Trinity 9 sermon by the Archdeacon of Bedford The Venerable Dave Middlebrook
Matt 14:22-33 – Do you see what I sea?
Introduction
Can you spot these well know miracles or stories of Jesus from the bible?
Division and Multiplication - Feeding of the 5000
Touching the Untouchables – Healing the man with leprosy
There must be a catch – Miraculous catch of fish
All in the same boat – Jesus calms the storm
Baa-king up the wrong tree – The lost sheep
Divine Wine – Water into wine
Do you see what I sea? – Jesus walks on water
So often familiar stories become almost too familiar and we miss the point.
I “do you see what I sea?” was a good title for today’s miraculous event in the gospel because so often we don’t see what God sees, or even allow ourselves to what God sees – we fail to realise our potential with God because we don’t appreciate what God can do with us – so perhaps another title could be:
“What can you do with God?” or
“You got to get out of the boat to get your feet wet”
Let’s walk through this miracle and see what it says about what we can do with God, and about getting out of the boat.
Setting
Firstly Jesus spends time with God – talking to him, listening to him – alone.
This miracle follows directly on from the feeding of the 5000 – and is recorded in 3 of the gospels. Jesus gets his disciples to get into the boat and sail across the Sea of Galilee, presumably intending to meet up with them the next day. Jesus then dismisses the crowd so that they are in no doubt that the teaching and miracle show is over – because many of the crowd were probably there to see ‘the show’.
Jesus must have been longing for a bit of peace and quiet – his attempts had been interrupted before by the large crowd so now he intended to have that important time with God. In his busy, hectic schedule – that makes our lives look pretty pedestrian at times – Jesus organized himself to include times of prayer, times of quiet, times with God – he sent his disciples and the crowds away so that they couldn’t possibly interrupt him.
That same principle should apply to us – and I’m talking to myself as much as anyone else – in that we have to find a place where we can spend uninterrupted time with God. This is an important part of us doing anything with God – spending time with him, listening to him, and asking his equipping and help.
Scene
Secondly Jesus offers practical help -he is willing to go and help others in difficulty.
Back on the lake it is now ‘the fourth watch’ – that is between 3 and 5 in the morning. The disciples are in trouble in the boat because of the strong wind and mounting waves. Is says in mark’s gospel Jesus ‘saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them’. Jesus knows that although the fisherman among them encountered similar conditions on the lake many times before on this occasion they were in real difficulty.
So it says ‘Jesus went out to them walking on the water’. In John’s version it says “When they had rowed 3 or 3 and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching them walking on the water”. So Jesus had ‘seen’ them 3 miles out, in a storm, and walked across the water to reach them.
Just praying for people isn’t enough – though it is important – we must be prepared to offer practical help. Jesus left his time of prayer and went to help the disciples.
Jesus never leaves us to struggle on our own when we’re in difficulty. There are times when we feel alone, desperately trying to wrestle with a problem, feel we are getting nowhere. It is then that Jesus comes walking across to us to help us with our problem.
I also think that the fact Jesus does this at 3am on a dark, stormy sea, shows us that it is not about showing others how clever he is – if he’d wanted to do so he would have walked on water in front of a whole crowd – and if it had been us we well have sold tickets so people could come and see – no Jesus walked on water at 3am in the morning to go and help without any wish for others to give him a round of applause for doing it. As far as we know Jesus only ever walked on water once, and it was to help his followers.
Disciples Reaction
How do the disciples react to this figure walking across the water towards them? Do they shout for joy and relief that Jesus is coming to save them? All 3 versions give the same answer – they all “cried out – because they all saw him and were terrified”. Mark says they thought it was a ghost.
It’s easy to be critical of the disciples here and say they should have recognized Jesus – perhaps they should – but he’d gone off to pray – they didn’t know where – they didn’t know he’d seen them from3 miles away, let along that he could walk on water – they were terrified of the storm, knew they were in trouble, and were trying to get the boat ashore without them all drowning! – they were in a panic!
