Fraternal Following

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My focus is on Matthew 16:24 and Romans 12:10. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

There’s an old cartoon that depicts Jesus clarifying his statement to a would-be disciple, “No, I am not talking about Twitter. I literally want you to follow me.” Other than the fact that Elon Musk changed the name to X. the cartoon illustrates a lesson about language. Words change meaning overnight, over decades, centuries, and millennia. So, let me begin by examining a few words from our texts – from Matthew, follow, and from Paul, fraternal or brotherly affection. Then I will tell you how two war-torn enemies became brothers, setting an example for us.

First, follow. The cartoon quote is funny because one can misconstrue our Lord’s words as social media chatter. The word follow comes from the Old English folġian or fylgan. I have said on several occasions that follow has several meanings. It means to come after in a sequence, such as B follows A in the alphabet. It means to go after, pursue or move behind in the same path or direction. Follow that car! When you operate a new power tool, follow the instructions. Fans follow an event, a team, or an activity. As Jesus used the term, He wanted people to devote themselves to Him, His Way and His teaching.

People quit their careers and families to follow Jesus. His closest disciples sat at His feet. They travelled by boat and foot to hear Him teach and witness Him heal. During His darkest moment, some followed at a distance and stood at the Foot of the Cross. A group followed His Body to the tomb and returned to anoint Him. After His Resurrection, the apostles followed Him to Bethany and stared into the sky as He ascended.

Today’s passage, however, made it difficult for some to follow Jesus any further. It was the first time Jesus predicted His passion. The passage also marks the turning point into the final section of Matthew, who wrote his Gospel for believers who knew the outcome of the story. Here, Matthew illustrated the reaction people had to Jesus’ revolutionary and unexpected teaching.

In its larger context, we see that Jesus’ original followers were common, ordinary men and women, but they knew and understood God’s plan for Israel and the world. They accepted Jesus’ teaching and witnessed the power of God working through Him. They saw His teaching and work evoked faith from the crowds and provoked persecution from religious and political authorities. With these parties plotting His demise, Jesus and His disciples retreated to a remote spot off the Sea of Galilee where He asked them who they believed Him to be.

Hearing the answer, Jesus showed His enlightened disciples what was required of Him – depart to Jerusalem to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes, be killed and raised on the third day.

Is it no wonder why – in this peaceful spot – Peter and the disciples reacted as they did? Why confront your enemies? Why provoke politicians? Why suffer? Why go to Jerusalem to be killed? These normal human questions arose from their sinful human minds. “If God’s mercy is to be found in Jerusalem’s Temple, then mercy and not murder awaits you there. That is how God works, Jesus!” said Peter, the man who declared Him the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

Peter was not simply confused, but took a firm stand against the Lord. Peter articulated God’s activity in the world in a satanic way, expressing the ‘things of men.’[1] When reprimanded, the only thing Peter could do was get out of Jesus’ way and not cause Him to stumble into disobedience that would have led to disaster for Israel’s lost sheep and the world. Jesus was the person to first say, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” By getting out of the way, Peter learned what it meant to follow this Christ, this Son of God.[2]

Because His disciples misunderstood how God works in the world, verse 24 is the heart and summary of Jesus’ teaching. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” … Only by yielding to His Father’s will and His opponents, and accepting suffering and death by crucifixion could people and creation be saved from sin and death. That is how God works in the world.

The primary obstacle to following Jesus was not in the world, but deep within the heart of every disciple. They had to reject the tendency of insisting God conform to their ways and deal with evil according to their expectations. They had to reject the tendency that if in charge, they would make things right. They had to learn that criticism, competition or quiet, prideful comparison disguised as sinful human ambition embraced and exalted not the Cross of Christ, but them. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

The first disciples who followed Jesus learned they could not pre-determine the type of difficulty, suffering or martyrdom they would face. As early Christians who worshipped the Trinity and renounced Greek and Roman gods, their neighbors hated and rejected them. Ultimately, some Christians found their way to crucifixion or some other gruesome form of death.

When it was time for him, Peter deemed himself unworthy to die the same way as His Lord, and requested to be crucified upside-down. Others, like James, died by the sword (Acts 2:12). Of course, not all Christians were martyred. Christianity spread throughout the world, and to Rome, the setting for my second point, “Love one another with brotherly affection.”

Love one another with brotherly affection. Paul’s advice begs the question, “What was Paul trying to accomplish in these final chapters of Romans?” Paul was teaching Christians how to conduct their daily lives through the power and structure of grace.

