Hillsborough Reformed Church at Millstone
August 7, 2005
Matthew 14:22-33
There are lots of orders being given in this passage – people telling each other what to do. Generally speaking, we do not like people telling us what to do. It is very rude barking orders.
Do you remember transactional analysis from years ago? TA taught that people communicated in different ways. A bad way for adults to communicate was parent to child. If I talk to you, and treat you like a child in relationship to me, our relationship will soon sour. We were taught to talk to one another as adult to adult.
In these few short verses of the story of the storm on the Sea of Galilee and Jesus walking on the water, orders are being given. Some of the orders come from Jesus, whom you might expect; after all, he is “the Lord.” But one character has the audacity to give orders to Jesus – Peter – and amazingly, Jesus does what he’s told.
And we should take this as a warning. Be real careful what you ask Jesus!
Peter told Jesus to command him to walk to him on the water. Jesus did what Peter told him to do.
What has been the content of your prayers, lately? What are you asking for from Jesus?
The peace that passes understanding? Good choice. Pretty safe too, I’d imagine.
How about joy? That too is a good choice, perhaps.
Are you asking him for success? Does Jesus hear a long boring string of selfish requests from us?
Have you asked Jesus to make you a better Christian? If so, let me warn you, be careful what you ask for! The Bible says that whatever we ask in Jesus’ name will be given us. In asking him to make us better disciples, we might not like so much where he takes us in answer to that prayer!
We make wild promises at different times in our lives. For example, when we make our marriage vows on our wedding day, we make some promises we might want to think about a little….”for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health.” Whoa! Are you sure about that? While when your love is new, you might believe you would be happy living with him in tent if that’s how it has to be, that tent starts getting cramped after a few months! These are extravagant wild promises. In our culture, when things get tough, the vows are laid aside – as if to say, “I didn’t mean I’d live with this!” In fact, our society treats these vows as if to say, “I will stay with you as long as our marriage meets my needs and fulfills my desires.
We make wild promises at baptism – in essence we relinquish control of our son or daughter. We literally hand the child over to Jesus, saying “My son is no longer mine, but belongs to you to use as you see fit.” In fact, baptism means drowning – death. Baptism means rebirth, a new creation emerges, owned by and subject to God. I have often wondered if we’d have fewer baptisms in the church if people stopped seeing it as an insurance policy for heaven and recognized it for what it is; the embarking on the very dangerous journey of walking with Jesus. His walk ends at the cross, you know.
When you are confirmed or join the church as an adult – you make wild promises – to love and obey the Lord. To follow Jesus no matter what, no matter where.
As the boat was battered by the storm that day, Peter ordered Jesus to do two things. The first thing Peter ordered Jesus to do was to command him to get out of the boat and walk across the water to Jesus – who was walking on the water. Peter should have had a consultant or advisor with him. Or he should have looked around him at the other disciples. Were they asking to walk on the water? No! An advisor could have said to Peter, “What are you thinking?” Maybe Jesus has a low body density….maybe he has big webbed feet….maybe he knows where the rocks are. What do you know about walking on water, Peter?” But Peter says command me to come, and Jesus commands him and he does and…….well, what would you expect? Have you ever tried walking on water?
Peter began sinking.
Peter gave Jesus an order, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
I have no problem believing Jesus walked on the water. It is a little hard to believe Peter did, at least a little, but that’s what we are told in the story, so it must be true. Peter is heading towards Jesus, in the stormy sea. But then he makes a crucial mistake. For these first steps on the surface of the water, Peter’s attention is fixed on Jesus. But then we are told that he is distracted by the roiling water. As a life long fisherman, Peter knows how dangerous storms at sea can be, and he gulps and is terrified and starts sinking.
But then his attention returns to Jesus and Peter gives his second order. “Lord, save me?”
Now if I was Jesus, I would have replied, “Just a minute, Peter. You are addressing the king of the universe. Don’t you start barking orders at me! Ask nicely, say, ‘Please,’ and I’ll save you.”
That’s what I would do. But Jesus just saves him. And then Jesus chides him, but not for using the imperative, “Save me!” but for having not enough faith, not enough trust in Jesus to keep on walking on water.
So I guess the question for you this morning is, “Can you walk on water?”
And if you answer with a surprised, “No!” then the next question is, “How do you know you can’t walk on water?” “Have you tried?”
Now, I am not suggesting that after worship we adjourn to the canal….well, maybe the Millstone River would be better because it is only two feet deep in the drought right now. Just in case, “ya know?”
By walking on water, I mean doing what Peter did. Looking at Jesus, seeing what he is doing, and telling him you want to do what he is doing.
Peter said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
When we truly see the living Jesus, we are drawn to him and drawn to walk where he walks. What does that look like? Some people are drawn to go into the mission field. Some people are drawn to go to seminary. We all are drawn to the church of Jesus Christ. The Bible says the church is the body of Christ and Jesus is the head. So if we are active in the church, we are walking where Jesus walks.
Where is Jesus drawing you? Often the church will show the way. You will be asked to do something in the church – to serve as an elder or deacon. To ring handbells. To stay overnight with the homeless, to lead the youth group, to teach Sunday School, to be lay reader, to sing or play your instrument, to go to church camp, lead a mission trip. Someone might say, “Oh, those things aren’t the same as what Peter did.” Anyone who says THAT – that recruiting choir members or getting church members to bring a friend to church isn’t as hard as walking on water hasn’t tried!
In fact, no matter what Jesus is asking of you. You should take it seriously. The answer is, “Yes, Lord.” Or if the church asks you to do something you don’t think is a proper fit for you, you will say, “I don’t think God is calling me to do that, but I will do this for the church instead,” substituting something you do feel able to do. You can trust Jesus.
And don’t lose sight of the second order Peter barked at Jesus – “Lord, save me!”
I don’t care how fierce a storm is raging in your life…I don’t care how bad you think things are…I don’t care how blinded you are by the sting of the spray blown by the angry winds of the storm, it is not too much for Jesus.
And remember, if you are following Jesus, he is the one who gets you in trouble in the first place! Remember it was Jesus who told the disciples to take out the boat, knowing there was a storm brewing!
Some people have tried explaining away that Jesus walked on water. They can’t and shouldn’t. You know why? Because the point is that Jesus is master of everything, even storms on the Sea of Galilee. So that if Jesus can walk on that water and pull Peter out of the waves by his brute strength and supernatural power, then surely he can lift you up when you are sinking from losing your job, the doctor’s solemn announcement of your disease, your problem at home with a teen, or a teen’s trial at school or with friends, you get it – no matter, no matter where, when the storms of life rages around you and you are sinking…up to your ankles….now your knees….now your waist, now your neck….it is okay to give Jesus a command – “Lord, save me.” Jesus will honor that command. You can always give Jesus that command – “Save me!” Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name shall be given you.” Jesus saves Peter and says to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt/” (Actually in the Greek, Jesus calls him a name. At another time, Jesus calls Peter the rock – “petra,” but here Jesus calls Peter, oligopiste – “little-faith.”) You can always trust Jesus.
Next Sunday, the children from VBS will recite the beatitudes along with us. That reminds me of the Sunday School teacher who had the young children memorize parts of scripture. On little boy named Billy had a particularly hard time. He was supposed to memorize the twenty-third Psalm. He just couldn’t get it, so when the big Sunday arrived for children to recite in worship, the resourceful reduced what Billy needed to say to just the first five words. Billy stood and with great confidence and in a loud voice said, The Lord is my shepherd, and that is all I need to know.”
Jesus Walks on the Water
22Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, 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.”