How easy it is for us to do the same. We find ourselves in difficulty and panic – God seems a long way off – it’s as though he’s on the dry land somewhere, and we’re all at sea. Yes we know the theory, we are never out of His sight, His eyes are always on us – there’s nothing that happens to us that he doesn’t know about. Nothing takes God by surprise. But I wonder how many times He appears in our lives and we fail to recognize him – we don’t even realise it is God. In our panic we fail to see him.
Also note here that Jesus hasn’t appeared on the scene because of the shouts for help from the disciples. He’s come because he’s seen them in trouble and he has compassion on them. When we’re in difficult circumstances we can forget to pray to God for help – but that doesn’t mean he isn’t there to help – now that is amazing love that is!
In marks#’ gospel it says Jesus was ‘about to pass them’ – so he’s walked out across the water in the middle of the night and then is going to walk past, on the water! Why? Well Jesus had come to them – and the next move was theirs. He wasn’t going to force himself upon them – what amazing love!
It is the same with us - God will come to help change a situation – but it is our choice to ask for his help. Why? Simple God never overrides our free will – he wants us to hand things over to him – he wants us to cry to him for help – he wants to get into the boat with us – but he doesn’t force himself.
Jesus’ Reaction
So what does Jesus do? He comforts them. The disciples cry out and he says “take courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid!” He is reassuring them that he is there – that God is there – “It is I” – the great ‘I am’. All powerful, all knowing God is there. It could be translated as “Fear not - I am!”
When we are in a mess it is important for us to know that God – the great ‘I am’ – is there. Sometimes we just need to remember that He is there. Just think of the difference it would make to us as individuals – what difference it would make to us a church – if we remembered that the Great I am – the God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, the God who was Christ walking across the water – was welcomed back into our lives, into our churches, into our nation – rather than being allowed to walk by!
Peter Steps Out
It is now that Peter steps into the picture – or rather into the sea!
Jesus is telling them he isn’t a ghost, so peter says ‘if that is right then tell me to come to you on the water’ – so Jesus says ‘come’.
Now if I’d been Peter that probably would have been enough for me – well he said he was Jesus so it must be Jesus – good, that’s fine. No! that isn’t what good old Peter does, that’s not Peter’s way. Matthew paints a lovely picture ‘Peter steps out of the boat and starts walking towards Jesus – then he sees the storm and becomes afraid and starts to sink, crying out to Jesus – immediately Jesus reaches out his hand and grabs him ‘You of little faith – why did you doubt’.
You know it took great boldness from Peter to actually get out of the boat and walk on the water. We know we don’t do that often enough – we don’t step out in faith when we should, when Jesus says come! – we are happy to keep our feet firmly in the boat – no getting out into the stormy water. I’ve heard it said ‘you won’t walk on water unless you get out of the boat’ – hence my other name for this miracle.
James tells us ‘Faith ….. if it is not accompanied by action is dead’ – faith is something we do as much as something that we believe. Peter could have believed that he would walk on water, but if he didn’t step out of the boat then that belief would have no effect. Talking faith is easy, walking faith is harder. Jesus wants people willing to step out of the boat in obedience, and by that we do great things for him and with him.
With that in mind I wonder how Jesus said that to Peter: ‘You of little faith – why did you doubt’.
Was it a scold? – ‘oh you of little faith’ – I don’t think so. I remember seeing a film of this scene and as Peter starts to sink and cries out, there is abroad grin on Jesus’ face and he reaches out and says ‘come on you of little faith’. I don’t think Jesus says it roughly or crossly, it is said with kindness, with a term of endearment – come on ‘little faith’.
Of course we know what peyter did wrong – he took his eyes of Jesus – he started to worry about what was going on around him. He was doing well but then got the ‘buts’ – but how, but why, but what. He saw the wind and the rain and the storm and suddenly thought But what am I doing, I can’t walk on water. It’s impossible’ – followed by a splash and that sinking feeling. Fear replaced faith.
It’s easy to start well and to get distracted – and then we get that sinking feeling. Be encouraged – God is still there – He doesn’t give up on us. Jesus reached out his hand and pulled him aboard the boat.