Romans reveals God’s relationship to rebellious creation; how Christ reversed what Adam did; and how His death broke the power of sin. As human beings freed from the domination of sin and the law, we are now dominated by the Spirit. In chapter 9, Paul pointed towards the future and explained how from the beginning God’s plan of gracious election was at work, culminating in Christ who brought the law to an end by incorporating its goal in Him.

In chapter 12, Paul wrote about grace, which triumphed over human rebellion. Grace does not mean that anything goes. Rather, there is a structure to living the Christian life as individuals and communities. There is a structure to denying yourself, picking up your cross and following Christ.

If the Christian community responds appropriately to the structuring grace at work in it, it will display unity. Unity, however, is not uniformity, as Paul emphasized the necessity of diversity based on the abundance of God’s grace. Diversity is not based on race, ethnicity or gender preferences. Nor is diversity simply a few people with special skills contributing to the community. All church members have spiritual gifts, and are responsible for discovering what gifts they have and use them to glorify God.[3]

In Rome, people confused ego with grace. Some saw their gifts as more important than others’ gifts. That same problem arose in communities throughout the next 21 centuries across the globe. The solution to the problem of pride and over-inflated egos is simply love.[4]

Love one another with brotherly affection. That includes your enemies and those who displease you. Why? Because while we were enemies with God, we were reconciled to Him by the death of His Son (Rom 5:9-10). The point of heaping burning coals on your enemy’s head is not to get back at him. Rather, you feed and refresh those who displease you because it is how Christians effect reconciliation with their enemies. A small gesture compared to how God effected reconciliation with us, His rebellious enemies.

Paul’s advice was not to withdraw from the world into seclusion as an individual or Christian enclave. Instead, Paul encouraged Christians in 1^st century Rome to live among others, but with a different set of values. Attempting to reconcile and win over your enemies through kindness, compassion and brotherly love was not an action people embraced, but Christians did.

Christians of 1^st century Rome believed Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose from the dead. They believed that they, once rebellious enemies of God, were reconciled through Christ’s death and resurrection. When the Paschal Mystery is embedded in your heart, mind and soul, you do what God asks or commands. You even deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ by loving your enemies with brotherly affection.

All well and good, but what do the readings have to do with life today? How do we deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus? How do we love enemies with brotherly love?

Let me tell you a story of two men, intent on killing one another in war, who became as close as brothers. While serving as pastor in Oakmont, I met Gerri Hamilton. Gerri was a faithful and loving member of our church. One day, she asked me to visit her husband, Howard, who was in the hospital. That was the spring of 1998. By December, he died from a long illness. Yet, Howard should have died in 1943. That did not happen. God spared Howard. After World War Two, he and Gerri, had three sons and a daughter. After a distinguished career in manufacturing, Howard became a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

You see, during World War II, on his 22^nd mission as a bombardier in the Army Air Corps, Howard’s B-17 was hit by enemy fire on October 10^th. It punctured his lung. He lost consciousness and regained it only to have his parachute pack strap catch on the door handle. He dangled as the plane spiraled. He did not have enough strength to free himself. His co-pilot risked his life to set him free.

Howard landed in a tree. The Germans captured him and took him to a hospital where he lay on a stretcher for 12 hours until an officer in charge of prisoners of war begged the one lone surgeon to treat him because he would die before morning.

In captivity for 19 months, initially in a hospital and then in Stalag Luft on the Baltic Sea, he was liberated by the Russians on May 1, 1945. After the war, Howard went to college on the GI bill, began his career and family.

Howard lived a successful life professionally and personally, but that is not why I tell you the story of what happened to a twenty-year old kid 80 years ago. You see, Howard and the German officer who begged that he be treated did not forget each other. The officer looked him up after reading a book about the raid. Howard and Gerri visited him in Germany, and he visited them in Pittsburgh.[5]

If two men on opposite sides of history’s bloodiest war, intent on killing one another, could reconcile and treat one another with brotherly love, who of us cannot reconcile with people we dislike and love them, as Christians should?

Friends, we may never fly as bombardiers, encounter our enemy on a gurney, or spend years as a P.O.W., but we have relatives and neighbors, co-workers and colleagues, and even church members who have wronged us. Some owe you money because they rent space in your head thinking of what they once did to you. And although sin keeps me from reconciling with God and them, as a Christian, I bear the cross of reconciliation behind Christ. Because of Jesus Christ and His grace, we can reconcile with people we dislike because God reconciled with us when we were enemies.

