Sermons for the Month
Up on a Watershed What's Next
DATE: 8/11/02
SERVICE: 12th Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Matthew 14:22-33To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
The event described in today's Gospel lesson is a watershed moment for Peter. Have you heard that term before - watershed? The first time I remember hearing it was in seminary where the Old Testament professor constantly used it to refer to major turning points in the lives of the people of Israel. It's a moment in history after which things are not the same. We all face watershed moments either because there is an important decision to make or because a change is imposed upon us. Sometimes watershed moments are of major significance, other time they are minor but still influence our lives. And, it may be true that we do not recognize a watershed moment until after it is over. Peter faced just such a moment early one morning, although any evidence that his life had been permanently altered did not appear for some time. Let's do a quick review of the story. We are told that after Jesus had fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish he commanded his disciples to get into a boat and head toward the other side of the lake and he dismissed the crowd. The detail that Matthew does not mention, but is part of this story as it is told in the Gospel of John, is that after he fed those thousands of people they wished to make him king. Not wanting to incite a revolution, and still wanting some quiet time of grieve the death of his cousin John the Baptist which is why he had come to that place to begin with, Jesus went off by himself to pray, in a quiet place. As this is occurring, what is happening to the disciples? Their situation is far from quiet. They are still in the boat that is being battered by wind and waves and is far from land. When this story is presented in skits or paintings the disciples often are portrayed as being afraid in the midst of the storm. However, a closer look at Matthew's version reveals that there is no reference to the disciple's response to the weather. After all, a number of them were fishermen by profession. No doubt, though, they had a healthy respect for the power of wind and water. What I think they were focused on was why, when they were simply doing what Jesus had told them to do, they should face such a calamity. So, they were struggling toward land, fighting a wind that was against them, no doubt exhausted, when something much more terrifying than the wind materializes. They look out across the waves and see a man walking on the water. Naturally they cried out in fear, "It's a ghost!" Bit it is not a ghost; it is Jesus. To calm their fear Jesus says, "Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid." In Greek the basic sense of that phrase is, "Dare to trust. Be bold. Be confident." Now we come to the watershed moment for Peter. This was a turning point in his life. In an impetuous moment he had opened his mouth before thinking - he must have been an extrovert like me - and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. Jesus said one word, "Come." And Peter had to decide whether or not to step out of the boat. Would he dare to trust, be bold, be confident? It was a watershed moment; we all have faced them. Sometimes we have just a moment to make a decision, and other times we struggle through days, months, even years of weighing the options. It's a struggle because we are afraid that what happened to Peter will be true of us; we'll sink or even drown once we leave the safety of the boat. That's true even if life on the boat is rocky. And yet, even when we fall short - either because we step out and are overwhelmed by fear or because we our feet just won't move - Jesus is with us. As I was preparing for this sermon I happened to listen to a song by the Indigo Girls - my musical tastes are pretty eclectic - the chorus of which is very apropos. It goes like this, "Up on the watershed, standing at the fork in the road, you can stand there and agonize 'till your agony's your heaviest load. You'll never fly as the crow flies, get used to a country mile. When you're learning to face the path at your pace every choice is with worth your while." In other words, sometimes simply making the decision is the greatest struggle and becomes overwhelming. It's usually true that there are no short cuts and the road seems long. But, when you are on your journey - I would add the journey of Christian discipleship - every choice (as long as it does not involve that which is harmful or hurtful) has some benefit. Let's go back to Peter. It seems to me that whether he got out of the boat, or stayed in it, the experience would leave its mark. Had he remained in the boat, he would have been chastised - and I always think of that as a gentle but firm reprimand - for his lack of faith and he would have wondered what he had missed. Perhaps he would have one day looked back on the incident and been motivated to take a step of faith. In that way, his choice would have had some benefit. However, that didn't happen. Instead Peter chose to step out on the water. But he became afraid, started to sink, and had to endure the disappointment of Jesus at his doubting. Yet, when he took the risk, he experienced something that would not have occurred - at least not in such a dramatic way - had he stayed in the boat. Jesus reached out to him, caught him, and led him to safety. It must have been a frightening yet strengthening experience to feel the secure grasp of the Lord. It was an experience that encouraged Peter in his faith walk, and later gave hope to the early Christian church. I say that because at the time Matthew was writing his Gospel Christians were being persecuted. Most likely, Peter had already been crucified. This story would have brought great comfort to the early believers. While not spared suffering and death, they were confident that Jesus would lift them up and ultimately save them, even if their faith wavered. Perhaps you are on a watershed, looking at the fork in the road. I would say that's true not only for individuals, but also for our congregation as we face this time of transition as John leaves the position of youth director to continue his seminary education and as Hans retires as music director and organist. Whether we are facing an individual choice, or a corporate one, it's usually the case that there is time to weigh the options. (Poor Peter didn't have that opportunity.) Doing so should not be agonizing, but instead we consistently ask God to help us see the situation from God's perspective and to make clear to us those things we need to know - both positive and negative. We can expect it to take awhile. Then we choose. Maybe we'll decide to stay where we are and continue to listen for the voice of Jesus. Or, perhaps we'll step out of the boat. In both cases, our loving but firm Savior is with us, pointing out our need to grow in faith and also encouraging us. And, if we really get in trouble and cry out for help, he'll reach out and catch us, holding us up. Oh, the storm may continue to rage, but we will not be alone. And, our faith will be strengthened. Look what happened to Peter, he went from being the rock that sank to standing firm as the rock on which the church was built. He did suffer, but he also was strengthened to do God's will. In that watershed moment he was changed. Over time he dared to trust, he became bold and confident. But, it was a process. May it be so for us as well. AMEN