What did Jesus say to Peter then, as he stood there dripping wet? Again I try to imagine the tone of the voice – I think it would have been something lie “you were doing so well – I’m so proud of you – don’t lert the doubts creep in. Next time stay focused on me. Well done Peter! Well done!
Sometimes I’m sure we think we’ve let God down, but honestly I don’t think he feels like that most of the time. I think, like Jesus here, he probably says well done, well done, next time just keep focused on me!
Result
When the disciples realise it’s Jesus they let him into the boat – and the result is immediate – the wind stops, the waves calm – Jesus brings calm to the situation. The boat reaches the shore – Jesus brings them safely to the dry land.
We veer of course – we get buffeted from place to place – but with Christ he brings a calmness, safety, assurance, and then his chosen destination.
This two fold outcome finishes with the disciples being ‘completely amazed’ Mark tells us. Really they shouldn’t be should they – just a few hours earlier he’d fed a crowd of some 15,000 or more form a boys picnic lunch. But the disciples fail to grasp that Jesus has power over nature, power over all things. We are often surprised by God as well aren’t, when he does something amazing or unexplainable.
The other result in Matthew’s version is that they worship him. The realization of what he has done, of who he is. ‘Truly you are the Son of God’ they say.
Let us not forget to worship God, and give him the glory and the praise when he does something amazing.
Conclusion
We walked through that walking on water miracle, and there is so much in it:
Do we find time with God, alone?
Do we forget that Jesus is with us even in the storms?
Dow e remember that he is the ‘great I am!’?
Do we invite him to help us, or prefer to go alone?
Are we prepared to step out of the boat?
Are we keeping our eyes on Jesus, even in times of uncertainty?
Are we hearing those words of God, well done, well done, when we do?
Are we responding in worship to all that He has done?
There is much to learn form this passage for each one of us – little lessons all the way through – let’s allow ourselves to step out in faith -are we prepared to take a risk for Christ – remember: ‘you’ve got to get out of the boat to walk on water’.
Amen
Matt 14:22-33 – Do you see what I sea?
Introduction
Can you spot these well know miracles or stories of Jesus from the bible?
Division and Multiplication - Feeding of the 5000
Touching the Untouchables – Healing the man with leprosy
There must be a catch – Miraculous catch of fish
All in the same boat – Jesus calms the storm
Baa-king up the wrong tree – The lost sheep
Divine Wine – Water into wine
Do you see what I sea? – Jesus walks on water
So often familiar stories become almost too familiar and we miss the point.
I “do you see what I sea?” was a good title for today’s miraculous event in the gospel because so often we don’t see what God sees, or even allow ourselves to what God sees – we fail to realise our potential with God because we don’t appreciate what God can do with us – so perhaps another title could be:
“What can you do with God?” or
“You got to get out of the boat to get your feet wet”
Let’s walk through this miracle and see what it says about what we can do with God, and about getting out of the boat.
Setting
Firstly Jesus spends time with God – talking to him, listening to him – alone.
This miracle follows directly on from the feeding of the 5000 – and is recorded in 3 of the gospels. Jesus gets his disciples to get into the boat and sail across the Sea of Galilee, presumably intending to meet up with them the next day. Jesus then dismisses the crowd so that they are in no doubt that the teaching and miracle show is over – because many of the crowd were probably there to see ‘the show’.
Jesus must have been longing for a bit of peace and quiet – his attempts had been interrupted before by the large crowd so now he intended to have that important time with God. In his busy, hectic schedule – that makes our lives look pretty pedestrian at times – Jesus organized himself to include times of prayer, times of quiet, times with God – he sent his disciples and the crowds away so that they couldn’t possibly interrupt him.
That same principle should apply to us – and I’m talking to myself as much as anyone else – in that we have to find a place where we can spend uninterrupted time with God. This is an important part of us doing anything with God – spending time with him, listening to him, and asking his equipping and help.
Scene
Secondly Jesus offers practical help -he is willing to go and help others in difficulty.
