As I read this Gospel I see three major pieces:

• The boat with the disciples as passengers  - being battered by the waves
• Peter who is anxious to come to Jesus
• Jesus who says things like “Do not be afraid.”

First the boat and the sea.

• I ‘m not sure the disciples wanted to get into the boat in the first place. They really wanted to stay with Jesus. Matthew says he made them get into the boat; the alternative word is “forced.” He told them to go to the other side of the lake. It wasn’t long before they found themselves in trouble as their boat was battered by the waves.
• It was not a comfortable time for the disciples. In some ways I see the boat as the sum of our fears, both as individuals and as a community. Without getting into the things the disciples were afraid of I couldn’t help but think of all the things we have to fear.
  
  

So I made a list this week of things to be afraid of while I was in the boat with all of you.

• The welfare of my family. They are really busy and their busyness makes them vulnerable. Rebecca and I will drive our cars more than 40,000 miles this year and you can only do that with some help from God.
• The economy really is shaky and I am 65 years-old  - this is not good timing and there’s quite a bit here that my culture says I should be afraid of.
• Our government may continue to do silly things that don’t help the economy, the helpless and the future. Mark Twain once said the definition of a state of emergency is when the legislature is in session.
• I am afraid we will become even more distracted, that we will be able to do 10,000 text messages a month but unable to communicate a helpful thought or share in someone’s deep need because we have forgotten how to listen.
• We can certainly be afraid of terrorists and crime and the things we do to each other.
• I am afraid we will all be in the same boat and will not be clear about who Jesus is. He’ll come walking across the water and we’ll mistake him for a ghost.

That is the boat and that is the sea that it is on. One more thing one of the early symbols of the church is that of a boat, a boat on a journey that sends us to the other side of the lake where we may not want to go.

Then there is Jesus in this Gospel from Matthew. Jesus spends the opening of the gospel in prayer. He prayed a lot and it seems before every encounter where action was in demand he precedes action with prayer. It’s the very same thing you do, I am sure.

Jesus came walking across the water and he didn’t seem to be afraid.

• Who is he anyway? The scripture helps us to answer the question. Jesus has the same DNA as God the creator. Every time God encounters water in the scripture, water is chaos and it is something to be feared. In creation water must be brought under control before creation can proceed. God controls the chaos of water in the story of Noah and the flood. God opens the Red Sea to deliver Israel.
• Jesus walking on the water is a sign that there is a new deliverer at hand. And then he speaks and says to the disciples, “It is I...do not be afraid.”
• These words are familiar words for you who read scripture. When people encounter God or Angels or Jesus it seems they show their fear and the first words are... Do Not Be Afraid ...and by the way let me take your list of fears as long as I am here.
• There is much more about Jesus in this story but first let’s take a look at Peter.

Peter has at times been made to look good in this story because he has the courage to come to Jesus on the water...but I don’t buy that. I think Peter is changing the focus from Jesus to himself. He begins with the words.... LORD, IF IT IS YOU. We heard those words when Jesus was tempted by Satan after Jesus’ Baptism.....If you are the son of God. We’ll hear them at the cross...if you are the messiah...come down. Prove yourself.

Peter wasn’t sure, he was afraid this was just something out of his imagination so he had to test it. When he got out of the boat he became self-aware and he was frightened. It goes something like this, God is God and I am not. And he began to sink.

Now the next part is something I am deeply grateful to hear.....Lord, Save me! Peter could have said, no, I don’t need your help - I’ll just swim back to the boat. I can do this myself. Lord, Save me. Save me from myself and my grandiosity.

There is an ancient prayer called the Jesus prayer and it goes like this: Jesus Christ, God’s Son Savior have mercy on me. Lord, save me. When you are in the kind of boat we find ourselves in as passengers and we must ply the kind of sea we must ply, we find that this prayer works very well. Lord, Save me!

Back to Jesus. Please note how long it takes Jesus to answer Peter’s call for help. “Immediately”  “At Once.” Jesus reaches out and pulls Peter to safety and then he gets into the boat.

• Jesus did have some words for Peter about having little faith. I wonder what he would say as he gets into our boat.
• Peter’s lack of faith did not stop Jesus from loving him and it didn’t stop Jesus from continuing to permit Peter to test the depth of his faith. Peter was not judged but he was reoriented. And he kept on receiving reorientation courses until he almost got it right by life’s end.
• When Jesus gets into the boat the wind ceased.
• Well, I know who I want to have in the boat with me. I want you in the boat but I know I also want Jesus in the boat.

A couple of closing observations:

• I did say that the Boat has been a symbol for the church. And goodness knows we have had our times of being tossed and battered...as a large Christian church and as a Lutheran church and as a congregation. Some people in the boat aren’t particularly happy with some of the other passengers. But it’s Jesus who made us get into the boat. It wasn’t always our first choice. I think Jesus likes the arrangement. As he gets into the boat with us he will be doing some transforming work along the way.
• Most important...we passengers, in the boat together, are continuing to learn how to say....Lord, Save me!

And then, Immediately Jesus reaches out!

Amen