"A Water-Top Jesus Journey" – Matthew 14:22-33

Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.

 When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 

Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." 

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You might be familiar with today’s gospel story by many different titles: "Jesus calms the storm," "Jesus walks on water," "Peter walks on water," "Peter fails to walk on water," etc. This morning I invite you to think about this as the story about Jesus who miraculously appears in the midst of fear.

Fear of the sea was a prevalent phobia in the first-century middle east. There were no swim lessons at the YMCA; no coast guard speeding to rescue ships in distress; no posted signs warning of the absence of lifeguards or the dangers of rip currents; nor was there a team of action alert weather forecasters warning of the next disruptive sea storm. The sea was a place of provision and destruction, life and death.

The first century audience would hear the storyteller speak about a boat being battered by strong waves and feel the same sense of dread and foreboding as we feel when we pick up a Steven King novel or listen to a story by a campfire told by someone holding a flashlight casting ominous shadows onto the storyteller’s face.

This gospel story is a story about fear – how it affects us and how it does not overshadow the ways and promises of God.

In order get in the right mindset, I encourage you to think of an experience in your life where you felt terrified. Recall an experience in your life where the talons of fear took hold of your heart. Perhaps it was a diagnosis, an accident, being let go by your employer, being let go by a loved one, a near-death experience, losing someone you loved, or stepping into something completely unknown.

My moment of greatest fear was almost three years ago, when my youngest son endured his first seizure. It happened without warning. One minute I was coaching my oldest son’s soccer team, with my perfectly healthy youngest son watching on the sidelines; the next minute I heard people yelling my name. 

A crowd had formed around my son as he had fallen from his chair. He was lying on the ground, convulsing, and turning blue. I had never witnessed anything like it; I had no way to be prepared for it; I had no understanding of what was happening; and I have never felt so helpless. I thought I was watching my son die.

I found a medical article quite helpful in explaining what is going on neurologically when one feels fear. Essentially, the amygdala activates a series of physiological systems but the “brain basically shuts down as the body prepares for action. The cerebral cortex, the brain's center for reasoning and judgment, is the area that becomes impaired when the amygdala senses fear. The ability to think and reason decreases as time goes on, so thinking about the next best move in a crisis can be a hard thing to do. Some people even experience feelings of time slowing down, tunnel vision, or feeling like what is happening is not real. These dissociative symptoms can make it hard to stay grounded and logical in a dangerous situation.”

We now have the medical insight to verify something people have anecdotally known for centuries: When you’re scared you can’t think straight. 

One of the important truths in a gospel story like today’s is that God comes to us when we’re scared and when we can’t think straight. 

Whatever sense of fear the disciples were feeling on that boat battered by the waves, their fear actually intensified when Jesus came to them. Jesus was doing something so unprecedented, so unnatural, so unbelievable, that they couldn’t even recognize him at first. After all, they were so scared they couldn't think straight. 

The disciples cry out in fear and a sound cuts through the roaring of wind and wave – the voice of Jesus saying, “Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid.” With this sentence Jesus makes it clear that God remains present with us in the midst of fear.

I don’t believe Jesus is making light of their predicament or their fears. He’s not saying, “I can’t believe you scardy cats let a couple big waves rattle you.” Instead, he’s saying, “I understand that you are afraid but right now you are not thinking straight. Take some deep breaths, keep your eyes on me, I am coming to you.”

Peter responds with something you could interpret as faithful confidence or the irrational action of someone with a compromised cerebral cortex. He asks Jesus to command him to go to Jesus. Jesus obliges. Peter takes one step onto the choppy water – the very thing he is most afraid of. Then goes the other foot. Each step lands firmly on the water without sinking. 

Despite a successful beginning to his water-top journey to Jesus, a strong gust of wind once again ignites Peter’s amygdala and it asserts control, convincing him that his fear of the wind and water is more real than his dry ankles; more real than the Jesus whom he has nearly reached. His mind is once again compromised by fear and he begins to doubt himself and sink.