Back on the lake it is now ‘the fourth watch’ – that is between 3 and 5 in the morning. The disciples are in trouble in the boat because of the strong wind and mounting waves. Is says in mark’s gospel Jesus ‘saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them’. Jesus knows that although the fisherman among them encountered similar conditions on the lake many times before on this occasion they were in real difficulty.
So it says ‘Jesus went out to them walking on the water’. In John’s version it says “When they had rowed 3 or 3 and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching them walking on the water”. So Jesus had ‘seen’ them 3 miles out, in a storm, and walked across the water to reach them.
Just praying for people isn’t enough – though it is important – we must be prepared to offer practical help. Jesus left his time of prayer and went to help the disciples.
Jesus never leaves us to struggle on our own when we’re in difficulty. There are times when we feel alone, desperately trying to wrestle with a problem, feel we are getting nowhere. It is then that Jesus comes walking across to us to help us with our problem.
I also think that the fact Jesus does this at 3am on a dark, stormy sea, shows us that it is not about showing others how clever he is – if he’d wanted to do so he would have walked on water in front of a whole crowd – and if it had been us we well have sold tickets so people could come and see – no Jesus walked on water at 3am in the morning to go and help without any wish for others to give him a round of applause for doing it. As far as we know Jesus only ever walked on water once, and it was to help his followers.
Disciples Reaction
How do the disciples react to this figure walking across the water towards them? Do they shout for joy and relief that Jesus is coming to save them? All 3 versions give the same answer – they all “cried out – because they all saw him and were terrified”. Mark says they thought it was a ghost.
It’s easy to be critical of the disciples here and say they should have recognized Jesus – perhaps they should – but he’d gone off to pray – they didn’t know where – they didn’t know he’d seen them from3 miles away, let along that he could walk on water – they were terrified of the storm, knew they were in trouble, and were trying to get the boat ashore without them all drowning! – they were in a panic!
How easy it is for us to do the same. We find ourselves in difficulty and panic – God seems a long way off – it’s as though he’s on the dry land somewhere, and we’re all at sea. Yes we know the theory, we are never out of His sight, His eyes are always on us – there’s nothing that happens to us that he doesn’t know about. Nothing takes God by surprise. But I wonder how many times He appears in our lives and we fail to recognize him – we don’t even realise it is God. In our panic we fail to see him.
Also note here that Jesus hasn’t appeared on the scene because of the shouts for help from the disciples. He’s come because he’s seen them in trouble and he has compassion on them. When we’re in difficult circumstances we can forget to pray to God for help – but that doesn’t mean he isn’t there to help – now that is amazing love that is!
In marks#’ gospel it says Jesus was ‘about to pass them’ – so he’s walked out across the water in the middle of the night and then is going to walk past, on the water! Why? Well Jesus had come to them – and the next move was theirs. He wasn’t going to force himself upon them – what amazing love!
It is the same with us - God will come to help change a situation – but it is our choice to ask for his help. Why? Simple God never overrides our free will – he wants us to hand things over to him – he wants us to cry to him for help – he wants to get into the boat with us – but he doesn’t force himself.
Jesus’ Reaction
So what does Jesus do? He comforts them. The disciples cry out and he says “take courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid!” He is reassuring them that he is there – that God is there – “It is I” – the great ‘I am’. All powerful, all knowing God is there. It could be translated as “Fear not - I am!”
When we are in a mess it is important for us to know that God – the great ‘I am’ – is there. Sometimes we just need to remember that He is there. Just think of the difference it would make to us as individuals – what difference it would make to us a church – if we remembered that the Great I am – the God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, the God who was Christ walking across the water – was welcomed back into our lives, into our churches, into our nation – rather than being allowed to walk by!
Peter Steps Out
It is now that Peter steps into the picture – or rather into the sea!
Jesus is telling them he isn’t a ghost, so peter says ‘if that is right then tell me to come to you on the water’ – so Jesus says ‘come’.
