Sermon Text

On our vacation recently, Betty Anne and I were on a lot of boats, all kinds of boats – ferries of different sizes, fishing boats, and even one of those semi-inflatable things called a “Zodiac.” The waters were never really rough, but there were times when you could feel a pretty good swell rocking the boat back and forth.

You know, the early church fathers, drawing on the biblical imagery of Noah’s ark, sometimes referred to the Church as the “ark of salvation.” The Latin word for “ship,” navis, from which we get our words “navy” and “navigate,” is also the root for the word nave. That is the name given to the main part of the interior of a church building from the Narthex, or foyer, up to the Chancel (in other words, where all of you sit!). If you look up into the vaulted ceilings of many churches, you will see what looks like the stylized hull of an upside-down boat.

Now, I’m not saying that Matthew had any of these things in mind when he related the story that we just read together. But it is hard to read that story about a boatload of struggling, frightened disciples trying to paddle from one place to another on the Sea of Galilee against a ferocious headwind amidst foaming whitecaps without also thinking of the Church struggling to navigate sometimes stormy waters, battered and beaten by temptation, or persecution, or just its own sinful brokenness.

The Sea of Galilee is notorious for storms that seem to come up out of nowhere, and if the Twelve had foundered and never returned from this trip, they would not have been the first. Many boats and many sailors and fishermen had lost their lives in these chaotic waters. By four o’clock in the morning, they had been rowing for hours, and they must have been exhausted, seasick, their hands blistered. It must have looked like the end.

But in Matthew’s telling of the story, in the very midst of the storm, the waves, and the fear of these disciples, Jesus comes to them. He walks out to them over the water, seemingly unperturbed and unaffected by the storm. Certainly only God Almighty has such power, and so it’s really no surprise that Jesus announces, “Fear not, it is I,” which should literally be translated simply, “I AM.” You will remember that, when Moses encounters God in the burning bush, God reveals the divine name, “I AM WHO I AM.” This, Matthew wants us to know, is who Jesus is!

Three out of the four Gospels include some form of this story, and each of them links it with the feeding of the multitude. It is noteworthy that only the Twelve are witnesses to this miracle, this revealing of who Jesus IS – usually miracles are performed in front of the crowds.

Then Peter, the impetuous spokesman for the Twelve in this Gospel, speaks up. “Lord, if it is you, then tell me to walk on the water to you.” Does that seem to you like a strange request for Peter to make? Why didn’t he say, “Lord, if it is you, then calm this storm as quickly as you can!” After all, Jesus has done just that, right here in Matthew’s Gospel, back in the eighth chapter. You remember that story. All the disciples are together in the boat, and Jesus is with them, asleep in the stern. A storm arises, the boat is in danger of being swamped and going down. But Jesus awakes, lifts his hands toward heaven and says, “Peace. Be still.” And the storm is calmed.

But what Peter says here is, “Lord, if it is you, then tell me to walk on the water to you.” What Peter wanted desperately to do was to be like his Rabbi, like his Lord. If Jesus is going to walk on water, then Peter wants to do the same thing.

Notice that Peter doesn’t just jump out of the boat and start walking. He knows that if he is really going to do what Jesus is doing, it will be because Jesus calls him. And if Jesus calls him, then Peter somehow understands that Jesus will make the impossible possible.

Jesus could have responded, “Are you kidding? You know you can’t walk on water like me. Who do you think you are?” But he didn’t. He said simply, “Come.”

You know, it’s not the only time Jesus asks his disciples to do the impossible. He has already called them to turn the other cheek if someone strikes them. He has already called them to walk for two miles if someone forces them to go one. He has already called them to love their enemies and to pray for their persecutors. He has called them to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and to raise the dead. He has called them to be perfect, as their heavenly Father is perfect. He has even called them to follow him wherever he goes, even to the cross.

So this really isn’t so much of a surprise. “OK, Peter, come to me. Walk on this water.”

But, as is usually the case, Peter’s bold impetuosity, and even his initial faith and trust, don’t last. He takes a few steps, but is frightened once again by the wind and the waves, and he begins to sink like the rock after which he is named.

In fear, he cries out, “Jesus, save me!” and, of course, Jesus does. He reaches down, lifts Peter up, and brings him back to the boat.

Maybe Jesus is calling you to do something that looks impossible to you, but the wind has picked up and doubts have crept in, and you fear you might sink. Maybe you’ve already leaped into the unknown and you feel like you’re in way over your head. Or maybe you’re too scared to get out of the boat in the first place.

Remember how Jesus said, “You did not choose me; I chose you.” Yes, we should have faith in Jesus, trust him to tell us the truth, to know us, love us, and have our well-being in mind. But we should also remember that Jesus places faith in us. I know as well as you that being like Jesus sounds like an impossible feat. But I also know that Jesus would not call us to do something that he didn’t think we could do with his strength. He has called us to be like him.

Let me make a practical suggestion. It’s true that being like Jesus sounds impossible. But what if each one of us were to pick just one quality that we see in Jesus, and start there? Would that begin to make the impossible possible? What kind of difference do you think it would make? Are you willing to step out of the boat?