Sermon: August 7, 2011

Don’t Look Down!

 Matthew 14:22-33

Celebration of Our Lord’s Supper

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ August 7, 2011

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Matthew 14:22-33
Here is a favorite Bible story of Jesus walking on water, but commentator David Ewart writes: what happens in this story is NOT that Jesus walks on water. Jesus walks on the sea. And the sea was understood to be a living, chaotic, potentially deadly spirit. With David’s interpretation in mind, let’s immerse ourselves in the wild waters of the New Testament.

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.”

SERMON
I love to go white water rafting. I appreciate wearing a life preserver and helmet and having a good tour guide to steer, but even with all those safety features I have still ended up in the water, sometimes in a level five rapid. Watching the stock market this week was a lot like white water rafting and the world economy ended up in the drink. There are a lot of people pointing fingers and laying blame, but very few are helping people get back into the boat. I think what caused Peter to get into trouble walking on the sea is often the cause of human financial, physical or relationship collapse: loss of faith and doubt. This is the not the questioning doubt that challenges and tests our faith. I wish we had a different word for doubting as Thomas did in asking to see Jesus’ hands and feet and touch the side where the spear went in. Doubt that is curious that wrestles with angels is a vital part of the faith journey. We can educate our children about Jesus and God, but to have faith they must own it as their own for a life time of testing. No the doubt, I am talking about that Jesus chastises Peter for is the doubt that gives up. It gives up on our-selves, on others and on God. It invariably leads to fear. It is corrosive to faith.
As I was discussing this passage with our daughter, she said, “Anytime you’re in a dangerous situation you should keep you eyes on the Savior.” Keeping our eyes on the Savior requires us to look at what Jesus was doing. So what was Jesus doing? I think we have to go back at least a few days. Herod has executed John the Baptist. Jesus has comforted his disciples and then withdraws for a time of reflection and facing his own loss of his cousin John. But the crowds find him to seek healing and more teaching and when they are hungry he feeds them. Now he sends his disciples and the crowd away to get back to that time of prayer. For prayer warriors this is a wonderful lesson. Because prayer time does get interrupted by the demands of others, Jesus remain steadfast as should we in returning to prayer. So Jesus had been praying, teaching, healing, feeding the hungry and then praying again, and then he goes for a walk on the chaotic sea. Keeping our eyes on the Savior, we see him weaving service and pray and risk taking. In all of this he trusted in his heavenly Father’s will.

When Peter steps out of his boat, he enters a tumult. His motive isn't to escape from threat, for he goes into a situation where the threats will now look different, into a place where Jesus is defying and reordering the assumed boundaries. Isn't this what all faithful people are called to do? We trust God will be found in places where the regular safety of the boat is gone and raging chaos seeks to pull us under. Predictable endings don't apply. Sometimes incredibly turbulent places are also "thin places," where God breaks through. When we step out in faith, we often find God already there illuminating settings where "the way things are" are reconfigured to where the poor receive support, the sick find comfort, and the oppressed enjoy dignity and freedom.

Today we celebrate our Lord’s Supper. It recalls that Jesus took risks for us that brought about his persecution and death by torture. It was a very scary sea he sailed. It was lonely as his foremost disciples and friends abandoned him. We honor his sacrifice in the bread broken and cup poured out, but our eyes are still on the Savior. He rose from the dead! As he reached on to Peter in his fear and doubt, he reaches out to each of us. Take his hand in the rough seas and have faith that he is with you always. You can do what he did and even more. You can comfort the grieving, protect the persecuted, feed the hungry, walk on chaos and bring order and life to all you meet. It all begins and ends with prayer. Amen.


RESOURCES:
www.holytextures.com
Adapted from “Faith Within the Chaos” by Matthew L. Skinner, Associate Professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary, Huffpost Religion www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-l-skinner/on-scripture-matthew-14-faith-within-chaos_b_916355.html see: John 14:12
also