Now if I’d been Peter that probably would have been enough for me – well he said he was Jesus so it must be Jesus – good, that’s fine. No! that isn’t what good old Peter does, that’s not Peter’s way. Matthew paints a lovely picture ‘Peter steps out of the boat and starts walking towards Jesus – then he sees the storm and becomes afraid and starts to sink, crying out to Jesus – immediately Jesus reaches out his hand and grabs him ‘You of little faith – why did you doubt’.
You know it took great boldness from Peter to actually get out of the boat and walk on the water. We know we don’t do that often enough – we don’t step out in faith when we should, when Jesus says come! – we are happy to keep our feet firmly in the boat – no getting out into the stormy water. I’ve heard it said ‘you won’t walk on water unless you get out of the boat’ – hence my other name for this miracle.
James tells us ‘Faith ….. if it is not accompanied by action is dead’ – faith is something we do as much as something that we believe. Peter could have believed that he would walk on water, but if he didn’t step out of the boat then that belief would have no effect. Talking faith is easy, walking faith is harder. Jesus wants people willing to step out of the boat in obedience, and by that we do great things for him and with him.
With that in mind I wonder how Jesus said that to Peter: ‘You of little faith – why did you doubt’.
Was it a scold? – ‘oh you of little faith’ – I don’t think so. I remember seeing a film of this scene and as Peter starts to sink and cries out, there is abroad grin on Jesus’ face and he reaches out and says ‘come on you of little faith’. I don’t think Jesus says it roughly or crossly, it is said with kindness, with a term of endearment – come on ‘little faith’.
Of course we know what peyter did wrong – he took his eyes of Jesus – he started to worry about what was going on around him. He was doing well but then got the ‘buts’ – but how, but why, but what. He saw the wind and the rain and the storm and suddenly thought But what am I doing, I can’t walk on water. It’s impossible’ – followed by a splash and that sinking feeling. Fear replaced faith.
It’s easy to start well and to get distracted – and then we get that sinking feeling. Be encouraged – God is still there – He doesn’t give up on us. Jesus reached out his hand and pulled him aboard the boat.
What did Jesus say to Peter then, as he stood there dripping wet? Again I try to imagine the tone of the voice – I think it would have been something lie “you were doing so well – I’m so proud of you – don’t lert the doubts creep in. Next time stay focused on me. Well done Peter! Well done!
Sometimes I’m sure we think we’ve let God down, but honestly I don’t think he feels like that most of the time. I think, like Jesus here, he probably says well done, well done, next time just keep focused on me!
Result
When the disciples realise it’s Jesus they let him into the boat – and the result is immediate – the wind stops, the waves calm – Jesus brings calm to the situation. The boat reaches the shore – Jesus brings them safely to the dry land.
We veer of course – we get buffeted from place to place – but with Christ he brings a calmness, safety, assurance, and then his chosen destination.
This two fold outcome finishes with the disciples being ‘completely amazed’ Mark tells us. Really they shouldn’t be should they – just a few hours earlier he’d fed a crowd of some 15,000 or more form a boys picnic lunch. But the disciples fail to grasp that Jesus has power over nature, power over all things. We are often surprised by God as well aren’t, when he does something amazing or unexplainable.
The other result in Matthew’s version is that they worship him. The realization of what he has done, of who he is. ‘Truly you are the Son of God’ they say.
Let us not forget to worship God, and give him the glory and the praise when he does something amazing.
Conclusion
We walked through that walking on water miracle, and there is so much in it:
Do we find time with God, alone?
Do we forget that Jesus is with us even in the storms?
Dow e remember that he is the ‘great I am!’?
Do we invite him to help us, or prefer to go alone?
Are we prepared to step out of the boat?
Are we keeping our eyes on Jesus, even in times of uncertainty?
Are we hearing those words of God, well done, well done, when we do?
Are we responding in worship to all that He has done?
There is much to learn form this passage for each one of us – little lessons all the way through – let’s allow ourselves to step out in faith -are we prepared to take a risk for Christ – remember: ‘you’ve got to get out of the boat to walk on water’.
Amen