Sailing in Place

Sermon for 8/10; Text: Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus walking on water.

There they are – in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, fighting the storm of their life. Well, at least the biggest storm since Matthew chapter 8, where Jesus calms the storm when he’s in the boat with the disciples. But in this story, Jesus is not in the boat. Remember last week, when Jesus tried to get away from everything for some alone time, and all these hungry, needy crowds showed up? Remember how he put his own needs on the back burner as he ministered to these crowds? Well, he’s finally fed the five thousand, and we see Jesus finally getting that time away to mourn the death of John the Baptist. This time, he even sends the disciples off to sail to Gennesaret, located on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He pushes them off in their boat, and climbs up the mountain to be by himself.

But the disciples are by themselves as well. For the first time since Jesus called them to be His disciples, they find themselves traveling without Jesus being physically present with them. But it’s Jesus’ doing – they’re not straying from the flock or anything terrible like that. They’re just doing what Jesus wanted them to do – sail across to Gennesaret, where he’ll meet them later.

But as so often is the case in Scripture, the sea and wind create a chaotic atmosphere, tossing the disciples’ boat around. They’re stuck smack dab in the middle of the sea, and there’s a headwind that’s essentially keeping them sailing in place. They’re going nowhere, and battling fierce conditions. Why would Jesus send them out in these conditions? Was he really that selfish, that he needed his alone time, even if it meant risking the lives of the disciples?

You may recall a similar story, found in Matthew chapter 8, as I mentioned. In that previous chapter, the disciples are in their boat being tossed around like a rag doll, and Jesus is peacefully napping in the corner. In Matthew 8 the disciples had the presence of mind to cry out, “Lord, save us! We’re perishing!” They woke Jesus up because they knew he was their only chance. They knew that he was more powerful than they. So they called on him, and he answered their call by stilling the storm.

Yet just a little while later, they seem to have forgotten the one who is there for them. They are here in chapter 14 battling a storm yet again, and they do not call on Jesus. They do not think to call on His name. They know where he is, and it’s not with them. So he’d be no help anyway, or so they thought. And maybe, just maybe, some of them are even wondering if Jesus sent them out to die in this storm. If he could control the storm before, maybe he was controlling this storm as well. Maybe this was his will. Imagine all these things running through the minds of the disciples. And in all these thoughts, not one thought to actually call on Jesus.

Stuck. That’s what they are. Doing everything right, yet being tossed around by the chaotic storms that we call life. Going where Jesus sent them, only to encounter trials. And they don’t call on Jesus. They don’t call on the one who can save them. What a shame, these disciples of little faith.

Stuck. That’s what we are sometimes. We’re doing everything right. We’re caring for our family and friends. We’re reaching out and helping those in need. We’re taking care of ourselves physically and mentally. We’re coming to church and singing our hymns and praying our prayers and even listening to parts of the sermons occasionally. We’re tithing, we’re reading Scripture, we’re not engaging in any immoral behavior. We’re doing everything in our power to control our lives, to make ourselves out to be one of the “good people.” We’re keeping everything in order, making sure we do and say the right things, striving onward to perfection.

Yet life still knocks us down. Waves still envelop us, and headwinds hold us back from making any progress. We feel out of control even though we’re desperately trying to maintain control. And what a terrible feeling that is – the feeling that we are not in control, especially when we’re doing everything right! We’re going where Jesus sends us, but it’s still leading us directly into storms. And we know the name of the only one powerful enough to save us, and we forget to call his name. We forget to call on the name of Jesus Christ.

It’s no wonder the disciples are confused. Jesus has sent them out to encounter life. He’s sent them out to battle the stormy seas. He’s letting them explore without hovering over their shoulder all the time. He’s not babying them anymore, but letting them see that life is just as crazy as his disciples as it is as fishermen. He’s not protecting them from every little thing, like we think a savior or a protector or a guide like Jesus is supposed to do. Isn’t he supposed to come along and rescue us, once and for all, from these storms so that we can live happily ever after? Isn’t that what salvation is all about? Isn’t that how the story goes?

Not for Matthew, not for Jesus, and not for us. That’s not how the story goes, even though it seems like the best idea. Jesus can protect us from all the chaos of life, but He won’t. He won’t protect us from experiencing it all, good and bad. Christian or not, good person or bad person, we’re all going to sail directly into the storms of life, and most of the time we won’t know what we’re sailing into until it’s already overhead.

And in the midst of those storms, Jesus will be there. Even when we can’t see him, Jesus will be there. He will be coming toward us, and we won’t recognize him, and we might even be scared of him because we won’t recognize him. We’ll perceive him to be part of the storm, part of the craziness that we’re mired in. Jesus comes even when the disciples forget to call on him, even when they don’t call on him because they don’t think it would help. Despite this, Jesus still comes out and assures the disciples: “Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid.”

