First Lutheran Church | Detroit Lakes, MN
Pentecost 10 | 08.09.2020 | Matthew 14:22-33
Today’s story of Jesus walking on water is a famous one. Right after the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples hopped into a boat and headed toward the other side of the lake while Jesus stayed behind to pray in the mountains. On their voyage a violent storm kicked up, started to batter their boat, and they were terrified.
I think we can empathize with the disciples here. Many of us know the feeling of being outside when a summer storm blows in, and some of us know the distinct fear that come with getting caught on the water while a storm moves in. In either case, it drums up a particularly primal anxiety, doesn’t it? The pressure changes, air cools, instincts heighten, and we feel powerless and small in a hurry.
So, on one hand, we can understand the basic fear that the disciples were experiencing in that storm, and one the other hand, there was something particularly scary about water for a first-century Israelite. First of all, according to scholars, most people “in the ancient world…didn’t know how to swim.”[1] Not only that, culturally speaking, water for first-century Israelites held symbolically dark undertones. For ancient Israel, water—particularly violent water—“symbolized destructive powers on a cosmic, political, or personal level,”[2] and we see this symbolism throughout the Old Testament.
From the Psalms to the prophets, rough water was a symbol of that which was threatening and uncontrollable. In Isaiah 17, raging water is used to describe the terror of Israel’s enemies. In Psalm 89 violent water represents the opposite of God’s peaceful rule. In our Psalm today, 93, rising water represents that which competes against God.
In other words, there was a religious and cultural phobia assigned to water rooted in Israel’s history. Water was a cultural boogeyman.
This is all to say, as we immerse ourselves in the gospel today we need to understand that this was a moment of all-encompassing fear. It wasn’t just a storm on the water that they were facing, but also an age-old cultural and spiritual nemesis. And, then, to make matters more terrifying the disciples saw a figure approaching the boat, and they thought it was a ghost!—raging storm, cultural phobias of water, helpless…and then, a ghost!?
But, of course, it was not a ghost; rather, the figure walking on water was…Jesus. This was a moment of fear and anxiety down to the bones, and into that moment, Jesus made himself present and said: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid” (14:27). Peter then tried to go to Jesus on the water, but overcome by fear, he began to sink. “Jesus…reached out his hand,” saved him, and the winds ceased (14:29-32).
With this story and all its context about fear and water, a lot is revealed about who is Jesus is, and about who he is for us.
In other words, Jesus walking on water isn’t just some impressive magic trick – remember, water in this story is both literally and symbolically meaningful, so Jesus’ ability to have power over it is profoundly revealing.
Over an element that Israel for centuries has regarded as literally and figuratively representative of that which opposes life, Jesus is the One, finally, who shows he has mastery over it, over even the “mighty waters…[and] waves” (Psalm 93:4). In fact, he walks all over it.
Therefore, again, this moment helps reveal Jesus’ identity. He’s the One who has power over even water—over the age-old existential and spiritual adversary. So, it is no wonder, that this is actually the first time in the entire Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is recognized as the ‘Son of God[3]’; it’s how our passage ends: “…those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” (14:33).
Jesus is revealing himself in relation to Israel’s history. This isn’t just another prophet or Rabbi. Jesus is showing powers of the Creator…this is the Son of God.
And his walking on water not only reveals who Jesus is, it reveals who he is for us.
Walking on water was impressive, and it was also compassionate! Jesus offers his presence to people in fear—and this is indeed good news because we know how destructive fear can be.
One theologian expands:
Whether it’s a fear of the return of illness, of the stability of a fragile relationship, of loneliness after loss, of not being accepted by those we esteem, of whether we’ll fare well in a new chapter in our lives… You name it, there is a lot in our…lives that can make us afraid. And that fear is debilitating…paralyzes us….[4]
Or like for Peter, fear can drown us. Fear keeps us from moving the way we’re meant to move. And when we are debilitated by fear, what does Jesus offer us? His presence. Like for those terrified and helpless disciples on the boat, Jesus comes to us, he enters in, and with such presence and love, he lifts us up.
With that, I now want you to think about what fears are causing you to sink or are paralyzing you…
Is it the uncertainty of your finances?
Is it the fate of this schoolyear?
Is it national politics?
Is it COVID? Is it another illness?
Is it your marital problems?
Is it your family dysfunction?
Is it failure?
Is it death?
Is it insecurity about who you are?
We all have much about which to be afraid, and our fears indeed batter us like raging water. And in those storms of fear and anxiety—who is Jesus for us? Jesus is with us.
As the boats of our lives get battered by wave after wave, as we sink in the waters of all that scares us, there Jesus is, reaching again and again and again into our lives, pulling our heads above the waters with the proclamation that we are not alone, that no storm has ultimate power over his love, his grace, and his presence.
With Jesus’ presence we are accepted, we are enough, we are defined only by his love and power—if that is not a hand in the storm, I do not know what is. So, yes, “Take heart…do not be afraid.” We face the storms around us with none other than the stiller of storms.
Sisters and brothers, I know that the struggle with fear is great, but this story compels us to remember every day to “take heart” in the storms, to face them with some audacity, and with some courage. My hope for you all as you as go back out to confront the scary waters in your lives – your cancer, your familial conflicts, your dwindling bank account, your stress, your loneliness, your anxiety, COVID, whatever it may be – is that you remember that the Son of God, the One who has faced and conquered storms, is with you and for you, bent on lifting you up and back into who you are meant and called to be. Amen.
[1] Rolf Jacobson, “Podcast #553 – Tenth Sunday after Pentecost,” Sermon Brainwave, Workingpreacher.org, http://www.workingpreacher.org/brainwave.aspx?podcast_id=915.
[2] Duane A. Priebe, “Matthew,” in Lutheran Study Bible (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2009), 1631.
[4] David Lose, “Pentecost 10 A: Something More,” In the Meantime, http://www.davidlose.net/2017/08/pentecost-10-a-something-more/.
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