Impossible Possibilities - Sermon for Pentecost 11A/Proper 14A (Matthew 14)
According to the Gospel of Matthew Jesus went about Galilee proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. He revealed this heavenly realm in parables like the parable of the sower and the parable of the mustard seed. He also revealed God’s realm through his miracles. Last week we heard the story of the feeding of the 5000. We may not know how Jesus fed so many people with such little food, but we can develop suitable theories. However, when it comes to walking on water, that’s a different story. You might call this an “impossible possibility” of the miracle stories, stories that require that we use our spiritual imaginations. Then this story, as Brian McLaren suggests, can “play a catalytic role in co-creating new possibilities for the world of tomorrow” [We Make the Road by Walking, p. 97].
Today’s reading from Matthew 14 picks up the story right after Jesus fed the 5000. Matthew tells us that Jesus sent the disciples back across the lake and dismissed the crowd. Now he could finally spend time alone with God, which is why he went to this deserted spot along the lake in the first place. He needed a break, a sabbath.
While Jesus went up the mountain to pray, his disciples made their way across the lake in their boat. At least four of the disciples were experienced fishermen, so they should know how to handle a boat even if a storm came up. While the Sea of Galilee might not be that big a lake when compared with one of the Great Lakes, apparently it can get rough when a storm hits. When they reached the middle of the lake, a storm hit and it scared them to such an extent that they were susceptible to seeing ghosts.
It’s good to remember that even if Peter and Andrew, James and John, were experienced fishermen, the people of Ancient Israel, as a general rule, were not a seafaring people. In fact, they didn’t like the water, which is why they often used the sea as a symbol of chaos. So we shouldn’t be surprised that when the storm began to blow, stirring up the waves that battered the boat, tossing it to and fro, even the most experienced fishermen in the group became frightened.
With the wind and rain buffeting their boat, this already frightened and weary crew spotted a ghostly figure coming toward them, seemingly walking on the water. Like us, they knew that people don’t normally walk on water. Therefore, this had to be a ghost. People didn’t walk on water, but perhaps ghosts could. If this was a ghost, then they were probably doomed.
When Matthew wrote this story, it’s likely he was addressing a community of faith with lots of questions about their future. Perhaps the world around them seemed chaotic. Fear might be running rampant in their community. Doubts might have been on the rise. Maybe Matthew’s audience saw themselves in this boat with the disciples. Perhaps that sounds or feels familiar when we think about our place as individuals and as a congregation in the world we live in. After all, the world around us does seem rather topsy-turvy. The winds are blowing and the waves of change and polarization are hitting us hard.
As we ponder the message of this story, we might be able to identify with the disciples who are being tossed around by the waves. The church at large is facing challenging times. Across mainline Protestantism, churches are getting smaller. Fewer people are choosing to pursue ordination to serve congregations. Many of our congregations are aging and wondering about the future. It may seem as if the challenges of the day are too big to handle.
It’s been a little over a week since I returned from four days at the Disciples of Christ General Assembly. This was our first in-person gathering as Disciples since 2019. We discussed and voted on important resolutions dealing with matters of social justice and we reelected our General Minister and President. We also voted on a series of amendments to the denomination’s governing document that are designed to make the denomination more flexible as it faces the future. Overall people were feeling good about things, but the future remains uncertain. What’s true for the Disciples is true for Presbyterians. We’re all going through challenging times and wondering about the future.
Last Sunday we heard a word from Matthew’s account of the feeding of the 5000, which reminds us that we serve a God of abundance and not scarcity. Now we hear this word about stormy weather and Jesus’ stroll across the lake. When it comes to resources, my friend Ron Allen wrote some time ago about the way we go about stewardship.
With respect to stewardship, the instinct is to huddle together inside the boat. We make sure we have life preservers and cling together. As congregations and the wider church, we often use our time, talent, money and other resources to preserve the institution as an institution.
When we face the storms of life, there is the temptation to draw inward, but if I read the news correctly, this is not the time to stay within the safe confines of the boat.
What we hear next from Matthew might require us to use our spiritual imaginations so we can embrace the impossible possibilities of this story, so it can serve as a word of encouragement. This ghostly figure might have scared the living daylights out of the disciples, but they soon learn that this ghostly figure is Jesus. When Jesus drew near the boat, he spoke words of comfort: “Be encouraged, It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Even if Peter was frightened by the storm and the sight of a ghostly figure walking on the water, when he heard Jesus’ voice everything changed. In fact, Peter, who was known for his impulsiveness, asked Jesus if it would be okay if he joined him on the lake’s stormy and chaotic waters. Jesus said to him: “Come,” and Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water, just like Jesus. But when Peter looked around and realized that he was outside the boat, doubts began to form and he began to sink. Although he didn’t walk very far, he did take the risky step of getting out of the boat. The good news is that Jesus was there to rescue him when his faith faltered.
After Jesus pulled Peter out of the brink and into the boat, he calmed the waters. I think that Matthew wants us to know that just because we walk with Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t face stormy seas. When Jesus asked Peter why he doubted, I don’t think he was scolding Peter. I think Jesus was helping Peter and us recognize that getting out of the boat in storming seas can be risky. Yes, Peter is a man of little faith, but he has faith enough to get out of the boat. For a moment he embraced the impossible possibility that getting out of the boat offered him.
It would be safer and less risky to stay in the boat. It’s also easy for churches to look inward, enjoy each other’s presence, sing a few hymns, and share in fellowship, so we can forget about all that discord going on outside the walls. But, perhaps following Jesus involves heeding the invitation to join Peter and get out of the boat and step into the stormy waters. We may fail spectacularly when we get out of the boat, but as Lance Pape points out:
Jesus does not demand that anyone get out of the boat, but he seems as interested as anyone else to see how the venture will end. Even in failure, it does not end in a drowning, but in rescue, and ultimately in grace that swallows up doubt and inspires worship in those who watch from the safety of the boat. On this reading, the scold about “little faith” loses its edge, and we hear in it the good-natured ribbing of one who knows that when it comes to the paradox of faith, a little can go a long way (17: 20). [Connections, (p. 519). Kindle Edition].
Jesus may have asked Peter why he doubted once he got out of the boat, but I don’t believe he was scolding Peter. After all, he was the only disciple to get out of the boat to greet him. I prefer to think that Jesus was inviting him to do a bit of self-reflection about this step along the path of faith. After all, if we’re going to risk failure, we’ll need to do a bit of self-reflection from time to time.
We live in a world that needs to hear a word of hope. If we’re going to deliver that word, we’ll have to venture out from the safe confines of the building and our friendship circles. When we fail, and we will fail, perhaps spectacularly, the good news is that Jesus reaches out to us. He may even calm the seas of our lives. Then, we can join together and worship Jesus, proclaiming him the Son of God.
On the third night of the General Assembly, as we worshiped together, the worship leader invited us to sing together “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” We sang a lot of new music, but this was one of those songs everyone seems to know. So, we sang with gusto, all three thousand of us. It was stirring. In fact, I got choked up for a moment. This is the good news for us to take hold of: God is the fount of every blessing. So, let us join in the worship of the one who invites us to get out of the boat and begin navigating the sometimes chaotic nature of this world we inhabit. If we do this, then what seems impossible will become a possibility, enabling us to bless our neighbors.
Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pulpit Supply
First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)
Troy, Michigan
Pentecost 11A/Proper 14A
August 13, 2023
Image Attribution: Klever, Julius Sergius von, 1850-1924. Christ Walking on Water, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57445 [retrieved August 12, 2023]. Original source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Walking_on_the_Waters,_Julius_Sergius_Von_Klever.jpg.
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