Matthew 14:22-33
"Getting out of the Boat"
I'm trying to remember if it was in KidzJam or Sunday school.
It was one or the other.
I was tucking Mary Ellen into bed on a Sunday evening and I asked her what she had learned in, again, either KidzJam or Sunday school.
And she told me this story of Jesus walking on the water, and the disciples thinking He was a ghost.
She said it word for word, almost exactly as it's written in the Bible.
Obviously it had really caught her imagination.
She was fascinated.
And this is, a very fascinating story.
It also has a lot of depth.
How long have you known this story?
For some, like Mary Ellen, you have known it since you were a kid.
And for others, perhaps this is the first time you are hearing it.
In any case, there is a lot to learn from hearing it again and again.
(Pause)
We are picking up right where we left off last week.
Jesus was tired.
His disciples were tired.
They had been grieving over John the Baptist's murder.
And so they had tried to "get away" and "be alone."
They had gotten into their boat and sailed to a deserted place, but it didn't work.
The crowds had followed them, probably about 10-15,000 people.
And even though Jesus was consumed with grief Jesus had "compassion for them and healed those who were sick."
Then, when everyone was hungry--instead of sending the people away--Jesus blessed what the disciples had--5 loaves of bread and 2 fish...
...and everyone was fed.
Now Jesus is really, really tired.
And we are told in verse 22, "Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into [the] boat [again] and go ahead to the other side of the lake [again] while he dismissed the crowds."
Then Jesus went up a mountain by Himself to pray, regain strength, and I would imagine--mourn.
And we are told, "Evening came and he was alone."
Then, sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Jesus goes to "catch up" with the Twelve disciples.
And the disciples are having a horrible time.
A storm has whipped up, and they are being battered by the waves and the wind; they are far away from land.
And that's when they spot someone or something walking on the water.
We are told that they were "terrified and said, 'It's a ghost!'"
"They were so frightened they screamed."
Why did they think they were seeing a ghost?
Well, what would you think?
Even if I saw my wife walking on the water, coming toward me as I was in a boat during a storm--I'd scream.
How about you?
I don't believe in ghosts, but I might start believing if I saw Clair walking on the water on a dark, stormy morning.
Anyway, this was Jesus coming toward them, but this was Jesus as they had never seen or known or understood Him before.
What kind of a being can do such things?
To get into the mind of the disciples at that moment, we need to get into their world.
These guys were Jewish men living 2,000 years ago.
They thought about things and interpreted things according to their background and how they were taught.
That's what we do now.
That's what they did then.
And for these guys, water represented much more than a mere "physical reality."
According to Karl Barth, water, in Hebrew thought was "the principle which, in its abundance and power was absolutely opposed to God's creation."
"It represented all the evil powers which oppressed and resisted the salvation intended for the people of Israel."
Think about it.
Throughout the Old Testament, it is God's Lordship over the chaotic waters that continuously proves God's victory.
Think back to the very beginning, in Genesis Chapter 1 we are told, "When God began to create the heavens and the earth--the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea,"
But God proved God's power over the chaotic waters.
God said, "Let there be light.' And so light appeared."
And then God went on to create the world.
In Genesis Chapter 9, God made a covenant with Noah promising, "that never again will all life be cut off by floodwaters.
There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth."
In Exodus Chapter 14, God delivered the Israelite people by "pushing back the sea."
In Joshua Chapter 3, the Jordan river had overflowed its banks completely, but God made sure all of Israel was able to cross into the land of promise "on dry land."
Over and over again we see that God is the only One who can triumph over the waters.
God tramples the waves in Job Chapter 9 and Habakkuk Chapter 3.
We could go on and on.
But the point is that when Jesus comes walking on the water--triumphing over the sea, shall we say, as the disciples are battling the elements--what this means to the disciples is even more than terrifying!!!
Jesus is doing something that only God alone can do!!!!
So, this story isn't just about Jesus walking on the water, it's also a divine revelation!!!!
And Jesus' words to the astonished disciples only go to reinforce this.