This week, treat one person you dislike or disliked with love, and see what happens. When you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

---

[1] Jeffrey A. Gibbs, Matthew 11:2- 20:34. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (2010), 840.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Paul J. Achtemeier, Romans. Louisville: John Knox Press (1985), 196f.

[4] Ibid, 198.

[5] See among other sources with the same information: https://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/hbhamilton.htm.

KEEP THE LORD'S DAY HOLY

 

Next Sunday, Pastor Marshall will be here to preach and lead worship. So, do you ever wonder what I do when I am not here on Sunday? Well, back in February, when I was visiting my brother in California, we had Lord’s Supper at his house. We called to mind and confessed our sins; heard the readings; prayed for other people’s needs; said the words of Jesus over the bread and wine, and took communion.

A few weeks ago, when I was at the Synod Convention, I sat with my wife, and we took communion with everyone else. Ten – twelve times a month, I visit church members in their homes or nursing homes, and lead a Lord’s Supper service for them because they cannot get to church.

I mention all of that because our reading from Isaiah (56:1, 6-8), tells us that everyone who keeps the Lord’s Sabbath or Day of Rest, God will bring to his holy mountain. So, how do you do this? Remember, the Third Commandment is to keep holy the Lord’s Day. What does this mean? It means that we should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.

It means that when we are here, that we sit up straight and pay attention to God’s Word when any pastor, Mr. Hietsch, Miss Linda or I preach it to you. It also means that we should not do any kind of physical work because that can be done on one of the other six days that God gives us. Worship of God means paying attention to the truth that our bodies need rest. On Sunday, we rest in the Lord. We rest in and with the Lord Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

People, Petition, Purpose

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled People, Petition and Purpose. My focus is on Matthew (15:21-28). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Have you ever noticed how many songs and movies have the word people in the titles? Dozens. Among songs, artists have recorded Everyday People, Short People, C’mon People, All God’s People, Lonely People, Shower the People, and even more I never heard of: Plastic People, Damaged People, Second Hand People and Broken People.

Directors and producers have given us Ruthless, Ordinary and Used People. There have been movies attributed to animals and people, such as Mole People, Cat People, Alligator and Bat People. Personality traits have been featured in such blockbusters as Secret People, Smart, Fierce, Crazy, Terrible, Superfluous, Civilized, Beautiful and Simple People.

We are extremely interested in people. 118 million people read one of the most popular magazines in the US, People. That may explain why Matthew introduced such unlikely people to demonstrate true faith: the Roman centurion and a Canaanite woman. And so, while focusing on this unlikely person, I begin with my first point about people.

Unlike Zacchaeus, Lazarus, Joseph of Arimathea and Mary Magdalene, both the centurion and this woman remain anonymous. Neither Mark nor Matthew mention their names, yet their stories are recorded for a purpose. I will get to that later.

This woman is a Canaanite. Canaan was a grandson of Noah. In Genesis we read that the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon to Gaza to Lasha. If you look at a map, the territory was a vast area west of the Sea of Galilee and spread to the Mediterranean Sea (10:18). We also read that Isaac warned Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman (28:1); yet, Judah married one (38:2). Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman and Simeon, is mentioned in Genesis (46:10) and Exodus (6:15).

Trouble with the Canaanites begins in Numbers, when the king of Arad heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, and fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. Israel vowed to the Lord, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.” The Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction (21:1ff). Later, the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. … But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.” (33:50ff).

During the life of Joshua, the Lord drove out the Canaanites and all other peoples so that the people of Israel could live in the Promised Land (5:1; 13:1ff). After Joshua, Judah and Simeon drove out many peoples. Manasseh, Naphtali and Zebulan did not drive out the Canaanites, but allowed them to live as forced labor. Ephraim and Asher lived among the Canaanites (Judges 1). Throughout their history, Canaanites and Israelites co-existed, but not always peacefully. The Canaanites did not accept any books of the Bible other than the first five.

Our passage opens by telling us that Jesus went into two cities of Canaanite territory not to engage in pastoral ministry, but to avoid the Jewish opposition to him. Recall that he had just completed a confrontation with scribes and Pharisees who had come from Jerusalem (15:1-20).

