Word to the Wise
Sunday, August 9, 2020 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a; Rom 9:1-5; Matt 14:22-33]"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt.?" [Matthew]
There is an old saying, "Be careful what you pray for. You may get it!" When Peter challenges the "ghost of Jesus" to prove that he [Jesus} is not a ghost, Jesus calls his bluff and Peter somehow manages to get out of a pitching boat in a rough sea to start walking toward Jesus. It should be remembered that he was not getting out of a becalmed boat on a glassy flat surface. That, in itself was remarkable. And he found that he could indeed walk on water as long as he focused on Jesus' command, "Come!" When he started worrying about how bad the surrounding conditions were, he started sinking and had to cry for help. The mechanics of this are fodder for the imagination. Did Jesus' pull Peter up and make him stand again on the water? Or did he just pull him up and dump him wet and sputtering back in the boat?
The real focus here is not on the spectacle of Jesus walking on water, despite the attraction for the imagination. The focus is on the faith of the disciples. This incident follows the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in which the disciples with the help of Jesus were able to feed a crowd with meager resources. Just as Jesus said to Peter, "Come!" he had also told the disciples, who doubted they could feed the crowd with a few barley loaves and fish, to "bring them here to me."
Just like the disciples on the mountain and in the boat, our human fears exist alongside our very human faith in Jesus. We will accomplish some very great things as disciples as long as we keep our focus on the one who supplies the power to do those things. If we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the difficulty and forget who we are working for, we will fail. If we call for help, we will get it, but sending away the crowd or hanging onto the boat out of fear of the weather or ghosts are not options for discipleship. Our faith will grow if we cultivate it with courage and determination, knowing the Lord will help us if we need it. We don't need to look further than the current pandemic for an example. AMEN