This story is both a promise and a warning. The two-fold promise is that God is with us in our fear and equips us for incredible acts of faith. The warning is to be aware of the fact that when we’re scared our brains are hard-wired to look for solutions anywhere but the God who is present in our suffering.

Recall again that life experience I asked you to think of earlier. Was God present in that experience of fear? 

If you were able to feel God’s presence, I am grateful along with you. You witnessed something truly remarkable; something which hopefully gave you hope and peace. 

If you were unable to feel God’s presence, I lament with you and I know how you feel. In my moment of pure terror around my son’s seizure I did not bother looking for God. It was only through hindsight that I recognized God’s presence:

• in the crowd that was praying for my son;
• in my wife who, thanks to medical training, knew what was happening and responded with decisive action;
• in the presence of my parents who happened to be in town that day and were able to be with Nolan and provide a sense of normalcy while we rushed his brother to the hospital;
• and, of course, in the care of the first responders and emergency room staff.

My hope is that this amazing story from Matthew’s gospel convicts you to learn enough about yourself to know when you are operating out of a sense of fear. There is nothing wrong with feeling fear; however, the problem comes when we pretend that the fear is the most logical and accurate response and allow our fear to call the shots, ignoring God’s promises that remain within our field of vision.    

This is not an abstract issue. Over the past few weeks pastors from Dallas to Indianapolis have pronounced God’s blessings on the potential action of our President launching a pre-emptive nuclear weapon strikes on the people of North Korea. This is just the latest example of Christ-followers affixing a self-righteous label on their fear-based assumptions.

The White House is not looking to me for theological advice. They have their own echo chamber for that purpose. And, truth be told, maybe you don’t think a pastor should have anything to say about the possibility of nuclear annihilation nor anything else that falls under the realm of “politics.” Regardless, know that as a Christ-follower others are looking to you to teach them the ways of truth, peace, hope, and love. And these things are impossible to manifest if your attitudes and decisions are rooted in fear rather than faith. 

I’m not telling you to avoid being afraid; that’s impossible. I am, however, praying that you would understand the difference between fear and faith. One has the potential to destroy this world. The other has the potential to save it. When we are afraid, the ways of peace and love look as absurd and unrealistic as a man walking on water. And yet, this man beckons us to step into the heart of our fear and be with him. May we be so courageous.

Amen.

YOU Give Them Something to Eat – Matthew 14:13-21

Matthew 14:13-21

Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.

When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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Usually, we think about the feeding of the 5,000 as one of Jesus’ great miracles – maybe THE great miracle, if there were a popularity contest. (You’ve got water to wine, walking on water, a healing here and there, and this feeding of the 5,000, right?) So we wonder about how in the world Jesus could take just two fish and five loaves and stretch them to feed that many people. We marvel at all those leftovers – 12 baskets full – and the idea that if there were about 5,000 men – not including women and children – how many people Jesus really must have fed at the end of that day.

I’ve wondered before at the compassion Jesus had to muster for the crowds that afternoon, when all he really wanted was to be alone to grieve after learning that his cousin and friend, John the Baptist, had just died. It’s amazing to think about all of the people he must have healed or taught or sat down to listen to, in the midst of his grief. And I’ve always wondered what it was that he said to himself when he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke that bread, before doing what he did with it.

But the disciples were there too. And while it’s easy to wonder about all of the other stuff – to focus on the size of the crowds and the lack of food and the miracle of it all – this time around, I found myself thinking about more about the disciples.

It had been a long day and they were probably tired. “Come on Jesus. Time’s up. Let’s lose this crowd and get something to eat,” they said. “These people are probably hungry and ready to get some food for themselves anyway. Let’s get them out of here so we can do the same.”

And in the face of their questions… in response to their doubts… in spite of their laziness, whatever it may have been for them, Jesus says, “YOU give them something to eat.”

“What do you mean, ‘feed them’? Maybe you haven’t noticed, Jesus, but there’s like 5,000 of them on this hill and all we brought with us is a couple of stinky fish and a few loaves of bread.”

“YOU give them something to eat.”

