A Reflection on Matthew 14:22-33

The gospel reading from last Sunday comes from Matthew 14:22-33. As the story picks up in vs. 22, we find Jesus attempting to find some solace in prayer. So, he sent his disciples ahead of him across the lake while he remained behind to dismiss the crowds that he had fed with the loaves and the fishes and then spend some time alone. The text tells us that before the disciples could complete their journey across the lake they got trapped in the midst of a storm.

You know the rest of the story. Jesus comes to them walking on the water, Peter hops out and does his thing, sinks, gets rebuked by Jesus, the seas calm once they get in the boat, and then in vs. 33 the disciples exclaim to Jesus that “truly you are the son of God!”

Preachers tend to preach this passage by focusing either on Peter’s faith (or lack thereof), or by focusing on the conclusion that the disciples come to at the end of the story when Jesus calms the storm. However, neither one of these perspectives answers the question that I have simply overlooked – why was Jesus walking on the water?

I believe that Jesus walked on the water because it was the fastest way of getting to his disciples who needed him. His closest friends, his dearest companions, the disciples whom he loved very much were in trouble and their trouble, their need overcame his need to be alone and he went to them in the quickest way he could, he walked to them on the water. Jesus went to great lengths to rescue his disciples from what had to be certain death.

And now I can at least guess at why this story is in Matthew’s gospel. Matthew is writing to a church that is struggling to survive without the physical presence of its savior. And it is not easy. There are people who are against them. In some cases, even their own family is against them. The church, throughout the centuries, has frequently found itself in the position not unlike those 12 disciples – struggling to move forward when the world is against it. The church has often existed and lived within a storm.

I know that it can often look like we here at Cahaba Valley are in the midst of a storm. How can we get our message out to a society that appears to not want to listen? How can our message be relevant to our culture, when our voice is just one of a multitude of voices, and when we do not put on the best show, have the best programs, or the resources to meet everyone’s ever present needs? How are we going to get new people into this church so that we do not die a slow death as our current membership gets older? I have heard many of you ask these questions, and I have asked these questions.

Matthew included this story in his gospel to speak to us, Christ’s church, and tell us that we should take courage and not be afraid, because Jesus is coming and he will meet our needs.

Unfortunately, the story does not end with Jesus walking on the water. Many people overlook the response of the disciples to this miracle. The disciples, upon seeing Jesus coming to them across the lake assume that he is a ghost and are frozen with terror.

Isn’t this the way of things? Our fear can be so paralyzing that we fail to see the fact that Jesus is responding to the needs of his people. There is much to be afraid of. We can be afraid of the church stagnating and dieing, we can be afraid of the unknown, we can even be afraid of the change that will come from trying to pursue God’s will for this church. But let us not be so paralyzed with fear that we fail to see Jesus coming to rescue us and meet our needs.