Rev. Bonnie Matthews sermon
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Rev. Bonnie Matthews, Deacon
August 10, 2014
Pentecost 9
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105 1-6, 16-22, 45b; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33
Because today’s Gospel from Matthew immediately follows the story of Feeding Five Thousand I feel it is important for me to begin by recalling the Gospel and Marie’s sermon from last week. Marie interpreted this story to be Jesus training the disciples to take up their own ministries.
Please bear with me as I read several lines from her sermon.
“Jesus is training the disciples to take up their own ministries. It starts when he refuses to allow them to send the people away to find food, but instead tells them "You give them something to eat." When they protest, he says, "Bring me what you have." And so they bring him the five loaves and two fish that they have.
After he said the blessing, Jesus didn’t hand the disciples baskets and baskets of bread and fish. He handed back to them exactly what they had given him. He sent them out into that crowd of 5,000 men and countless women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish.
That’s what ministry looks like. Bring me what you have, says Jesus, and I’ll bless you and send you back into the world. But I’m going to make you do the work. You feed the people.”
This reading was an account of a miracle that was inclusive, a miracle for all who had come to hear Jesus as he taught. In all, five thousand men were fed, plus the women and children. And they were fed by the action of one (Jesus) through many (the disciples).
For me, this is why it is so important that we hear the Gospel story of Jesus walking on water today.
The placement of this story leads one to believe that this story happens immediately after five thousand plus have been fed. Jesus sends his disciples to go on ahead by boat to Gennesaret, while he (Jesus) goes off to be alone and to pray.
I imagine that the disciples may be feeling pretty good about being fed and feeding five thousand. Not unlike we as a community feel after we come into the sanctuary of this church, hear the words of Jesus, offer thanks and partake of the body and blood.
When we are fed we are sent. We are sent to go into the world to rejoice in the Holy Spirit. Not unlike the disciples being sent to go ahead to prepare the crowds, we are sent to share our ministries, to be the face of God in a world that is sometimes cruel and mixed up.
But as is wont to happen, while on the boat the seas become rough, the winds pick up and there are waves. It becomes increasingly difficult for the disciples to navigate the seas.
Doesn’t this scenario reflect the troubles we encounter from day to day?
Our attempts to be God in the world may be ignored. We may be ostracized for who we are or what we represent. We may even be having our own difficulties with interpersonal relationships, illness or finances. We see people who are hungry, people who are homeless, people suffering from mental disorders and addictions. We see people who are cruel to one another. We see people turn away trying to avoid the “unpleasant “. We may say or hear where is God in all of this?
In the Gospel story, the disciples see God in the form of Jesus walking on the water before them. This is when fear (doubt) settles in. Are they seeing a ghost, an apparition? This can’t be real.
But it is real. Through invitation, God in the form of Jesus is present to the disciples when he gets into the boat. Maybe even before he gets into the boat.
I believe that this happens today. Many of us encounter God as we walk through life. Sometimes we invite God to be present with us. Sometimes God comes into our midst uninvited.
Think about how we feel when that happens at Trinity. Each Sunday we invite God to be in our midst. We ask to be blessed, We remember and we ask God to be with those who are hurting, or in trouble when we lift them up in our prayers of the people. We celebrate and remember the love that God gave to us through his Son who died for our sins. We are blessed in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then we are sent. We are sent , just as the disciples were sent on ahead to get in that boat.I wonder what awaits us in that boat. Many of us are healed by the comfort of his presence and the promise of his presence when we leave, just as the disciples were comforted when Jesus got in their boat.
“Do not be afraid, I am with you”
Are we comforted by those words or do we turn from them in disbelief?
This story is also recounted in the Gospels of Mark and John. In both of these books Jesus says It is I do not be afraid. He gets into the boat and the waters calm and there is nothing to fear.
But, Matthew takes the story to a more personal level……
Peter, his beloved, sees Jesus on the water and says, “Jesus, is it you?” “If it is, command me to come to you.” Jesus’ response “Come”.
The Peter who loves Jesus, the Peter who will deny knowing Jesus, the Peter who is referred to as The Rock, the Peter who wants so badly to demonstrate his love for Jesus goes.
He becomes aware of the wind, gets frightened and begins to sink. Peter calls for Jesus to save him. And Jesus does, He questions Peter’s doubt and he reminds Peter that he is of little faith.
Do not confuse little faith with no faith
Making this Gospel story personal, I wonder if I were in that boat on the sea with the wind and I was called would the impulsive Peter in me would go when commandedor would the controlling part of me cause me to hesitate and think about the dangers, think about my fears, think about the consequences of my actions and what the outcome may be. Would my faith sustain me or would my faith falter as Peter’s did? How would you respond to these questions?
I know at the first sign of trouble the fearful Peter in me would and does call for God’s help.
This story is not a story that calls us to remember that God is near and that everything is just fine in the world. This story reminds us that despite the dangers we place ourselves in, despite our short comings, despite disappointment with ourselves or with others, God is with us. Even at times of little faith.
Whenever I hear this story of faith I am reminded of a poem that many of us know. This poem reminds me that God is always with me. God won’t remove me from being troubled or in danger. But, God will be present with me.
The poem is by an unknown author. The version I am about to recite was written by Margaret Fishback Powers in 1964.
I would like you to take a moment to close your eyes, sit back and reflect on a time in your life when you may have been like Peter in today’s Gospel account.
One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.
"Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."
May we all rejoice in the knowledge that through our joys and our sorrows, through our exhilaration and disappointment, that in faith be it small or large we are blessed by God’s presence.
Let the people say
Amen