Proper 14 A
Little Faith – All Jesus
Matthew 14:22-33
August 13, 2017 – Redeemer
O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Jesus is speaking those words to Peter, to His disciples, to you.
Matthew chapter 14 has not been a good chapter for the Kingdom of God, The best and initially most successful preacher in the Kingdom, John the Baptist, with hundreds of baptisms and new members to his credit, preached one too many sermons and Herod silenced him by cutting off his head. His death drives Jesus to retreat into His Father’s presence for strength and consolation..
But there is no rest for Jesus, A crowd about the size of Sauk Rapids or Sartell follow him. He, being the Savior of the world, saved them, healed them from every disease and ailment that held them captive. Jesus took on human flesh to save humans – body and soul. So He doesn’t just preach. He heals and He feeds. The crowds followed Jesus into the wilderness. Think rural Nebraska, there’s no Nelson Brother’s Truck Stop, or an exit off the freeway with a smorgasbord of fast food franchises. There’s five loaves of bread and two fish, and doubting disciples – “Send the crowds away, let them buy their own food.” Their doubt has no effect on Jesus – He feeds the crowd, with twelve baskets of leftovers. Twelve baskets – for the twelve tribes of Israel to whom God kept His promise. Twelve — the number of the Apostolic church where Jesus always has more of His gifts than you have sin, or suffering, or sorrow, or perhaps simply 12 box lunches of leftovers for the 12 doubting disciples.
It’s been a long day, and Jesus once again needs the strength and consolation of His Father. He is after all true man, and working with sinners, doubters, and hurting people will drain you. He sends His disciples into the boat while He goes alone to talk with His Father and be refreshed in that mysterious communion of the Holy Trinity.
Remember, almost half those guys in the boat were fisherman. The sea was their life. Boats were their office. They looked on a strong wind as a challenge and crossing the sea as a test. They had already made a good distance on their voyage. They were not afraid of a strong wind. They pulled all the harder and perhaps were even bolstered by the challenge. It wasn’t the storm that scared them. It was Jesus.
Why did Jesus scare them? Because He was supposed to be back on shore. Because no one walks on water. They were fisherman, but now on the sea was something they had never seen before. They were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
Pastor Martin Luther, makes an interesting observation on this text. God often tests us in our vocations. He tests these fishermen on the sea. He tested Abraham as a father when he was to sacrifice Isaac. He tested Jacob as a brother on his way to meet Esau. In the very place where God has put you, He will also test you. Why? So that your little faith knows that He alone is your life and your salvation. What is your calling? Are you a mother tested by your children’s suffering or sins? Are you a father tested by the loss of a job or the fear of not providing for your family? Are you citizen a tested by a culture and country that glorifies death and perversion? Are you a wife tested by the suffering or death of your husband? Are you a child tested by a broken home or an aging parent? Are you terrified? Do you, like the disciples, see God not as He is, but as you think? They thought Jesus was a ghost. You might think God is angry with you, or disappointed in you, or that He has forgotten you altogether. Do you cry out in fear?
The cataracts of terror have blinded the disciples to the truth. Their confession of Jesus is wrong. Their fear is misplaced. Perhaps you have been in the same boat. Then Matthew, who was in the boat, tells us exactly what happened. Jesus delivers them, as He delivers you, by His Word. Immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Jesus did not wait to see if they would progress in their faith, or if their vision would clear up, or if their confession would change. Immediately He delivered them. “Take heart – be of good courage.” Why? It is I. What Jesus said with those little words “ it is I” is somewhat lost in our English ears. What Jesus said was, “I am” – you know, like when He said, “I am the Good Shepherd. I am the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the life.” “I am” is even more than that – it is God’s revealed name in the Old Testament. Remember Moses at the burning bush, when he questioned this God who was sending him to Egypt. “When they ask me, ‘What is God’s name?’ what shall I say to them?” God replied, “I AM who I AM.” Take heart, I am, do not be afraid. It is no ghost, but God Himself coming to you in Jesus – the God who created the sea, the God who provides bread for the hungry, the God who heals all sickness, the only God who lives.
His Word, His presence should have been enough for the little-faithed disciples. Jesus had fed over 5000 and likely healed hundreds if not thousands. He was walking on water – as the God who set the boundaries for the seas. All of that should have been enough, but it wasn’t for Peter. He wants more than Jesus has given. He’s not even sure it is Jesus. “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
I’m surprised Jesus didn’t just say, “Go ahead Peter, jump in,” and then let Peter sink like the rock he was – dead weight in the Kingdom. The surprise is that Jesus did not treat Peter like he deserved. He will pass Peter’s test and prove He is who He is. “Come!” and then just as Jesus had comes to the disciples, by the power of Jesus’ Word, Peter comes to Jesus. Pastor Luther thinks that Jesus Himself sent the strong wind, picked it up a few knots, to test and teach Peter. It worked. Peter saw and felt the wind, lost hold of Christ’s Words and began to sink. So much for Peter, so much for you if your eyes take your ears off of God’s Word.
Jesus teaches Peter and us what faith is – it is nothing of our own. I’m a poor miserable sinner. I’m sunk. I’m a dead man because of my sin. “Lord, save me.” Matthew again writes what he sees, “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” When Peter went down he was within arm’s reach of Jesus. Peter could have reached out and grabbed Jesus, but that is not faith. Faith is despair of yourself and knowing that Jesus has grabbed hold of you. Peter didn’t get back into the boat and brag about walking on the water. He didn’t confess, “Didn’t I do a great job of being saved?” Peter wasn’t congratulated for “stepping out in faith.” There was no talk of Peter – everyone in the boat worshipped Jesus, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
This miracle happened for one chief reason – that the disciples and that you might believe Jesus is God, the same God who created the world in six days, the same God who formed Lake Superior by His command and said, “This far and no further.” It is essential to your faith to know and believe that Jesus is God of God, light of light, very God of very God. You must know this so that when you cry out in little faith, “Lord, save me!” you can be certain Jesus will, He did, He does.
Be certain because later in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus once again goes up a hill alone. He goes up Calvary not to commune with His Father, but to be excommunicated. The Son of God struggles up Calvary carrying the sin that drowns you, torments you, and kills you. The Father does not speak to His Son at Calvary. In the mystery beyond all mysteries the Son of God is forsaken by His Father, drowned in the wrath of God, tormented by your sins, He is put to death for you and your salvation.
Faith saves you, whether it is a little faith like the disciples or great faith. It is not the quantity or quality of faith that saves – it is Jesus who saves and whoever believes the Son of God died on a cross for the sins of the world, for your sins, that person is saved, like Peter, immediately, by the Word of Jesus, the Word that comes with Water in baptism, the Word that delivers Christ’s body and Blood in the Bread and Wine, the Word which has spoken His forgiveness to you this morning. O you of little faith, why did you doubt the name of Jesus? Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
12 August 2017 anno Domini