Sermon for 10th Pentecost
Get out of the boat and walk toward Jesus
By The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer -
Record numbers of people out of work. The economy in free fall. Thousands demonstrating in the streets daily. Cities in turmoil. Police violence against black men and women. Gun violence on the rise. A broken healthcare system. Depression and suicide on the rise. Immigrant children in cages. Blaming Republicans for everything. Blaming Democrats for everything.
And all of this is the midst of a pandemic disease that we just cannot seem to get beyond, a disease that might kill us and others we love.
I find it all exhausting, scary and frightening.
It is understandable if we get scared. Sometimes there are times when it is natural to feel afraid.
But we can get in trouble when we allow our fears to control us.
So, the question today is what are we, you and me, what are we supposed to do when the world is a scary place? What does Jesus invite us to do when we are afraid?
Today’s Gospel lesson from St. Matthew can help show us the way.
Matthew describes this scene briefly and vividly. Matthew wants us to understand just how frightening the situation was for Jesus’ friends in the boat.
What does Matthew tell us? Matthew tells us that one evening Jesus sent his disciples out onto the water by themselves. Where is Jesus? He stayed back on land, quietly praying by himself, perhaps in a favorite spot overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
Meanwhile, Matthew says that Jesus told the disciples to get into a boat and head to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, without Jesus.
The disciples were alone in the boat.
Matthew also says that the boat was battered by the waves.
So, there the disciples were, alone in a boat without Jesus and the boat was being battered by the waves.
And, to make matters worse, Matthew tells us that while the waves were coming in over the top of the boat, the wind is howling, and it is blowing in the wrong direction.
The disciples are stuck all night in the deep waters of the Sea of Galilee. And, they are frightened.
We are then told by Matthew that something happens in the morning. Earlier, Matthew had told us that they had left in the evening. So, it appears that this little boat filled with Jesus’ disciples had endured the wind and the waves and the darkness for hours in the dark.
Safe to say that the disciples had been up all night, bailing out water and rowing against the wind and holding on for dear life, hour after hour in the dark. They are probably exhausted and frightened.
And, if he wind and the water and the waves and the exhaustion and the darkness and the muscle strain, if all these were not enough, now they have to deal with a what appears to be a ghost, someone coming to them, walking on the tempestuous sea.
They cry out in fear.
The disciples are exhausted, and they cry out in fear. That is what I would do, and, I suspect, you would, too. These are practical guys, some even fishermen, used to being out on the water, even in a storm, but this, a really fearsome storm followed by the ghost walking on the water toward them, this is too much. They are in real trouble. And, no surprise, they are frightened, terrified.
And then there is Peter.
Peter helps us to learn how to respond when we are frightened by our world and the circumstances of our lives, so it is helpful to pay attention to Peter’s reaction to all of this.
Matthew tells us that Jesus was walking on the water toward the disciples through the wind whipped waters. Peter catches a glimpse of Jesus and seems to understand that this is not a ghost but is Jesus and that Jesus is near.
And then Peter reacts in a very unusual way.
Now, you and I, faced with such a scene, I think we might react differently. I can see myself crying out for Jesus, “Come help me, Jesus,” and then waiting for Jesus to come to me. “Jesus, please come over here and save us.” And, as I said this, I would probably be thinking, “You know, Jesus, it was YOU who forced us out into this little boat in the first place. You made us struggle for hours in the dark while you had your quiet prayer time. Let me tell you, it has NOT been a quiet night for us! We are lucky to still be alive. So, get it in gear and get over here save us! Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
In my panic, that is probably what I would have thought and maybe even said.
But Peter does not react this way at all. Peter says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you.”
Peter does not ask Jesus to come closer to him, rather, Peter says to Jesus, tell me to come closer to you, Jesus. And Jesus responds “come.” Get out of the boat and walk on the water over to me, Peter.
Jesus tells Peter to do what he, Jesus, is doing. Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and he understood that the way to overcome this fearful situation was not to wait until Jesus came over and sat beside Peter in the boat. Rather, Peter seems to know that if he wants to be close and safe with Jesus, that he, Peter, would have to get up and move towards Jesus, Peter would have to do what Jesus was doing.
Would you do that? Would I do that?
There are so many storms brewing in this world. Many people have storms brewing in their personal lives. Matthew challenges us to make a Christ-centered decision that fear is not going to control us, that exhaustion is not going to constrain us, that darkness is not going to dictate our behavior.
We do not have to hide in the boat, waiting for Jesus to show up.
Matthew seems to be saying that the way to overcome fear is to get closer to Jesus and to do what Jesus does.
To do what Jesus does.
That really is our call as Christians, isn’t it? It is the task, the calling if you will, for everyone who follows Jesus Christ.
Peter left the boat and walked on the water.
The way to overcome the storms in our lives is to draw nearer and nearer to Jesus. And we do this by doing what Jesus was doing.
What does that look like? For everyone it might be different. For some, it means forgiving those who have wronged us. For others, it may mean being more generous to others, because that is what Jesus was and did, Jesus forgave, even those who killed him, Jesus was generous with his love and compassion.
Praying for our enemies. Respecting each person we encounter. Welcoming the stranger. Working for justice. Working against racism. Feeding the hungry. Praying about everything. Speaking the truth in love. Not lying to yourself and others.
That is how we overcome our fears today. Not waiting for Jesus to come to us but stepping out of our own “boats” and doing what Jesus would do in this world.
Not waiting for Jesus to come to us but stepping out of our own “boats” and doing what Jesus would do in this world. Stepping out and walking toward Jesus.
And, one more lesson from Peter. Especially in those times when we are still frightened. Peter got up and walked on the water towards Jesus. Peter did what Jesus was doing. And, Peter only got in trouble when he got distracted, when he took his eyes off Jesus.
Matthew challenges us to make a Christ-centered decision that fear is not going to control us, that exhaustion is not going to constrain us, that darkness will not dictate our behavior.
In the storms of our own lives, we need to stop staring at the storm. We need to move toward Jesus and not get distracted by the cares of this world. Then, we need to do what Jesus would do. Forgiveness, love, compassion, welcome, prayer. That is how we get closer to Jesus. And, that is how we overcome our fears.
Amen.
(With thanks to Father Michael Renninger, Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia)
The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer
Senior Pastor - Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
Santa Monica, California
Sermon for:
August 9, 2020
