More Thoughts - Matthew 14:22-33

If we consider miracles as an enacted parable, then there is a message in several parts of this narrative. First, let's recount the details of the miracle. We have disciples in a boat in the middle of a storm. We have Jesus praying on the mountain. Jesus waits several hours, and then walks across the water to reach them. The disciples are afraid until Jesus identifies Himself, and then Peter challenges Him to call him to walk on the water to Him. Peter steps out of the boat, walks on water for a bit, and then begins to sink. He cries out "Lord, save me" and Jesus does exactly that. While Scripture is not clear on this point, we can only imagine that Jesus and Peter together walk on the water back to the boat and climb in.

Have you ever felt like you were going nowhere? Like you were working and working to accomplish something and never making any progress? The disciples are stuck in the middle of the lake, rowing to nowhere. Mark's account says that they were "straining at the oars."

It's not at all unlike the Great Narrative of Christianity. Humanity is lost, struggling against sin, without direction or guidance. And Jesus comes to us in the middle of our storm. Like the song "I'm Forever Grateful" says, "You did not wait for me to draw near to You, but You clothed Yourself in frail humanity."

The disciples could never have rowed back to shore to get Jesus. It was impossible. As much as they tried, the wind and the waves prevented them from reaching God. Likewise, We could never have reached God on our own. It was impossible. As much as we would try, our sin and shame prevents us from reaching God.

But the Good News of the Gospel is this: Jesus comes to us in spite of the sin and shame which keeps us from reaching Him. God desired relationship with His creation so much that He did what we could not do in order to restore that relationship. He comes to us in the midst of our storm, knowing that we can't escape it.

Sometimes Jesus calms our storms. Sometimes He just calls us to walk above the storm. When we get out of the boat, we may stumble and fall, but the Good News is this: Jesus will walk with us back to the boat. And ultimately, Jesus will calm the storm--either in this life or in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon