Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid!

 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.”

Matthew 14:22-33   

Have you ever seen a ghost? Or have you ever had an experience when you thought you were seeing a ghost? When I was in high school, my mother would often go to visit her parents by herself. They lived about six hours away. She would go for a few days. During one such visit, my father had taken my brother, sister and myself out to an event at the high school. My mother was to return late that night driving home after dinner.

         We came back to our home after dark. There were no lights on in our house. I was the first one in, as we entered the house through the front door and I turned left into the living room. Just as I did, this figure stood up from hiding behind one of the chairs. I was completely started because this person looked like my mother. But, my mother couldn’t be there because her car wasn’t in the driveway. My immediate thought was that this figure was a ghost. I thought that my mother had had a car wreck and this was her ghost in front of me. I began to cry. My mother immediately hugged me and explained that she was just surprising us. Her car was parked down the street.

         I had been terrified by what I thought I was seeking, but my mother comforted me and explained that it was indeed her, in flesh and blood. I can identify with the fear that the disciples felt when they saw Jesus walking on the water in the midst of a storm. He was out of place, he didn’t belong there and surely he was a ghost. Jesus’ first response is to comfort them. “Take heart. It is I; do not be afraid.”

         And yet, Peter’s reaction is to test this—IF it is you, let me walk out there on the water to you! Here in the midst of a storm—with the wind and the water raging, Peter is going to see if this ghost is really Jesus by getting out of the boat into the storm and trying to walk on water! I love Peter! He is so human –so impulsive, so willing to risk things. Peter is the eager disciple—the one that is so quick to rush in and do whatever. Peter says-- If it’s really you, let me do it too!

So, Jesus calls Peter out of the Boat. He simply says, “Come!” And Peter steps out into the water.  Peter must have really believed that that was Jesus standing on the water and not a ghost. I mean, would you step out of the boat thinking that some ghostly being is going to help you walk on water. Or would you have stepped out with full confidence that it really was JESUS.

         But, then, when he sees the conditions around him— the wind and the waves, the storm that was raging. And he begins to doubt God’s Power and presence with Him. And when, he takes his eyes off Jesus, and he sinks into the water. When Peter takes his focus off of Jesus, when he begins to focus on the storm-the waves and the wind—he begins to sink in the water. Peter’s doubt overcame his faith. His fear overcame his belief in Jesus. Maybe he even began to think that this WAS a ghost & not Jesus. Peter gets distracted, perhaps he has that sense that what he is doing really couldn’t be possible… he takes his eyes off Jesus and it doesn’t become possible any more.

Often in studying this passage, we focus a lot on having the faith of Peter—to “get out of the boat” even while the storm is raging. Today, we know that there are storms raging around us. For each of us what those storms look like is different. Certainly, we are all experiencing the storm of this pandemic and we are living in society that is coming to terms with its own systemic racism. Many of us have much more personal storms that are raging: some about employment or lack of it, some about health challenges that threaten our lives, some of us are struggling with the burden of heavy grief.

         In the midst of all these storms, do we only see Jesus as a ghost? Do we only have a faint vision of some glimmering far away form that MIGHT be Jesus? Or are we keeping our eyes on the Very One who walks on water? Are we keeping our focus on the One who can help us weather the storms in our lives, and maybe even walk on water—do the impossible?

         When the first readers of the book of Matthew lived, there were many storms in their own lives, and Jesus was no longer with them. When Matthew penned these words, he was reminding the early church—those first believers, some of whom had probably seen Jesus in flesh and blood—that Jesus wasn’t a ghost. Jesus was real. The Jesus who could walk on water and command Peter to Come to him walking on water--that Jesus was still with them. All they had to do was keep their eyes on Jesus, and not be overcome by fear.

         Now, I have heard a lot of religious folks talk about the pandemic in terms of fear v. faith. People have tried to encourage Christians to meet without restrictions saying it is a matter of faith over fear. In fact, they might even use this passage of scripture to justify their belief. But, I would argue that this is not a matter of faith over fear. It is a matter of focus. Are we focusing on Jesus and what Jesus would have us do?

In this story, Jesus doesn’t tell all the disciples to come on out of the safety of the boat and walk on the water. No, it is Peter who is testing Jesus! Peter is the one who wants to go out there into the water on his own. And Jesus indulges Peter. For Peter it is a “test” of who this Ghost really is. For me, my understanding of this story has grown from thinking it is about Jesus telling us to all get out of the boat and jump into the midst of a storm. Rather, it is Jesus’ love and care for us when we are confused and in doubt about where Jesus is and who Jesus is. Although Peter is the only one who jumps out of the boat, by the end of the story, all of the disciples believe and proclaim, “Truly you are the son of God.”

         Who do you believe Jesus is in the midst of the storms in your life right now? Is Jesus just a “hallow” apparition? Or is Jesus the Son of God—very God to you? The one who helps you weather the storms—the One who is with you THROUGH the storms. Have you taken your eyes off of Jesus or are you still focused on him? Too often we focus on the wind and the waves, we focus on our worry and doubt. But, we are called to center our lives in Christ -to focus on Jesus—on the strength that God offers us through the power of the Holy Spirit with us. Peter could not have walked on the water without Christ’s presence with him. It was when he was distracted by the conditions around him, that he lost his focus on Jesus, that he doubted Christ’s power and presence with him.

         In the midst of all that is raging in our lives, Christ also gives us the strength to walk through the storms. We merely have to have faith in Christ’s presence with us. Through the strength of the presence of the Holy Spirit with us, Jesus is more than a ghost. We must learn to trust in that Presence of God’s Holy Spirit with us. How difficult that can be!!  Look at Peter, he had Jesus standing right there in front of him,  and he took his eyes off of him. We must trust in Christ’s presence with us. When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus he began to sink. When we take our eyes off of Christ, we begin to sink. In order to stay afloat—our lives must be centered on Christ. We have to keep our eyes on Christ!  We have to continually remember that Christ IS PRESENT with us!!

         Remember the words Jesus spoke, “Take heart; it is I; do not be afraid!” When Jesus approached the boat, the disciples thought he was a ghost. But, once they saw Jesus’ power in the midst of the storm doing what seemed impossible—keeping himself and Peter on top of the water, ALL the disciples said, “Truly you are the Son of God” and worshiped Jesus!

         There are storms raging around us, Are you keeping your eyes on Jesus? Do you hear Jesus saying, “Take heart!  Do not be afraid!” ?

 

Prayer:

Gracious God, when storms of our lives rage around us, help us to keep our focus on you. Help us to not lose faith and sink, but continue to look for you – to center our lives in you. Even when storms were raging around us, give us the courage to face our doubts and confusion when we think you aren’t present. When we are doubting, give us the faith to rely on you, and grant us the courage to face our doubts.  We thank you that you do guide us—that you help us to walk on water even when we are afraid of sinking. We thank you for the many blessing that we receive each day even when we are struggling and feel overwhelmed by the storms. We also thank you for the good that you work out of our failings. In the times when we do not focus on you, when we are not faithful, thank you that you continue to be faithful to us. Most merciful God, thank you that you do not abandon us.

         We pray for those who do feel abandoned. Show us the way to make your presence known to them. We pray for those who have lost faith, who are sinking in life’s storms. Give them strength to carry on. Today, we pray especially for those who are in need of healing in body, mind and spirit. We pray for those who have lost someone they love and are grieving. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray saying… The Lord’s Prayer AMEN.