In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 14:22-34
At that time, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they entered the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
Our Gospel reading today tells us of the miracle where our Lord walks on water. It is a miracle so well known that when someone starts to think or behave as if he is better than those around him, others may begin to say of him something like ‘that guy thinks he can walk on water.’
It is certainly a mighty miracle, one that shows the divine nature of Jesus. But it also displays His humanity. For as the Fathers point out, when the disciples in the boat see Him approaching over the waves, they are terrified and think it is a ghost. For they know Jesus and they know that He solid flesh and bone and not some ethereal creature, something that is lighter than air that can float above the waves.
The Fathers also remind us of the importance of what Jesus is doing before He rejoins His disciples in the middle of the lake. He had gone to a quiet place to pray. This emphasises for us the importance of prayer, the importance for us for making time for our own life of prayer. In the busyness of our lives, it can be all too easy to let prayer slip to the side, to neglect it for matters that seem more pressing. But this is not how Jesus behaved. And we who are called to model our lives on His, must keep the example He gave us always in our minds.
We may also be well advised to keep in mind the example of Saint Peter, when he asks to join our Lord upon the waves. He does not say ‘Lord, grant that I also may walk upon the water.’ No, he says ‘Lord, if it is you, bid me to come to you upon the water.’ Bid me to come to you. As the Fathers point out, Saint Peter does not ask merely for the sake of being able to walk on water, for the glory of having such power. No, he asks in order that he may go to his Lord. Something for us to keep in mind when are praying to God. How often do we ask for things that will enhance our comfort or advance our careers or status when really we should be pleading for assistance to help us get closer to Him?
Saint Peter’s request to approach Jesus is granted. But as he walks towards Him, he becomes frightened by the power of the wind. He begins to doubt. And he begins to sink. Jesus afterwards says to him ‘O man of little faith, why did you doubt?’ This is a question we may ask ourselves. But consider Saint Peter’s response in his moment of doubt. He does not despair and sink beneath the waves. He does not try to rely upon his own strength and attempt to swim back to the boat. Instead he cries out to Jesus ‘Lord, save me.’ And at once our Lord stretched out His hand and caught him.
This is something to remember in our own times of doubt. Times when we are sinking under the waves of despair or the storms of temptations that rage about us in this world. These are the times we must call upon the Lord to save us. I pray that you will. Amen.
The Holy Orthodox Order of St George the Great Martyr works tirelessly to help those in need. We focus particularly on our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the Holy Land and those who suffer because of their Christian faith. However, we strive to help all in need. Funds are desperately needed at this time to help those facing the horrors of war in Gaza and Lebanon. Please help if you can by making a donation to the Order. And please keep all those who suffer in your prayers. Thank you and may God bless you.