Enter the woman. Matthew’s telling of the story is so shocking that he uses the phrase behold to introduce her. “And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out” (15:22). Other versions use the words Suddenly!, Lo!, Look! and Just then! It’s as if she appeared out of nowhere.

This Canaanite woman is a member of the ancient and idolatrous enemies of God’s people in the promised land, and maybe the least likely of people to elicit mercy from the Jewish Teacher and the most unlikely to acknowledge his true identity.[1] That said, let me move from my first point, people, to my second, petition.

As this woman cries out, she addresses Jesus as Lord and Son of David. In Matthew, the title Lord is typical for Jesus’ disciples to address him. It is a word that comes from faith or the profession of faith. She calls him Lord three times. Even more unexpectedly, she refers to Jesus as Son of David. Most Jews and their religious leaders definitely did not view Jesus as Son of David. Yet, he is rightly acclaimed by individuals who stand at the margins of power, influence and learning: children (21:15), blind people (9:27ff; 20:29ff) and this Canaanite woman. Even though his own people did not rightly acknowledge Jesus as Son of David and King of the Jews, she did![2]

Initially, Jesus refuses to speak. And while it is useless to wonder why, your guess is as good as anyone’s. He simply remains silent. We see, however, that his disciples step forward and begin to ask him to send her away. It is the same thing they said to Jesus about the hungry crowds. In that case, it was so the people could depart and buy something to eat in the villages.

Here, is it the disciples’ desire for Jesus to get rid of her without helping her or to give her what she wants so that she will depart and leave them alone? The former would seem that the disciples may be thinking that it is the business of Israel’s Messiah to get rid of every annoying Gentile that comes to him for help. The latter puts into perspective Jesus’ reply TO THE DISCIPLES – “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Jesus is not simply there for his disciples’ convenience or to be some itinerant wandering miracle worker. Jesus exists for a reason, and his reply to their request highlights the unique place in salvation history for the children of Israel.

His identity as Israel’s Messiah and Savior has implications for his relationship with the rest of humanity and the entire creation. And so, the woman persists. A second time on her knees, she calls him Lord and cries out, “Help me!” Now, Jesus speaks to her directly in seemingly harsh words. This Messiah, who just fed 5,000 men with 12 baskets of fragments remaining, and will again provide bread for another 4,000, says, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Does she think that she should get what belongs by right and divine economy to Israel? Does she comprehend who Jesus is? Or, is God once again feeding – as He did for 40 years in the desert – an ungrateful, uncomprehending people? In short, here is what Jesus wants to know: Does this Canaanite woman really know who he is, or are the things that she said just words and nothing more?[3]

And so, she speaks and shows her faith. “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” She gets it. She understands. She agrees. She believes. She believes both in Jesus’ mission to Israel’s lost sheep and his abundance, which also provides for the dogs under their master’s table. With her response to Jesus’ saying, her petition is answered. Hence, we move from petition to purpose.

A few weeks ago, when I preached on Jesus feeding the 5,000, I said that it was one of the few times Matthew wrote of Jesus’ emotions. He felt compassion. Here, Matthew does not record how Jesus felt. We can safely say that there did not seem to be much that amazed our Lord. Earlier, however, another Gentile approached Jesus with the petition of healing his servant. The Roman centurion spoke and showed his faith and understanding. At this Jesus was amazed, and “said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith’” (8:10).[4]

Here, after the Canaanite woman spoke amazing words about who Jesus is and how he fully provides for Israel and dogs, Matthew wrote that “Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly” (15:28).

What is Matthew’s purpose in recording this moment? I mean, how did this anonymous Canaanite woman know anything about Jesus? Who taught her about Israel’s Messiah or him being Son of David? We can only speculate answers to some questions, but this I am willing to bet: God the Father revealed this to her. Matthew records that to unlikely candidates God revealed Jesus’ identity: to the Magi, the Roman centurion and this Canaanite woman. God hides things from the learned and the clever and reveals them to little children (11:25).