Take heart. It is Jesus Christ. Do not be afraid in the midst of the storms. So what does Peter do? Question it. Alright Jesus, if it’s really you, then I’ll be able to walk across the raging waves over there to you. If it’s really you, command me to do this.

Jesus takes the challenge. “Come, Peter.” And there Peter goes, boldly stepping out of the boat and into the stormy seas, taking that leap of faith that Jesus has his back. There Peter goes, walking across the water, as if he were some sort of deity – for in those days it was widely known that only deities walked on water. And he’s inching…forward…closer…and closer…and closer…and he’s almost at Jesus!

Almost at Jesus! He’s so close! He’s come this far, walking on the surface of the raging sea! “I’m really doing it!” he’s thinking. “This is cool – look at me out here, walking around like only a deity could!” And then it all falls apart for Peter. He’s mastered the chaos of life, acted like a deity, and then…and then.

Well, we know the rest. He gets distracted. He loses his focus on Jesus. He starts worrying about the chaos surrounding him. He gets scared. Wasn’t he paying attention when Jesus said, just a few moments ago, “Do not be afraid”? Geez, Peter, why don’t you pay attention once in awhile!

It seems to me that he starts worrying and getting fearful because he starts to realize that he’s not the one in control. This is not his doing. He is not a deity, he does not have the power to do such things. Something or someone else must be in control. And oh, how scary that is when we realize someone else is in control of our life.

So he sinks. And this fisherman who would surely have been a strong swimmer doesn’t even try to tread water. Instead, he calls out to Jesus for help. And Jesus pulls him up and they return to the boat. Jesus returns him to the safest place, and finally calms the storm. He finally quells the chaos surrounding his disciples, just as he did once before.

But just as before, there is no promise in the calming of the storm. Both here and in the previous calming of a storm, Jesus does not make any promises that the disciples won’t encounter other storms. And Jesus does not make any promises to us that we will not encounter storms in our lives. He does not promise us that things will be smooth sailing, not even when he is calling us. Christ calls the disciples to sail to Gennesaret. Yet he doesn’t promise that journey will be storm-free. Christ calls Peter out of the boat. But he doesn’t promise that Peter’s walk will be storm free. He doesn’t promise that Peter won’t sink. And if we really look at this text, Christ doesn’t even promise that Peter will walk on the water. All he does is call Peter. He only says “Come.” He does not say, “Come, and walk across the surface of the water to me.”

We are not guaranteed smooth sailing in our lives. We’re never promised that God’s call will be easy. In fact, usually, God’s call is chaotic. God’s call is stormy and windy and so rough that sometimes even the most skilled fishermen cannot sail forward, and the most skilled fisherman cannot always tread water when his life depends on it. Sometimes, God’s call forces us to realize that we are not in control, and the things we are most skilled at may not be enough when we encounter things more powerful than ourselves. Storms rage on all around us, and we must remember that we cannot battle them alone. We can sail all we want, but sometimes we’ll end up sailing in place until we call on the one who has called us.

Like the disciples caught in the storm, we too are often caught up in the storms of life. We’re mired in storms of work and parenting and activities. We’re caught up in storms of relationship issues with family and friends. We’re stuck in the middle of the stormy sea of tragedy, grief, and mourning. We’re battling dark, unjust waves called abuse, slavery, disease, war, and famine. Yes, these waves move through every corner of our world, even here in West Newton.

The storms of life. Sometimes we feel so many storms that we just want to give up. I had a friend in college who at one point was going through a very difficult time in her life. So many negative stressors were affecting her that she told me one day, “I don’t want these darn monsoons. I’m in a couple myself. I should just give up and get wet.”

None of us want these darn monsoons in our life. All of us are in a couple ourselves. What are your monsoons? Your stormy seas that you travel on right now? Are you ready to give up and get wet?

Although we may be tempted give up and get wet, the scripture this morning tells us to give up and call on Jesus Christ. Give up and let God take control. Call on the name of Jesus Christ so that you may have something to lean on when the storms of life threaten to overtake you.

Until we call on Jesus Christ and surrender control to him, we cannot fulfill the mission that we are called to do. Remember the words from this morning’s epistle reading: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This is a warning that we will continually need rescue from the chaos of life, and only calling on Jesus Christ will allow us to sail forward in the midst of it. We, like the disciples, may boldly call on the Lord to save us from a storm, and then in the very next storm forget to call on the Lord altogether. We, like Peter, may ignore Christ’s comforting words, “Do not be afraid,” and start to sink. Most of life takes place on stormy seas, and we need to call on the Lord every step of the way for comfort and strength in the midst. Then, and only then, can we move forward, for without Jesus Christ we are merely sailing in place.

And as we call on Jesus Christ, hopefully we will remember his response to us as we are mired in the storms of life: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” This is the word of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.