Jesus said to them, "Be encouraged! It's me. Don't be afraid."
The words translated as "It's me" are the same words God used to reveal Himself to Moses at the burning bush.
Jesus is saying to the disciples, "I AM is here, trampling victoriously over the waves."
"Be encouraged. I Am the God of Israel. Don't be afraid."
Can you imagine the awesome vision that is unfolding before the disciples very eyes as Jesus says these words while standing on the choppy sea?
Jesus is God.
Jesus is the Liberator and Redeemer of Israel, Who is at the same time the Creator of the world and the One Who has victory over chaos!!!
And Jesus as God says, "Be encouraged--Don't be afraid."
That was Jesus' message to the disciples in the midst of the storm on the water, and this is Jesus' message to you and to me in the midst of the storms of our lives--"Be encouraged! It's me. Don't be afraid."
How many times does Jesus say, in the New Testament, "It's me. Don't be afraid"?
A lot.
We live in a world that is ruled by fear.
Like the deep dark chaotic waters of the sea, fear seems to be the one thing we humans can't overcome.
We are afraid of one another.
We are afraid of getting old.
We are afraid of getting fat.
We are afraid of being laughed at.
We are afraid of being punished.
We are afraid of being "found out."
We are afraid of being embarrassed.
We are afraid of losing those who are close to us.
We are afraid of being alone.
We are afraid of the dark.
We are afraid of getting cancer or Ebola, even.
We are afraid of war, terrorism, chaos, death.
There are days when we seem to get along just fine, and then there are days that come upon us with little warning and we are consumed with fear.
And when this happens, it's dark and we have no idea what to do next.
We wonder how we are going to make it through.
But be alert.
Jesus walks out to us, victoriously gliding across the things we fear most.
Be alert and listen.
Jesus comes to us in our fear and Jesus speaks to us: "Be encouraged. It's me. Don't be afraid."
Remember what we are told in 1 John: "God is love...There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear..."
What are you afraid of?
What is seeking to conquer you?
What storms are you fighting this morning?
Jesus is saying to you and to me: "Be encouraged! It's me. I'm here. Don't be afraid."
In verse 28 Peter replies to Jesus, "Lord, if it's you, order me to come to you on the water."
Really, Peter was saying, "If you are Jesus and you are God, order me to come to you on the water."
And Jesus says, "Come."
And that is what Jesus says to us.
"Come."
"Walk right out of the safety of the boat and conquer your fears."
"Come to me. Believe."
"Come to me and with me into the troubled waters of the world to proclaim the love, mercy, and justice of God to a terribly lost and frightened race."
And so Peter gets out and, lo and behold, he walks on water as he moves toward Jesus.
But the strong wind blew, and Peter was distracted.
And once he became distracted, fear got a grip on him again and he started to sink.
"Lord rescue me!" he shouted.
And what happened?
"Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him."
What is clear is that we are called by Jesus to step out of our comfort zones in faith, even in the midst of troubled waters.
What are your troubled waters?
What storms do you see brewing?
Are you hiding from them, or are you stepping out into them in faith?
What ministry is God calling you too?
Does the thought of it frighten you?
Are you stepping out in faith anyway?
A colleague shares the following: "Years ago, I attended a gathering where a pastor was talking to a group of other pastors about the crisis in our churches.
I will always remember", my colleague writes, "his assertion that the reason we seem to lack faith in our time is that we are not doing anything that requires it."
And he's right.
The key to faith and the fullness of life that Jesus offers is to follow Peter's example and be willing to step out of the comfort and security of the boat and head into the troubled waters of the world to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Will Willimon wrote the following: "If Peter had not ventured forth, had not obeyed the call to walk on the water, then Peter would never have had this great opportunity for recognition of Jesus and rescue by Jesus...
...if you want to be close to Jesus, you have to venture forth out on the sea...trusting and proving His promises through risk and adventure."
Getting out of the boat with Jesus is the most risky, most exciting, and most fulfilling way to live life to the fullest!!!
And Jesus invites us to do just that.
Praise God.
Amen.
