Readings:
1 Kings 19:9-18, & Matthew 14:22-33
The picture of Jesus walking on the water is Iconic.
It is perhaps one of the
most familiar images for us as Christians. It is also one of the few biblical
narratives, or bible stories, that is still part of our culture, and known to
people who don’t regularly come to church.
Perhaps it is the “otherness” of the story.
The fact that it is so unbelievable, so counter intuitive,
and so contrary to the way we understand how the world works, that adds to the
story’s popularity. This ‘fantastic’ element is found within all of the Nature
Miracles, those miracles in which Jesus demonstrates His control over nature. Jesus
walking on water; Jesus calming the storm; Jesus multiplying bread and fish to
feed the multitudes. These events strike us as impossible, because they run so
contrary to our experience of life, and our environment.
It would have been no less so for the disciples!
Sceptics often make the error of attributing these stories
to the ignorance, or naiveté, of the apostles. The sceptic will say “these
things can’t happen!” and assume therefore, that to have written about such
things, the apostles simply must have misunderstood the laws of nature.
Make no
mistake here, although they did not understand the “mechanics” as we do,
although they didn't have sophisticated scientific method to record their
observation, they did know how the
world worked. They did know what
things could, and couldn't happen. If anything, I would say they had a greater understanding (if more basic)
than we do, simply because they spent more time in nature.
These were fishermen; they knew people could not walk on water.
I'm not sure there is a people, or occupational group, in the world who would
know this fact better than them. I'm certain that they knew more about the
tides and waves than I will ever know. It would be preposterous to think,
absolutely arrogant to think, that these people were confused by the event –
somehow thinking people could walk on water.
We even know from the scripture itself that they couldn't believe it at first:
Verse 26 says:
“And when the
disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a
ghost!” And they cried out for fear.”
A ghost. They thought it was a ghost. They thought a man
walking on water would be so impossible, so unlikely, that their first thought
was a ghost. They knew men cannot walk
on water. Further to this, after Jesus calls to them, calming them, they still
do not think it can be – and they challenge him, verse 28:
“ And Peter answered
Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Jesus, in his compassion, complies.
He takes Peter with him onto the water, with the waves
billowing around them, they walk. Peter had taken a huge leap of faith, taking
those few steps from the boat – My mind wanders to the moon landing, and those
famous words “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” – This was indeed a huge leap for man, but
unable to escape his surroundings, Peter cannot yet appreciate it.
You see, Peter cannot yet let go of his doubts, his fears,
his presuppositions, his anxiety and he begins to doubt. Sinking into the
water. Sinking into despair. Sinking into mistrust. Sinking. Jesus reaches out,
grabs his arm, and helps him. Peter finally now begins to see him, to really see Him, for the first time.
There had been a lot of miracles so far, but nothing like
this. Because men cannot walk on water. Peter is struggling for words to
express his thoughts, his instincts, perhaps this frustration contributed to
his doubts, his confusion. Because men cannot walk on water.
They climbed back into the boat; and everything had changed.
Because men cannot walk on water. Peter knew that. And as he staggered, hands
and knees, into the boat he remained face-down, his knees bent – I imagine his
companions fell to theirs. Because, men do not walk on water.
I doubt at this point they understood, I doubt they knew for sure, I expect all
they knew was that they had to do something – and there was only one thing that
could be done - they worshipped him.
Men do not walk on water. They knew this. And so everything had
changed. The words came, I’m sure, after a moment of stunned silence that must
have felt like eternity “Truly You are the Son of God.”
It must have been a
mumble at first. You see, these words are no ordinary words; this was no
ordinary act. On shore, back at home, these words could have cost them their
life. Stoned to death for blasphemy. Talking about God in this way, talking
about a man in this way. For most of the men on that boat, these words would
cost them their life; even today, these words continue to cost men their lives,
we think of Northern Iraq where ISIS have been committing the worst kinds of atrocities,
filled with hate, and terrible anger. These words are important, they are, with
no exaggeration, a matter of life and death; these words are a matter of
Eternal life or Death. “Truly You are the Son of God.” We continue to use these
words about Jesus, because, understand this: men do not walk on water.
What does this mean, and what are the apostles saying?
There is much conjecture among fans of Dan Brown, author of
the DaVinci code, at what point the church started calling Jesus God, whether
it was when the Nicene Creed was written, or when the church fixed the bible…
these conversations make me laugh. It is there as clear as day, before your
very eyes in the text, men do not walk on water.
Jesus is God.
There, I said it.
God revealed himself to the apostles there, on that stormy
sea; on that windy night. God showed them His Face; and the face of God, the
immortal one, the ancient of days, the all-powerful, and unchangeable God of
all creation looked upon them with Jesus’ eyes of compassion, and the voice
that commanded all of creation into being spoke to them saying “why did you
doubt?”.
“why did you doubt”.
This isn’t a phrase that calls condemnation down upon the
apostles as they knelt there, mouths ajar in awe. It was a phrase that stirred
them, lifted them, and encouraged them to put their trust in Him, the Son of
God.
God revealed Himself to the aspostles that day, just as he
had done to Elijah 900 years before.
The stories resonate with a striking similarity: Verse 11 from the reading from
Kings:
Then He said,
“Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord
passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the
rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord
was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire,but the Lord was
not in the fire; and
after the fire
a still small voice.13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his
face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly
a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
First there is the wind, the storm, the raging nature –
Elijah’s story tells us of the wind so strong it broke the rocks; our gospel reading
tells us the wind lashed up billowing waves, that tossed the boat to and fro.
God doesn’t choose to reveal himself through the storm
Then comes the fear; earthquake and fire in the Old
Testament reading, fire that is unpredictable, and conjures up thoughts of the
supernatural; the New Testament reading has a spoken fear “a ghost!” they cry,
fearful of the dangerous and unpredictable spirit world.
God doesn’t chose to reveal himself through the fear.
Finally, verse 12 from Elijah’s story said there was a
“still small voice” calling to the prophet; the same voice called from the lips
of Jesus to the disciples that night on the sea. That voice still calls to us
today.
Amen
