Walking With Jesus

Here are some thoughts on this Sunday's gospel. What are yours? This was sent to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

²²[Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while he dismissed the crowds.²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. ²⁵And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³²When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

This week, we have another miracle story, which follows the feeding of the 5,000+. The crowd that had experienced healing and feeding didn’t want to leave Jesus, not after the wonderful things he had done for them that day. Would you want to?

Jesus “made” the disciples get into the boat to go ahead of him “while he dismissed the crowds.” Darkness falls quickly in the Holy Land. Dismissals and good-byes are not short, so Jesus shows his concern for his disciples long before the miracle.

Even so, while Jesus was praying, the disciples were getting beaten up pretty badly. I’m sure that those who experienced Hurricane Isaias’ wrath can identify with the disciples’ situation.

I find it interesting that Jesus had taken a short-cut to the battered disciples via walking on the water. I’d be pretty frightened too in the pitch blackness, with a storm rocking the boat. What would you think if a figure was approaching you in the dark? Everything changes, however, when Jesus identifies himself, telling them not to be afraid.

Some have criticized Peter’s words, “Lord, if it is you…,” seeing them as Peter challenging Jesus to prove himself. However, a better translation is, “Lord, SINCE it is you…” Impetuous Peter is all in. It’s Jesus, so into the water he goes, only he doesn’t sink…until he is distracted from Jesus, paying more attention to the circumstances surrounding him than to his Lord. But at the same time, he had enough trust in Jesus to cry out “Lord, save me!” The disciples recognized that Jesus was no ordinary man. “Truly you are the Son of God.” This was just one more way that the identity and character of Jesus were revealed to the disciples.

We have our own storms we're experiencing these days: COVID 19, joblessness, emotional upheavals. We too can cry out, "Lord, save [us]!" and he does. Amid the heartbreak and disappointments and difficulties of these days, Jesus is with us through it all.

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