See, the miracle’s a good one and it makes a great story, but if we only focus on what Jesus prayed or on trying to figure out how he did what he did, or on the crowds or the fish or the bread – we’re missing the point. Just like last week’s Gospel really wasn’t about yeast or mustard seeds; and just like the week before wasn’t really about weeds, good seeds, or gardening; today isn’t really about fish or bread or a picnic on the hillside. For me, the Gospel – the Good News – in the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand is found in Jesus’ short and simple response to the disciples.

“YOU give them something to eat.”

Sure the disciples are still skeptical. Yes Jesus does whatever he does to make the food go as far as it did. But, what he says and what the disciples do is even more profound and powerful if you ask me: “YOU give them something to eat.” Don’t send them away. Don’t look for a way out. Don’t hope for someone else to do it. Don’t wait for tomorrow, even. “YOU give them something to eat.”

And don’t we sound and act like the disciples too much of the time? We don’t have enough bread – whether that means time, or money; energy, willingness, or ability; faith, love, compassion, or whatever. We’re skeptical. We’re pessimistic. We’re preoccupied, distracted, lazy, uninspired, selfish, insecure, unconvinced – just like those disciples were that day. A lot of the time, if you’re anything like me, you’re just downright full of excuses.

But just like the disciples in the Gospel, Jesus gives us something greater than even our best excuses. He gives us more than just another miracle, too. He gives us something better even then bread and fish to chew on. Jesus reveals to us just what a high opinion God has – not only of the lost and lonely; the sick and needy people on that hillside that day for whom he shows so much compassion – but Jesus reveals to us what a high opinion God has of those who believe in and who want to follow him so faithfully.

What I hear Jesus saying is, “Don’t wait for someone else to do it.” “Don’t pretend you don’t have the time or the skills or the resources to do God’s bidding in the world.” “Don’t pretend you’re not qualified or capable.” “Don’t put it off for another day or time or moment when it might be more convenient for you.” “Don’t even wait for me to do it in your place.”

“YOU give them something to eat.”

A few weeks ago, Derek and Sara Ostermeyer approached me about ways to provide our food pantry families with even more than the canned, processed food we’ve been able to offer until now. Because of her heart for the idea and a passion for gardening, Sara has a plan to start growing and sharing fresh vegetables through our Groceries of Grace Food Pantry in the future. We will, very literally, be giving people something more and better and good to eat, along with all the rest, thanks to Sara’s willingness to make it happen.

With the beginning of the new school year, Pastor Aaron heard there was some grumbling from parents in the community about the handful of half days we’ll have over the course of the school year in New Palestine. The grumbling is all about how hard it is to find daycare for working parents on those afternoons. So we’re opening Cross of Grace to host and entertain and care for as many as 50 elementary aged kids on those days in the year ahead. We’re grateful for those of you who’ve already agreed to help, and we hope it will meet a need for some hungry people in a new way.

A month or so go, Kim Wingo, e-mailed to let me know she was looking into starting a new support group for people dealing with suicide. And she’s made that happen. Because of a need in her own life and a perceived need in our community, a new group meets on Thursday nights at 5, in Greenfield. She’s feeding a hunger and meeting a need – she’s taken it upon herself to give people something meaningful to eat.

Isn’t there some way each of us might feed someone, too? Maybe it’s that co-worker you know could use a hand or some encouragement… Maybe it’s a neighbor who’s having a hard time… Maybe it’s something around here – helping with Sunday school, sharing a meal, starting a new small group of your own this fall. Let’s not wait for someone else to do it. Let’s not pretend we aren’t capable or qualified or called, even, to respond to the needs around us. And let’s not wait for Jesus to do it all by himself.

No, let’s be amazed by the story. Let’s wonder about the miracle of Jesus. But let’s think about our mission here, too – as a congregation and as individual followers of Christ. Let’s hear Jesus’ command to give the world something to eat. And let’s realize that we have all we need to make that happen – that because of God’s love for us, we are called and capable of doing the work of Christ in and for the sake of the world – and that when we do, there will be more than enough of that love and grace and hope to go around – with leftovers besides.

Amen