Volume 2, chapter on Matthew 14:13-21, section "Pastoral Perspective", p. 44.

[2] See Chapters 9 and 10 of the Didache.

[3] Our Order of Worship brochure (pcusa.org) (https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/theologyandworship/pdfs/order_of_worship_brochure_dec_2008.pdf#:~:text=The%20order%20of%20worship%20that%20centuries%20of%20Christians,deeply%20into%20intimate%20communion%20with%20God%20in%20Christ.)

[4] The History of the Worship Order | Ashley Danyew (https://www.ashleydanyew.com/posts/2016/the-history-of-the-worship-order/)

[5] Why Did So Many People Stop Going to Church? - The Atlantic (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/07/christian-church-communitiy-participation-drop/674843/)

Sermon: “Ghost!” to “Son of God”

Lectionary: Year B, Proper 14

Text: Matthew 14:22-33, (34-36) (Extended the supplied reading to include the epilogue.)

I’m sure most of us have been told at some point that public speaking is most people’s top, or close to the top, fear. There is an actual survey done by Chapman University[1], and in their fifth survey done in 2018, public speaking was not even in the top 50. It ranked number 59. Fear of one’s own death only made it to number 54.

The fears at the top of the list are things that are concerned with government, politics, the environment, the economy, and those things that we tend to encounter more readily and frequently. As a point of interest, pandemic was number 32 down the list two years ago. (I’m curious where that item would land today.)

And, in case you were wondering, the disciples’ fear of ghosts is only number 88 in the 21^st century. This fear might have placed a higher in the first [century]. 

These are turbulent times, indeed, in nearly every aspect of life. There are plenty of potential sources vying for our fears, and it might be easy to let fears overwhelm us. Some might say we shouldn’t fear at all, but fear is an important emotion that alerts us to genuine harm and danger, and we can respond to such fears by taking appropriate actions and precautions. 

Perhaps one of the problems is that when we are bombarded by almost innumerable negative stimuli and stressors, it becomes difficult to sort out and distinguish those things that we ought to respond to appropriately vs. those things that we should not pay attention to. One response might be overreaction in which we try to respond to everything. Another response might be to becomes so anesthetized that we ignore everything, even genuinely harmful ones. 

Jesus had just recently heard the devastating report about the gruesome murder of his cousin, John the Baptist. When Jesus tried to get some time to himself, he was bombarded with a huge crowd that took all of his efforts for the entire day. At the end of the day his disciples presented him with another problem which Jesus had to again take the initiative to provide a solution. 

We have to remind ourselves that Jesus is fully a human being here. He is not operating from his divine essence. Jesus gets tired, he experiences stress, he has enough of being around other people, he has griefs, he feels frustration and anger, and he feels fear. I think that sometimes Christians portray Jesus’ perfection in such a way that these very human emotions get erased. It is good to be reminded that Jesus experienced and struggled with the same emotions that every human being does. 

Jesus sends the disciples away on their boat and he dismisses the crowds. He goes up the mountain to have some time for himself — to spend time in prayer and recharge and restore himself through God. He spends the entire night in prayer. 

An important point for us as we live in our time is to find time to recharge and restore ourselves. Prayer doesn’t look the same for every person. For some it may be literally sitting in prayer. For others it might be meditation outdoors, bathing in the wonders of God’s creation. Others might find things like journaling and writing helpful. How did God wire you to connect back to God? 

Early in the morning, Jesus senses that his disciples are in trouble and goes out to meet them. In the midst of storm and turbulence, with wind blowing and waves crashing, Jesus walks out to them on the water, to approach the disciples in their boat. Metaphorically, Jesus might represent those who have such unequivocal trust in God that they are a picture of solid calm whatever might be outside. They are able to find solid footing, even on what to everyone else is tempestuous water. The ideal picture for which we strive. 

What appears calm and certain, Jesus on the water, is anything but, to the disciples. When they see Jesus, the only explanation they come up with is that it is a ghost. We shouldn’t be too hard on them, since I doubt any of us would have responded too differently if we saw a figure approaching us in the middle of the sea. 

We expect Jesus in certain places and to show up at certain times. A lesson here could be that we might overlook Jesus or misidentify God’s presence in the world because it doesn’t look like what we expect, or they are in places where we don’t expect God’s presence to be found.

Jesus immediately announces his identity to his disciples and assures them that there is no reason for fear. It should be noted that Jesus’ identification of himself, “It is I”, is the “I AM” that Yahweh used to identify himself in Hebrew history. The image of a being walking on water is associated with God and the divine in the Hebrew Scriptures. Perhaps the disciples’ exclamation that what they saw was a ghost was preferable, at least to them, than the alternative, that it was God approaching them. Which could also explain why Jesus was so quick to identify himself and to calm their fears. This was Jesus whom they had been in the company of for quite some time now — someone they should know. Yet very different. 

