In Matthew 14:22-34, we learn an important lesson about being Christ’s disciples.
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.”
And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
Did Jesus promise His followers a life free from trials and tribulations? No . Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
In today’s Gospel, we see the disciples rowing against the howling wind. But the fact that they are going against the wind doesn’t mean they are headed in the wrong direction or that they are moving away from Christ. In this Gospel lesson, that raging wind is necessary for their encounter with Christ and for their understanding to grow.
We sense their and our powerlessness in the world – they are too far from the shore for help. The wind might capsize their boat and sink their mission. Not only are they being blasted by the wind but their faith is being buffeted by the winds of disbelief. There is more than one storm raging on that lake.
I remember once when I was in Costa Rica we were trying to get out to a boat that was in the bay. We had to climb into very small motor boat which had landed on the beach to get to our ship. A storm happened upon us at that very second. The wind was blowing the waves roiling. And this little motor boat was rickety and the crew was a couple of 20 year olds with limited English. As I climbed into the boat with my kids, I really did think we were going to be capsized and drown. A few people refused to get on board. The two young crew men pleaded with them, “We don’t want to drown either” but some abandoned ship and stayed ashore. The little boat was full of leaks and we had to bail water out of it for the entire trip to our ship, while being tossed by the storm . It was an apostolic moment in my life.
It might be piously inspiring if in the Gospel we were to see the disciples calmly praying through the storm. Not so in the Gospel. They are struggling against the storm and they are panicked and terrified. Jesus comes to them in the storm, walking on the raging sea. He doesn’t prevent the storm from happening. We find Him in the storm and there we are to be strengthened and comforted, calmed and guided in and through the storm. The values of the Kingdom of Heaven are so unworldly.
The Storms of life are many – violence, stress, financial, family, death, grief, personal struggles, temptations, passions, diseases . Christ still can be encountered in the storm. The storms are no less violent, but we can find God if we are looking and we can hold on to God just as Peter grasped the hand of Christ.
In the Orthodox Funeral service we sing: “Beholding the sea of life surging with the storms of temptations. And taking refuge in your calm haven I cry to you: Raise up my life from corruption O greatly merciful one.”
We are reminded that there are so many storms we have to face in life.
Just this year Dayton has survived several storms of life – the KKK rally and counter protest, the Memorial Day tornadoes and the mass shooting.
Jesus calls to us from the midst of the storm: “Take courage! Don’t be afraid! It is I” Can we hear Him despite the raging wind of the storm? Or are we of so little faith that all we hear is the roaring storm and can only imagine human solutions to worldly disasters?
We are Christ’s presence in this stormy world. In that storm we are to be present offering our hand to those who are drowning. God is not hidden in heaven, God is present in the midst of the storm. Besides, as the Scriptures show raging winds are not only threatening but can be useful:
At creation: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit/wind of God was moving over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)
In the great flood: But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; (Genesis 8:1)
In Exodus 15:10 after Israel crosses the Red Sea, Moses describes God’s intervention to save Israel from the Egyptian army in these terms: You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
In Ezekiel 37:9, Ezekiel is given a vision of the resurrection and is told by God: “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” When the wind blew the dead came back to life.
In the book of Jonah, it is the wind which prevents Jonah from running away from the Lord, from going the wrong way: But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. (1:4)
In the Gospel we see Jesus showing His power over nature as He walks on the storm tossed waters. We see Peter, a disciple, being given power to imitate our Lord in the midst of the storm. And we see how we as disciples are dependent on Christ even when empowered by Him.
Peter asked permission to walk on the water. Christ responds not with an invitation but with a command: “Come!” Jesus orders Peter to walk on the water! As Peter walks on the water he and the other disciples are amazed and edified as they learn to what extent they can share in the powers of God’s Son on earth. As soon as Peter loses sight of the fact that this miracle, that he is walking on water, is being done to edify him and the other disciples, he is sunk. No miracle, no power of God is given to us to elevate us above anyone else. All are given to edify us and everyone else. Nothing is between you and Christ alone. Everything is done in love for the benefit of all. Sinking in the storm sea brought Peter back to his senses and he turns again to Christ.
All miracles are done to the glory of God and for the upbuilding of one another. All miracles are done in order to increase faith and for the edification of all. Even Peter’s failure was a lesson for all in discipleship. Let all you do be done in love.
Fraternized 