Loving God, you bid us to come to you through your Son, Jesus, and you give us the means to do all that you have in mind. Keep our attention focused on Jesus, that our time might be spent on those things that really matter; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

One of the things that we often miss in hearing only a portion of the gospel each Sunday is whatever happened just before the part that we are reading today. In this case, Jesus has just fed 5000 people -- instead of sending them away like the disciples wanted him to do. It might have been nice for Jesus and his disciples to maybe hang around for a while and celebrate the miracle that has just occurred. However, immediately Jesus makes the disciples get into the boat and head towards the other side of the lake. He doesn't just suggest that they go - he makes them go! How come?

Perhaps Jesus wanted to get them away from the crowds - to give them some time together in a boat. After all, things had been pretty hectic, what with crowds of people around all the time. Another possibility might be simply Jesus' need to spend some time alone in prayer, being strengthened and renewed by spending time in the presence of his Father in heaven. However, it's also possible that this was like a test for the disciples. How would they handle it when Jesus sent them somewhere that they did not want to go - towards the land of the Gentiles?

In this respect, the story is almost symbolic. Several times in the gospels the disciples travel in a boat towards the side of the sea where the Gentiles (or foreigners) live. Each time, a storm erupts on the way. Isn't this usually what happens when Jesus sends us where we do not want to go?

Think for a moment about what happens when we really take seriously Jesus' call to us to go out and carry the gospel to those who are different from us! If we are serious about following Jesus' example, then we are sharing the good news with outcasts, and with those who are sick, and with foreigners, and with prisoners, and with strangers, and with anybody who knows that they need God's salvation. This is not something that most people are comfortable with. Most of us like things to be familiar. We like to hang out with people who are just like us. We prefer to spend time with people whom we know and are afraid of stepping out in faith to help strangers or even to associate with outcasts.

Really, the disciples were no different. They wanted to stay in familiar territory, with familiar people. They didn't like heading off towards the unknown. And so they find this journey to be extremely hard work. The waves are battering the boat and the wind is against them. Just where is Jesus, anyway?

Well, when Jesus finally appears, they are not relieved, but scared. Perhaps they suspect that Jesus knows their unwillingness to make this journey. Perhaps they have been so focused on all of the unknowns facing them that they are startled to see him there. Perhaps they have already forgotten all that they have seen Jesus do.

Whatever the reasons might be, the disciples are terrified as they see Jesus walking towards them on the sea. Jesus, knowing their fear, tries to calm them down. "Do not be afraid" (Mt. 14:27). Calm your hearts. It is I and I am God and I am right here with you. Another translation of Jesus' words would be: "Take heart, I am." "I am" is the divine name, which was first revealed to Moses on Mount Horeb (Ex. 3:14). It appears throughout the gospels in order to hint at Jesus' divinity. It is almost as if Jesus is saying to the disciples, "You have no reason to fear when I am with you, for I have power over all things, including the wind and the waves."

However, Peter, wavering back and forth between fear and courage, wants some proof. He says, "Lord, if it is really you, then let me come to you on the water." Jesus tells him to come, then, and Peter steps out of the boat and starts walking toward Jesus. However, it isn't long before Peter says, "Hey! I'm walking on water!" and looks at the waves and is overcome by fear again. You see, Peter has made a fatal mistake. It's not that he doesn't have enough faith or anything like that. Peter's mistake is that he takes his eyes off Jesus. Rather than focusing on the one who has bid him to come, Peter looks at the wind and the waves and gets scared. Peter learns very quickly that what you focus on can make all the difference in the world.

When we think about our life together as members of the body of Christ, our focus can have just as strong an impact. Certainly we could talk about whether we focus on the positive or on the negative in our life together, and we would probably find that there are some people who almost always focus on the negative and others who make a concerted effort to find something positive in everything. However, even more important in the Christian church is whether our focus is on Jesus Christ, or somewhere else.

Many people who work in the area of conflict management talk about something called "majoring in minors." What this means is focusing on small things which in the end are not all that important. An example might be quarreling over what colour of carpet to put into the church, or which hymnal to use, or what kind of coffee to buy, or what kind of music is best, or how much money should be spent on almost anything. When things like these become more important than following Jesus Christ, then we are in serious trouble as a congregation.

However, when our focus is on Jesus - on following his example and on following him wherever he might lead us - then the little things will take care of themselves. If we are truly seeking to do God's will and to listen for God's direction, then there is no need to worry about things like, "Will we be able to afford it?" or "Will it upset people?" or "Will we be able to handle it?" God does not ask us to do anything without providing the resources that are needed in order to carry it out. However, this doesn't mean that it will take no effort on our part. God expects us to put our gifts to good use!

Now, of course the trick is to discern what God is actually calling us to do, and this is true either as a congregation or as individuals seeking to follow Christ and live in love for God and for others. We are to listen to the message of the Scriptures, and to pray for guidance, and to test out our understanding with other Christians so that we don't end up out on a limb and out to lunch. When we seek God's will in this way, God will guide and will provide.

Now, although it may seem like a rather unusual example, Jesus did do this in Peter's case. There was no way that Peter was able to walk on water all by himself! But he took his attention off of the one who was giving him the power to do this. In doing so, he starts to sink and has just enough faith to call out, "Lord, save me!" (Mt. 14:30). In my own life I have found that it often works in much the same way. If I stop focusing on Jesus, I begin to be overwhelmed by demands and problems and lists of things to do. Then, it is only when I turn back to Jesus and reach out to him for help that I am pulled up out of the waters that were threatening to overwhelm me.

At the end of today's gospel, Jesus is in the boat and everything is calm and the disciples are in awe of what they have just seen. "This guy does things that only God can do! Only God can trample the waves of the sea (Job 9:8). Only God is called "I am." Jesus really is the Son of God!" (Mt. 14:33). And so they bow down in worship.

The next time that they worship like this, the disciples have even more reason to do so (Mt. 28:17). It is after Jesus' resurrection from the dead, after he has suffered and died for the sins of the whole world. They have seen Jesus' power as the Son of God, a power made perfect in weakness as he humbled himself and offered himself on the cross. They have seen Jesus' love for them and what he was willing to do in order to win their salvation. How can they help themselves from bowing down in adoration and worshiping the one who has brought them into the presence of God? Amen.

Proper 14(A) Matthew 14:22-33
August 7, 2005
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2005 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved