Today’s Gospel August 7, 2011 Walking on Water

22 Καὶ εὐθέως ἠνάγκασεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἕως οὗ ἀπολύσῃ τοὺς ὄχλους. 23 καὶ ἀπολύσας τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος κατ᾿ ἰδίαν προσεύξασθαι. ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης μόνος ἦν ἐκεῖ. 24 τὸ δὲ πλοῖον ἤδη μέσον τῆς θαλάσσης ἦν, βασανιζόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων· ἦν γὰρ ἐναντίος ὁ ἄνεμος. 25 τετάρτῃ δὲ φυλακῇ τῆς νυκτὸς ἀπῆλθε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης. 26 καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν περιπατοῦντα ἐταράχθησαν λέγοντες ὅτι φάντασμά ἐστι, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου ἔκραξαν. 27 εὐθέως δὲ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς λέγων· θαρσεῖτε, ἐγώ εἰμι· μὴ φοβεῖσθε. 28 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπε· Κύριε, εἰ σὺ εἶ, κέλευσόν με πρός σε ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα. 29 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ἐλθέ. καὶ καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου ὁ Πέτρος περιεπάτησεν ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα ἐλθεῖν πρὸς τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν. 30 βλέπων δὲ τὸν ἄνεμον ἰσχυρὸν ἐφοβήθη, καὶ ἀρξάμενος καταποντίζεσθαι ἔκραξε λέγων· Κύριε, σῶσόν με. 31 εὐθέως δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ὀλιγόπιστε! εἰς τί ἐδίστασας; 32 καὶ ἐμβάντων αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἐκόπασεν ὁ ἄνεμος· 33 οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ ἐλθόντες προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες· ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ.      Matthew 14:22-33

Today’s gospel is often told as a miracle story that Jesus did what cannot be done, namely walking on water.  Literalists among us prefer to believe that because Jesus was the Son of God, he could do anything even walk on water.  But there is more to the story and we get a hint when Peter tries to walk on water and begins to sink. (vs. 29-30)  The story essentially is a metaphor for something else, namely courage to press on, with faith in yourself and your ability. Faith that the ability is there to do what even seems impossible, represented by the water.  But Peter starts to sink and calls out to Jesus, who then grabbed (ἐπελάβετο) him and spoke of Peter’s limited faith. 

Perhaps the Gospel message is something similar to the sentiment of a Mariah Carey tune:

If you're lonely

And need a friend

And troubles seem like

They never end

Just remember

To keep the faith

And love will be there

To light the way

Anytime you need a friend

I will be here

You'll never be alone again

So don't you fear

Even if you're miles away

I'm by your side

So don't you ever be lonely

Love will make it alright

Or perhaps a song written by Carole King:

When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.

The metaphor of the water is the troubles and outright self doubts we have about ourselves, and we are left, like Peter, sinking in our own self doubt, perhaps self pity.  But if we keep the faith; if we call out his name (Jesus), He’ll come running.  The metaphor is deeper than we think, it’s about faith, yes but faith that we can overcome, that we can survive whatever the trial put before us, because we can call out His name and he will grab hold of us and not let us sink.  Of our own devices we often sink, but faith is requisite, perhaps faith in Jesus that he will grab us, but also faith in ourselves.  Faith in Jesus may just be an excuse for our inability, to overcome or cope with our troubles.  But faith in ourselves because we have the message we can.  The old adage applies at this point, ‘ought’ implies ‘can’.  If it is the case, and it always is for the person of faith, then we can.  Just call out his name and we can muster the courage, the faith in ourselves to press on, overcome and survive.  We will not sink if we keep the faith.  Too often we are like Peter and see the overwhelming storm, the stiff wind (βλέπων δὲ τὸν ἄνεμον ἰσχυρὸν ἐφοβήθη) of our self doubt, and we are overcome with fear.  Consider that God is Love, and Jesus’ new commandment to us is to love one another, we should have faith in Love and He’ll be there.

Is the story about Jesus walking on water? Yes, on the surface.  But down deep, the metaphor within the story is about courage in the face of adversity, even that which seems impossible (walking on water).  But given the faith that we can we are able to do and be what we ought. We can walk above our troubles; we can walk on water. We are not alone and cannot be lonely, if we keep the faith, the faith through/in love that we can do what we ought to do.  Without the faith in love we cannot lift ourselves and carry on.  With the faith in Love (Jesus) we can do the seeming impossible, even walk on water.