Pentecost 13, 08/10/2008

Sermon on Matthew 14:22-33, by John H. Loving

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,^* for the wind was against them. ²⁵And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!' And they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.'

28 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.' ²⁹He said, ‘Come.' So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. ³⁰But when he noticed the strong wind,^* he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!' ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?' ³²When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.'

Fear

One of the most crippling forces in human life is fear. It saps our energy, diverts our creative drives, and keeps us from operating at full potential.

Admittedly, certain kinds of fear are necessary for survival. We wisely train our youngsters to fear fire, electric plugs, and moving vehicles, but we also pass on to them some of our irrational fears. Many children are terrified of the dark; others are afraid of water or dogs. Hopefully, with patience and love we can help them grow out of these irrational phobias.

The Bible has a lot to say about fear--particularly as a response to the mystery of God's presence and call. "Fear not, Mary, the Lord is with you." Joseph gets the same message when he is about to call off his forthcoming marriage. Then there are the shepherds in the field. "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy."

In today's Gospel-reading we have another story of fear and anxiety. Following the feeding of the multitude, Jesus sent his disciples back across the lake while he went up to a nearby mountain to pray.

As the Twelve tried to cross the lake, they were caught in a violent wind-storm. All their efforts to reach the other side or to stabilize the craft were in vain. Though the Sea of Galilee is fairly small--some 7 miles across and 12 miles long--and is usually quite placid, sudden squalls can descend on the lake and create absolute chaos even today.

In this lesson we have three examples of fear--first, the situation itself was life-threatening--a small boat in a violent storm. Then there is the reaction of the disciples to the approach of Jesus at 3:00 in the morning. At first they thought it was an apparition. (It is interesting that in the parallel accounts in Mark and John the Greek could be interpreted as Jesus' walking beside the sea, but as Matthew tells the story the boat is out some three or four miles from land, and he is ON the water. (Matthew always prefers the more dramatic setting.) Jesus calms the disciples with a word, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

The third example of panic is found in the brief story of Simon Peter's leaping from the boat into the water. This part of the story has been added to the narrative by the Gospel writer, who takes Peter, even with all his impulsive actions, as the representative follower of Christ. At first he draws near to Jesus with confidence, but then he hears the driving wind, sees those swirling waves, and begins to sink. As long as he focuses on Jesus, he is fine. But when he is distracted by the chaos surrounding him, he starts going under. Jesus reaches out and calls to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Is this reaction not typical of us, who are often beset by fear and uncertainty?

Sister Joyce Rupp, a Roman Catholic poet and author of devotional literature, calls a "fearful heart" one of the "chronic disorders of the spirit". She points out that worrying keeps us from being free, from relishing life's goodness. It focuses on what is unknown or what we think might be there to torment, shame, or haunt us. Worrying distracts us from our vision, our dreams, and goals. In her words, "Worrying eats the heart out of peace, and tends to keep us occupied with ourselves instead of with God and those closest to us."

There seem to be a number of reasons why we are so prone to fretfulness and anxiety. The first cause is a lack of belief in how much God deeply and personally cares for us. Jesus says that the hairs of our heads are numbered. For some of us, that would not be too much of a challenge, but, of course, the point of this figure of speech is that we are all known and loved and treasured. Each person is precious in the sight of God. When we overlook that fact, we lose our bearings.

Secondly, we are subject to irrational fear because of a persistent attitude that should be able to manage all by ourselves without God's power at work in us. This is in contrast to the gospel response, "Be it unto me, according to your word." As a parish priest this has been a hard lesson for me to learn. There is no way one person can take care of all the work of a parish: worship, Christian education, pastoral care, parish administration, evangelism, and so on. We have to learn to recognize our own gifts and limitations and then reach out and share this ministry with others who are also blessed and strengthened by God to carry forward this work.

Thirdly, it is hard for us to accept that not all of life will be positive, that life bears the marks and smudges of our own and others' human weaknesses. Somehow we still hold out for an ideal world, in which life is always fair, comfortable, and serene. My friends, that is not Christianity; that is wishful thinking. Jesus assured his disciples, "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

A final cause of worry is a poor memory that so quickly forgets that growth can come through failure as well as success. (We seem to have to fall off the bike a certain number of times before we learn about balance and momentum.) God will not always take away our difficult situations because they are often a natural part of our earthly life, but God's loving presence will always support and strengthen us. We have this promise in Holy Scripture. What we need to do is to reach out in faith and trust.

For our own spiritual maturity it is important that we face our fears and not ignore them. Some people are dreadfully afraid of the unknown, afraid of failure, or pain, or growing old, or dying. In these economically uncertain times others are afraid of financial burdens. Where will the money come from for gas, for groceries, for college tuition, for taxes, for retirement, and for unexpected expenditures?

Sister Joyce says when we look our fears in the eye, they can control us no longer. We do not have to give in to the fretful voices within. The more we deal with our hidden fears the freer we will be to live in peace and to share our gifts.

After we recognize our fears, we must then see them in the light of God's love. Worry and fretfulness will cease to rule our lives when we place ourselves in God's hands, knowing that God's fidelity and love will support and comfort us no matter what painful or fearful situations confront us.

"Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea. . . .

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold." {Psalm 46}

I'd like to close this morning with a simple prayer to the risen Lord, based on his word to the quaking disciples: "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid."

Christ Jesus, give us the courage
to bring our fears into your presence,
to open our lives to your healing love.

Accept our fragmented loyalties,
our disillusionment and frustration.
Transform our concern

that gets so easily twisted into fretfulness.

Accept our need for security,
and keep us from greed and materialism.
Accept our hunger for your presence;

reach out and bring us to yourself.

Take our fretful hearts

and wrap them deeply in your abiding love. "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid."

Amen.

Rev., Interim Assistant Rector John H. Loving
The Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal)
Austin, Texas

E-Mail: joving3@austin.rr.com

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