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Jesus walking on the water

Jesus walking on the water

Last updated on: July 30, 2015 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

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Jesus walking on the water 2015-07-29T19:26:57-04:00 Gene Veith

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We had a great sermon last Sunday on Jesus walking on the water (Mark 6:45-56), bringing in the ups and downs of the spiritual life, Christ’s presence in the ordinary, vocation, the Word, law, gospel. . . .

From Rev. James Douthwaite, St. Athanasius Lutheran Church: Pentecost 9 Sermon:

It had been a perfect day. Jesus had just fed over 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. And before that, He had taught – with those words that had authority; those words no one else ever spoke; strong, powerful words. They were different. He was different. And then the twelve baskets full of leftovers when there wasn’t even one basket full of food to begin with. They were in Jesus’ wheelhouse that day. It was great.

And then the day is over and Jesus sends them away. He doesn’t come with them, as they undoubtedly wanted. He sends them off in a boat while He goes off to pray. And their time on the water was exactly the opposite of how the day went. It was hard. Adversity. The wind was not at their back. When it was, they could practically fly across the Sea of Galilee. That night it was against them, so it was hard work. Every boat length of progress exhausting. . . . And Jesus is off praying. Where is He when you need Him? Like a couple weeks ago, when He was with the disciples in the boat on the Sea when a storm came up. He helped them then; where is He for them now?

You know how it is. You’ve been there. You’ve had a good day, maybe a good week, like our youth at Higher Things this week. They went with suitcases filled with clothes and came back with them filled with teaching, memories, and the awe of 1,000 people packed into that chapel, every seat filled, singing vigorously and loudly and with an organ that filled the room and then some. Jesus was feeding and teaching them.

And then it was time to come back home. All the cool pastors replaced with ordinary parents. From the awesome chapel to Mt. Kilimanjaro!* New friends gone and old brothers and sisters back. Instead of going to sectionals, doing chores. Jesus was there for them then; where is He for them now?

But you too. All of you, have been there. Good days, good weeks that end far too soon, and then back to the grind, back to adversity, with the wind in your face, not at your back. Challenges, struggles, trials that keep coming and seem never to end. Times when it seems like Jesus isn’t there for you when you need Him.

Oh, but He was there. When He was praying, He saw them. He saw them struggling. He saw the adversity. For the Good Shepherd never stops watching over His sheep. He never lets them get too far away. And then He comes to them. He doesn’t just zap Himself onto the boat – that’s not Jesus’ way. But He does walk on the water, because that’s where the disciples were. He comes to them where they are.

Mark tells us, though, that He intended to pass them by. For they weren’t in danger, you see, like when they were caught in the storm. This time it was tough, but they were making progress, though slowly, yes; difficult, yes. So Jesus was just going to let them see Him; a glimpse, that they know He is with them; they are not alone. He is going ahead of them, to prepare for them. That should have boosted the disciples a bit.

But it doesn’t. Instead, they think they are seeing a ghost! They wanted Jesus with them, but not like that! They immediately think the worst, and cry out. Scared. Harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Maybe us too. Jesus is there with us when we need Him. He promised. But maybe, like the disciples, it’s just not in the way we want Him to be. He still doesn’t zap Himself into our lives or into the midst of our problems. He is with us, though, through the people He uses to care for us. Parents, spouses, friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, pastors, and more. These people the masks of God, through whom God has mercy on us, helps us, gives to us, and provides for us, through them.

[Keep reading. . .]

Jesus walking on water

Rev. James Douthwaite

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