What I see as one of the key themes in today’s reading is the disciples making a dramatic change in the identification of Jesus: from “It’s a ghost” to “Truly, you are the Son of God.” It should be noted that even though walking on water was dramatic and miraculous, that in itself was not what convinced them. After all, walking on the water made them initially think that Jesus was a ghost. 

What was it then, that caused such a marked shift? 

I believe the answer is found in Peter’s response to this “problem of Jesus.” The problem is that Jesus is familiar to the disciples, yet his present appearance is quite foreign. What are they to make of it? Are the two really the same?

Peter takes the initiative to verify that the being out on the water is really Jesus. Peter’s faith is not in his next act of stepping out of the boat, but in the very asking that he be invited to step out of the boat. Peter trusts that if Jesus commands it, Peter will be able to accomplish it. Jesus commands, and Peter steps out. At least for a short time, Peter’s trust in Jesus overcomes all doubt and fear. 

But as is often the case, initial success is met with strong winds and frightening waves. Yes, Jesus called Peter out of the boat, but is Jesus enough to keep Peter above the water? Notice that the wind and waves do not calm when Peters steps out of the boat and onto the water. Faith falters, doubt creeps in and Peter suddenly starts to sink. 

Peter calls out again, “Lord!” But this time it is not to step out in faith, but to be saved from certain drowning. 

Immediately (that’s a word repeated in this short section describing Jesus’ actions) Jesus appears next to Peter and lifts him up and holds him steady. Together they walk back to and into the boat. The winds cease when they enter the boat. 

It is at this moment that the disciples together identify Jesus as “Son of God.” Throughout Hebrew history, Yahweh has acted to save his people, the Israelites. The center of today’s gospel reading is the saving of Peter. The name Jesus is the Greek rendering of Joshua, meaning Yahweh is salvation. In the saving of Peter, Jesus is acting literally according to his name. Peter asks for salvation, and Jesus responds. 

If it were wonders and miracles that could convince the disciples that Jesus was the Son of God, it surely could have happened before this. If mastery over nature was a sign of divinity, Jesus had already calmed the seas once before [Matthew 8]. 

Up to this point, only Satan and demons had identified Jesus as “Son of God.” But now the disciples have finally seem to have understood, although they still don’t know what that really means. 

This story and the Feeding of the Five Thousand story from last week form a pair. The pair of stories begins with a crowd and healing, and the pair ends with an epilogue that is about a different crowd and some more healing. 

Perhaps I might be reading too much into some of the words used here, but I find it interesting that this latter crowd is said to “recognize” Jesus. The first crowd merely heard that Jesus had gone to a different place and followed. But the crowd at Gennesaret “recognize” Jesus. The healing of the first crowd is just a curing (Gk., related to our word ‘therapy’) of their illnesses. But when the crowd in Gennesaret are healed, the Greek word used here signifies restoration and salvation [sozos]. Where the first crowd merely experienced some physical cures, the crowd at Gennesaret experiences a restoration to wholeness. Perhaps these choices of words are Matthew’s way of showing how much more Jesus is able to offer when we see him as Son of God. 

We should not dismiss the positives that the world has gained from seeing Jesus as a great teacher, a moral and ethical example, a great prophet, and perhaps someone who worked wonders and miracles. But a restoration to wholeness can only come when Jesus goes beyond all that and is recognized as the Son of God, the savior of all humankind and the world. 

To know that Jesus is our savior is the antidote to fears that this life throws at us. Jesus beckons and calls us into the storm, the turbulence, and the crashing waves. That is where ministry happens – in the storms of life. That’s where Jesus is. He knows that our faith will falter and we will begin to sink. But he also promises that he will save us. 

It was just one disciple, Peter, whose faith allowed him to ask Jesus to command him to walk out into the storm. It was Peter’s actions and subsequent saving by Jesus that gave the remaining disciples insight into Jesus and their correct identification of who Jesus was. 

Was Jesus’ words to Peter, “You of little faith; why did you doubt?”, a reprimand as it frequently is interpreted? Or was it an encouragement? “You had enough faith to step out of the boat. Why did you doubt that you could continue? The faith you had to step out was enough to take you through.” 

All it takes is one person with a mustard seed sized faith to step out of the safety of the boat and into the wild uncertainties and storms of life. This one person and one act can inspire others to follow. 

When we are following Jesus to the places where he is asking us to work, we need have no fear of failure, because even if our faith falters, he will be faithful to lift and steady us, bring us back to where we can regroup and recover, and then follow him out again into the storms of this world.

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[1] https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/research-centers/babbie-center/_files/fear-2018/americas-top-fears-2018-ranked.pdf