In the context of chapter 15, this anonymous Canaanite woman poses a sharp contrast to the unbelieving Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. Whereas Jesus was rejected by fellow Jews, Gentiles recognized him as their Lord, who has mercy on them and exorcizes the demon of paganism so that they can join the children at God’s table.[5]

What purpose does that serve us today? To our ears, the woman’s response sounds servile. She seems to accept the role of dog. Matthew probably saw her humility as a necessary ingredient of faith. It was appropriate that she acknowledge the historical priority of God’s election of Israel. Paul reminds us in Romans 11 that it is by grace alone that we have been admitted to the ranks of God’s salvation-historical people. We have no right to demand the help of Israel’s Messiah. Like the woman of the story, we humbly beg his mercy.[6]

It also reminds us that members of despised or oppressed groups must be bold in seeking relief of their misery. The woman is not content to be ignored, because she is convinced that her daughter deserves to be given a chance at living a normal, productive life. Her persistence, based on her faith in a God who can change things for the better, is rewarded.[7]

As a Lutheran Pastor, the story reminds me that through grace God reveals to us his compassionate loving-kindness. From the Holy Trinity through Word and Sacrament we have all we need to sustain our Christian life. But personally, I think we desire more than sustenance.

Beyond a personal relationship, do we desire an intimate relationship with Jesus? In the next chapter, we hear another person confess Jesus’ identity. Peter confessed him as the Christ, the Son of the living God (16:13). Of course, that was revealed to Peter by God the Father, but beyond that, why did Peter confess Jesus first? Why not Andrew or Philip, James or John? Every one of them had a personal relationship with Jesus. Why Peter?

Peter noticed Jesus. He noticed not only the public pastoral Jesus feeding the multitudes and healing the sick, forgiving sinners and raising the dead, but also the private pious Jesus praying on the mountain alone and in the company of others. He noticed the intimate relationship Jesus had with His Father, and he too desired such a relationship with God.

Friends, you know Jesus from reading about Him and hearing about Him. You have experienced Christ in Word and Sacrament. You have witnessed the power of His word and touch both in the lives of others and in your own. As you go from here, let others know that God is more than simply One who sustains you daily, but loves you with undeserved compassion, mercy and forgiveness, and sends you into a sin-sick world of people to encounter many who reject Jesus, and to be that person who still brings others to our Risen Lord. When you do that, I pray that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

---

[1] Gibbs, 782.

[2] Gibbs, 76 (Vol 1).

[3] Gibbs, 787.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Hare, 179.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

LIKE A DOT ON A BASKETBALL

 

Do you like basketball? All around the world a lot of boys and girls love to play basketball even if they are not that good at it. It is one of the most popular sports on the planet. All you need is a basketball and a hoop or a basket with the bottom removed.

There was a man from Aliquippa who became one of the best basketball players of all time. His name was Pete Maravich, and everyone knew him as Pistol Pete Maravich. His father was Press Maravich, and he was Pete’s coach. He taught Pete everything he knew about basketball.

Press was also a college coach. One day, when his players were not doing what he told them to do, Press held a basketball up near his head, and said to his players, “This is what I know.” He was telling them that he knew basketball. Then he took a pen and made a dot on the basketball and told his players, “This is what you know.” He was telling them that they knew nothing.

I tell you that story because in our first reading today (Job 38:4-18), God speaks to Job. God questions Job, like the coach who challenges his players. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place? Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?” … This goes on for several chapters, until Job finally admits that he is nothing and knows nothing, and says, “I cover my mouth with my hand.” It reminds us that compared to what God knows, we are like that dot on the basketball.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Parallels, Peter, Prayer

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled Parallels, Peter and Prayer. My focus is on Matthew (14:22-33). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

As I started thinking about this passage, it dawned on me that there are quite a few movies, songs and books about people’s experience on the sea. Many people have seen Avatar: The Way of Water, and I am sure you have seen at least one version of Titanic. Many still laugh at episodes of Gilligan’s Island. A few of you might sing along with Gordon Lightfoot when you hear The Edmund Fitzgerald. And if you haven’t read a good book lately, I suggest Boys in the Boat, a true story of the 1936 US Olympic crew team.

Moving from popular culture to personal experience, my time at sea has never put me at peril. Mine is limited to cruising. Cindy and I love cruising. We cruised Alaska for our honeymoon, and five later, Hawaii. We also cruised the Caribbean, the Danube and the Rhine. We love being on the water.

Cruising is difficult work for the crew, as it also was for the seasoned sailors in the Gospel. So, as we examine our passage, let’s have all hands on-deck to check two other parallel passages; the insertion of Peter into Matthew; and Jesus at prayer.

First, parallels. Everyone knows that parallel lines are equidistant from each other and never meet. Gymnasts swing and balance on parallel bars and cartographers plot points according to latitudinal parallels. However, how many of you have ever read Gospel parallels?

