I was in a meeting of rural Pastor's today and one of my colleagues offered an opening meditation on the Matthew 14 account of Jesus walking on the water. This colleague has a wonderful sense of humor and infectious laughter and, with wit and wisdom, invited us to consider two things: What kind of boat are we currently in? And, to walk on the water with Jesus, you have to what? Get out of the boat. Get out of your comfort zone. Be willing to go beyond the walls and barriers we create to keep ourselves safe. It was a great meditation and one that I will ponder on for quite some time because, in so many ways, I am Peter in the story, willing to try walking out to Jesus. Yet, sometimes, maybe more often than I like, I am with the others in the boat, unwilling or unable to move out of my seat of security to do anything 'risky'. I miss the opportunities to walk with Jesus for lack of heart to step over the safety-rails of my living.
Hmmmmmmm. Another thought for another day.
But, for today . . . Have you ever heard someone speaking and, though they thoroughly engaged you, your mind began to go different directions with the same material? As my colleague was speaking, my mind began to wrap itself around the notion that Peter stepped out of the boat, looked around, saw the earthly reality of what he was doing, became afraid, and began to sink. It was then that he cried out to Jesus. As the text records it, "Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"" (Mt. 14.31 NRSV) Peter cries out as he is sinking and Jesus reaches out and catches him, keeping Peter from sinking. We are not told if Jesus took hold of Peter's hand or if Jesus grabbed the collar of his garment or if Jesus caught Peter by the belt. We are only told Jesus caught him.
Isn't that the very prayer most of us are found uttering every day? "Lord, save me!" Whether still in the boat or having mustered up the courage to walk on the water, we look around and see the harshness of our world, of our context, of our difficulties, and cry out, "Lord, save me!", praying in that moment Jesus will catch our life in His hands?
As with Peter, Jesus does not admonish us for looking around and seeing the world for what it is, but where Jesus shakes His head is when we look around, develop a severe case of quaking knees, and begin to sink beneath the waves of our world because we forget to live the faith God places inside each of us. Jesus is more than willing to be our Savior, more than loving in the way He reaches out to us and catches us by the hem of our living, yet yearns for us to live that salvation in power, trusting the God of our salvation to make firm our steps in faith, even as God makes firm the steps of Jesus wherever He goes. It isn't something God is only offering to Jesus, it is the capacity to live life on a radically different level as life is lived in faith - and it is offered to everyone. Everyone. It is part and parcel of being 'created in the image of God', 'Imago Dei'.
As Jesus models a life of faith lived in the presence of God, so Jesus leads us in faithful living as well. It is a life of walking on the water, not being submerged by the wind and waves. It is a life of meeting the needs of God's people where they are, not being submerged by the immensity of the problems. It is a life of living in relationship with God and each other as a gift of the God who creates us, not being submerged in the mass of 'otherness' and 'differentness' which surrounds us. But, be forewarned: The powers and principalities of this world greatly fear the freedom God's faith releases in God's people, and often acts to corrupt it, overcome it, and overwhelm it. Sometimes, even crucify it. Such faith is viewed as dangerous for it leads people to do all sorts of kindnesses for each other, reducing their dependence on the state for daily existence.
Still, we are called to such living by the One who lived faithfully, even unto a cross. For in so living, even the nails of the cross and the roar of the waves of death have no power, because Christ's hand reaches out and catches our life at the door of an empty tomb. Have no fear, no doubt . . . only faith. In faith we walk with Jesus always.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Don
No comments:
Post a Comment