When I was in high school I was a member of a non-denominational youth group called Young Life. One of the friends I made through that group is Zach. Zach is a weird, weird guy, but his faith has always been amazing to me. He always knew more about the Bible than I did. He always prayed more fervently than me. He was a nicer guy, he volunteered more; he had me beat in every area of the Christian life. I loved hanging out with Zach, but when we would get together for Bible study I always left feeling guilty of my own weak faith or envious of his maturity.
Over the years since High School I have met all sorts of people who have made me feel the same way. Maybe you have felt this way too, envious of someone’s Biblical knowledge or eloquent prayers or faithfulness. As much as we do this to ourselves, we must have learned it somewhere. One place, I think, we learn these attitudes and behaviors is from our preachers and the way they choose to preach sermons on texts like the gospel for today. I am just as guilty as the next guy, having preached a sermon that goes something like this.
“If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.”[1] Peter’s faithfulness to Jesus allowed him to walk on water, and when his faith faltered he began to sink. If only we had such strong faith like Peter we could constantly be walking on water. I have preached this sermon, and I planned on preaching it again today, but was challenged by the group of pastors and preacher who meet in my office on Tuesday morning. While htis is a valid reading of the text, what happens when we only hear this interpretation? What are the ramifications? This reading can, unfortunately, lead down the path to “if I only had more faith I could; walk on water, my uncle would have been healed, my marriage wouldn’t have crumbled,” and on and on. We end up looking at Peter with the green eyes of envy wishing and hoping and praying that we might have the power within ourselves to muster up enough faith to walk on water. Unfortunately I have been part of perpetuating this life of self-focuses faith that is always trying to outdo our brothers and sisters in Christ rather than rejoicing in the gifts God has given us and using them to the best of our abilities.
The followers of Jesus in this story are of two very different types. The first type we know very well, the Peters. The Peter’s of faith are like my friend Zach, always ready to jump out in faith, sometimes too eager. The second type often get’s glossed over they are the rest of the people on the boat. If you want to follow Jesus, sometimes you have to stay in the boat. Our lesson today begins with Jesus giving his disciples an instruction, “Immediately [Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side…” If you recall from last week Jesus had come to this lonely place in order to catch his breath. Having been run out of his home town, Jesus learned that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by Herod. Jesus is attempting to retreat for a while to regroup, to pray, and to mourn the loss of his dear friend. Life, however, interrupted and he found himself healing and teaching and feeding five thousand plus. He is still looking for that chance to pray when he sends the group on ahead. Having had sometime to himself Jesus heads out to meet his friends and while Peter jumps overboard the rest of them keep to the task of rowing in the midst of the storm; making slow but steady progress toward the other side.
Rowing is an important task in the life of the church. Without people at the oars it is impossible to move forward. Without people who are willing to do the work of setting up the altar, singing in the choir, volunteering for outreach projects, joining the vestry, etc., St. Paul’s Episcopal Church would not exist, and if we didn’t exist, well, we wouldn’t be of much use to the kingdom of heaven now would we? Peter gets reprimanded by Jesus for his lack of faith, but I don’t think it was only because he began to sink, I think it was because he got out of the boat in the first place.
There is a time and a place for leaving the boat, but more often than not I think we are called to faithfully tend to the boat; to row and to steer so that the boat that is the Church can make steady progress toward the kingdom of heaven, our version of the other side. Listen to the story you just heard only reframed through the imagination of author Christopher Moore and see if it doesn't make you rethink getting out of the boat, “A half-day later we docked in Bethsaida, where the other apostles were waiting for us. ‘He’s led them to the other side of the mountain,’ Peter said. ‘He’ll deliver a blessing then send them on their way. Hopefully they’ll go home and he can meet us.’ ‘Did you see any soldiers in the crowd,’ [Biff] asked. ‘Not yet, but we should have been out of Herod’s territory by now. The Pharisees are hanging on the edge of the crowd like they know something is going to happen.’ We assumed that [Jesus] would be swimming or rowing out in one of the small boats, but when he finally came down to the shore the multitude was still following him, and he just kept walking, right across the surface of the water to the boat. The crowd stopped at the shore and cheered. Even we were astounded by this new miracles, and we sat in the boat with our mouths hanging open as Joshua approached. ‘What?’ he said. ‘What? What? What?’ ‘Master, you’re walking on water,’ said Peter. ‘I just ate,’ [Jesus] said. ‘You can’t go into the water for an hour after you eat. You could get a cramp. What, none of you guys have mothers?’ ‘It’s a miracle,’ shouted Peter. ‘It’s no big deal,’ [Jesus] said, dismissing the miracle with the wave of a hand. ‘It’s easy. Really, Peter, you should try it.’ Peter stood up in the boat tentatively. ‘Really, try it.’ Peters started to take off his tunic. ‘Keep that on,’ said [Jesus]. ‘And your sandals too.’ ‘But Lord, this is a new tunic.’ ‘Then keep it dry, Peter. Come to me. Step upon the water.’ ‘Peter put one foot over the side and into the water. ‘Trust your faith, Peter,’ [one of the disciples] yelled. ‘If you doubt you wont’ be able to do it.’ Then Peter stepped with both feet onto the surface of the water, and for a split second he stood there. And we were all amazed. ‘Hey, I’m.’ Then he sank like a stone. He came up sputtering. We were all doubled over giggling, and even [Jesus] had sunk up to his ankles, he was laughing so hard. ‘I can’t believe you fell for that,’ said [Jesus]. He ran across the water and helped us pull Peter into the boat. ‘Peter, you’re as dumb as a box of rocks. But what amazing faith you have. I’m going to build my church on this box of rocks.’[2]
The Church celebrates the lives of those who have stepped out in faith and walked on water; people like Peter and my friend Zach. We also remember many who for whatever reason found it wiser to stay in the boat and continue to do the work to which they felt called; people who here at St. Paul’s fill the list known as Those Who Serve, Family Promise volunteers, Foley Elementary Volunteers, Vestry, Galileans, ECW, Prayer Shawl Knitters, etc. Without both groups of people the Church would have been doomed to failure, the disciples would have starved to death while preaching had no one offered them a meal.
While most of the time when I read this story I am humbled as I remember the great faith of Peter and friends like Zach, today I am encouraged that so many of us have such strong faith as to work hard for the kingdom of God by cooking, cleaning, reading, singing, walking, and generally staying in the boat. May God bless our ministries with and to one another as we row our boat across the sea of life toward the kingdom of God, the other side. Amen.
[1] See the book by that title by John Ortberg, it is a fine book, but not where I’m headed here.
[2] Christopher Moore, Lamb, p. 390-1.
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