Gospel parallels compare and contrast Matthew, Mark, Luke and John by aligning them side by side to show where they agree, complement or differ from each other. One of the easiest passages to examine found in Matthew, Mark and Luke is the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Gospel parallels allow us to plunge deeply into a study of The Last Supper, The Passion of Christ and The Resurrection.

In the parallels for Matthew’s version of Jesus Walking on Water, both Mark and John preceded it with the Return of the Twelve and the Feeding of the Five Thousand. All three Evangelists tell us that after the feeding, the disciples got into the boat. Mark and Matthew wrote that Jesus made them do so, but John does not. Mark says that they sailed towards Bethsaida; John says they sailed towards Capernaum; and Matthew says the other side, but reports later that they landed in Gennesaret.

Jesus then dismissed the crowds before going into the mountain to pray alone. John does not include this. At night, all three report that Jesus then walked on the Sea of Galilee during rough waves for quite a distance, perhaps several miles, in the middle of the night and caught up to his disciples in the boat. Mark adds a comical line that Jesus intended to pass them. Seeing Jesus walk on the sea frightened (John) or terrorized (Mark and Matthew) the disciples who cried out not because of the rough water, but because they thought they were seeing a ghost (Mark and Matthew). Jesus calmed his disciples by saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Now, Mark and John tell us that Jesus got into the boat. Whereas John wrote that the disciples “were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going;” Mark wrote that Jesus “got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” I am going to return to those last words of Mark, but for now, I would like to move on to my second point, Peter, because up until verse 28, Matthew sticks to earlier script of Mark, which, in case you were not aware, Mark was the first written gospel. Matthew, however, inserts Peter into the action.

By adding four verses to the story, Matthew does not contradict Mark or John, nor can we say that he fabricated a story. Matthew changed the ending of his version and added Peter for a reason. Remember, all the Evangelists wrote for a particular church in a distinct culture at different times. So, let’s examine why Matthew inserted Peter into the action.

Starting with verse 28, Matthew stresses his own concerns about church. This theophany, this glimpse of Jesus’ divinity – walking on water and his words of self-revelation (“it is I”) is reminiscent of Job saying that God “trampled the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). In Isaiah we read, “Thus says the Lord who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters.” (43:16). In Exodus God revealed himself to Moses, saying “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex 3:14). Again, in Isaiah we read, “I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.” (41:4).

So, his revelation to the boys in the boat so encourages them that Peter, the leader of the disciples, is emboldened to ask the Lord for the power to walk on the water to meet Jesus. Peter’s address to Jesus as Lord expresses the most solemn form of reverence. His words, “if it is you,” express not doubt but rather confidence that Jesus has the power to make such a thing possible simply by his presence and his command.[1]

Jesus gives his disciple a share in his own power, and Peter is able to act on that grant of power until his fear in the face of such a great peril weakens his faith. As he begins to sink, he repeats the prayer for aid spoken by all the disciples. Recall that earlier the disciples were at sea during a storm and Jesus was sleeping as they were swamped by waves. They were all afraid that they were going to perish and cried, “Save us, Lord!” (Mt 8:25).

Continuing the role of Yahweh in the Old Testament, Jesus stretched out his hand to save Peter from the waters of death. It reminds the reader of Psalm 144: “Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters.” (v. 7).

Jesus then rebuked Peter neither for his rashness in stepping out of the boat nor for his total lack of faith. Rather, he asked a rhetorical question, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14:31). Peter is a man of little faith, but for Matthew, the disciples do have faith and understanding, something that is not the case in Mark. Recall, Mark ends with “their hearts were hardened.”

In Matthew, the problem of the disciples is that, when a crisis comes, when danger looms and everything appears to be about to collapse, the disciples panic and act as though they had no faith. This is what we call ‘littleness of faith,’ which expresses itself in wavering, oscillating and doubting. Doubt is not a denial of faith. In Matthew doubting refers to that personal vacillation in the presence of danger or confusion which can seize even the believing disciple. Even at the final commission (28:17), some of the eleven disciples doubted when confronted with the risen Jesus. This littleness of faith can cause the disciple or church leader to lose his share in the power of Jesus. Yet, Jesus hears the prayer spoken out of imperfect faith, and saves Peter from the waters of death, and the same goes for all those with him.

