Matthew 14:22-33 NRSV
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he After the feeding of the thousands on east bank of Sea of Galilee, where the disciples helped Jesus feed the people. The disciples are now sent to go by boat to the west bank. This is the first time in Matthews gospel that the disciples are sent forth without Jesus. It appears that it was an overnight trip. Jesus spent his time in solitude, in prayer, on a mountain. The next day Jesus went to catch up with the disciples. The disciples spent had spent the night in the dangerous place and are still there. Chaos all around, everything out of their control. They were fearful, being tossed, being battered about. And now another fear overwhelmed them. This time something completely new, out of any previous experience. In all the Chaos whirling around them, Jesus was walking towards them!
How do you process that!
“Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Words of Jesus to reassure them.
They are still being battered at this time. Peter has a go at walking on water, And fails.
Jesus rescues him. They all then, get in the boat. Then and only then, are things calm.
A common reflection on the text would talk about how we like Peter need faith, undoubting faith, so we too can walk on water. But that view is missing the point. Faith is not about being able to walk on the water. Only God can do that. Faith is daring to believe that God is with us in the boat as it makes its way through the storm, battered by the waves and winds in the dark. God was never apart from the disciples. God was with them as they were sent and remained with them. The disciples could not see this, as they were overwhelmed with the Chaos that surrounded and engulfed them.
Our world is in a time of Chaos. A Pandemic engulfs the whole globe. Yet we are in a bit of a bubble. Even so, the virus keeps trying and breaks into our little bubble and we deal with it. So far we are keeping it at bay. Odds are we can’t keep this up for a year or two. Our bubble may burst. Hopefully not. It is easy to have the Chaos of this time overwhelm us as the disciples were overwhelmed. It is easy to overlook that God is with us in our boat, in our bubble while we are surrounded by Chaos. “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Is Jesus’s reassurance to us. Have faith.
Our faith is daring to believe that God is with us made real in the community of faith, as we live surrounded with our current Chaos.
Where do you see God, what gives you heart? Lessens your fear?