When we look at the parallels of Jesus entering the boat in Mark and Matthew, we see in the latter that the whole church – those in the boat – bowed down in worship and made a formal profession of faith, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

The believing community professed what God revealed, what Satan tested, and what the demons proclaimed – that Jesus is the Son of God (2:15; 3:17; 4:3,6; 8:29). As opposed to the secrecy of Jesus’ identification in Mark, the profession of faith in Matthew is public – Jesus truly is the Son of God – and He is the guardian and savior of his imperiled church, especially its weak leaders. Folks, if there is anything you should want from your church and for your church, it is a deeper faith in Jesus whenever we waver.[2]

Whenever any of us waver, whenever any of us doubt, we should only say what the sinking Peter shouted, “Lord, save me!” or better yet, “Lord, save us!” In that prayer spoken out of imperfect faith, Jesus will save you and me from the waters of death, from loss of faith and eternal damnation.

Now that we have covered parallels and Peter, let me turn to prayer. In between the scenes of Jesus dismissing the crowds and walking on the water, “he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” (Mt 14:23). He went up on the mountain by himself to pray. … Have you ever wondered and researched how Jesus prayed? There are many verses in the Gospels and other writings about Jesus praying.

Often, he withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:1), and sometimes, very early in the morning (Mark 1:35). At times, he praised the Father, Lord of heaven and earth, (Matthew 11:25-26), blessed his holy name (Matthew 6:9) and at other times, he petitioned him, as when he raised Lazarus from the dead: “Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me’” (John 11:41-42). There were times when he prayed to his Father on his knees or flat on his face (Luke 22:41; Matthew 26:39), and even while hanging from the cross (Matthew 27:46). Hebrews reminds us that during the days of Jesus' life on earth, “he offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.” (Hebrews 5:7).

The Evangelists recorded Jesus praying with others during the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28 par) and Last Supper when he gave us the Words of Institution (Mark 14:22 par). He prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail, and that he would be able to turn back and strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). He prayed for his disciples (John 17:9), those who did not believe (John 17:20f.) and those who crucified him (Luke 23:34).

The disciples prayed together as Church. We read in Acts, “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (1:14). Jesus’ night prayer is a model for all Christians who besides common prayer need periods of silent personal prayer. [3] Hence, it is important to pray in solitude and in community. That said, let me close with a story about our experience of prayer.

When Cindy and I lived in Tinley Park, IL, a southwest suburb of Chicago, we often walked our dogs, Travis and Pepper, past Faith Christian Reformed Church, where the pastor often changed the phrase on the marquee. Once it read: Prayer is a conversation with your best friend. Quite true. Prayer is an intimate conversation with a best friend. Prayer can be likened to me looking at God and God looking at me. Only those who are intimate with one another will feel comfortable with such mutual gazing. I would feel uncomfortable if a stranger, coworker or acquaintance looked at me this way. It would be a stare or a gawk accompanied by an uncomfortable feeling. Not so with God. With Him, I am most intimate.

Cindy and I share this intimacy with God as we begin each morning with a few pages from our common prayer books, now available as apps. Because we usually recite our morning prayer in the office or family room, Maggie often chooses her wrestling with Travis to coincide with our prayer time. There have been moments when Cindy and I interrupted our prayer and ended this canine commotion, but then we learned to continue praying amidst their canine activity.

What I mean is that we must pray amidst activity. Experience teaches us that we cannot control all the activity around us, and must trust that in God’s time, the commotion of this world will stop.

Decades ago, I learned that an infant crying during my sermon would soon stop or that one of the parents would take the child out of earshot. If not, I tuned out the distraction and refocused on my message. Whenever we take time for private or communal prayer, there will always be distractions around us that we cannot stop. People will engage in vice and violence – gossip, infidelity, abortion and an array of abusive behavior towards others and themselves. Parents and caregivers will neglect their children and the elderly. Nations will war on other nations and oppress their own people. Nature will produce hailstorms and heatwaves, blizzards and earthquakes. We must continue to pray through distractions – dog-fights and cosmic disasters.

Friends, because we are like those disciples together in one boat, let me assure you that as you pray in solitude or in common, you will experience an array of feelings and a barrage of activities. I remind you that Jesus gave his peace to his disciples and encouraged them with these words: “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27). In God’s time, all distractions will end. At the appropriate time, God will direct us to deal with people’s vices and violence, abuse and oppression. Until then, we must pray amidst activity, and as we do, I pray that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

---

[1] Meier, 98.

[2] Meier, 97ff.

[3] JBC, 658.