PENTECOST VIII

Jesus Walking on the Water Illustration from the Macklin Bible (1785) Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Psalm 105, 1-6, 16-22, 45b
or
1 Kings 19:9-18
Psalm 85:8-13

Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33

To the modern mind, powerfully influenced by natural science, the miracles recorded in the Bible can present difficulties that previous eras did not experience. Can we honestly believe that such supernatural events really happened? The difficulty is especially acute when the events involve Jesus, because the Gospel writers clearly think that his miraculous powers were strong evidence of his divinity. The Gospel passage for this Sunday contains just such an incident, and a very puzzling one. The disciples encounter Jesus at dawn walking towards them across the surface of a wild and stormy sea. Peter tries to do likewise but unsurprisingly sinks into the water until Jesus reaches out to save him. Then, wonderfully, the fierce wind dies down. Awestruck, the disciples hail Jesus as truly divine.

Could this be the record of something that actually happened? Yes, is the simple answer, if we believe, as the church teaches, that Jesus was God incarnate. Even the most impressive miracle is child’s play compared to the creation of the universe out of nothing. But a more important question is the matter of meaning. Many of the miracles of Jesus are motivated by the principle that actions speak louder than words. They are divine ‘signs’ from which witnesses are meant to learn, not mere ‘wonders’ that they are expected to marvel at.

To grasp the meaning of Jesus’ miracles it is essential to see in them what  faithful Jews witnessing them would have seen – the connection they forge between Christ's mission and the God revealed in the Old Testament. This is the God who ‘trampled the waves of the sea’ (Job 9:80), and whose 'path was though great waters, though his footsteps were unseen’ (Ps 7:19). It is this connection, not the action in itself, that causes the disciples to declare ‘Truly you are the son of God’

In the light of this truth, the episode with Peter incorporated within this Gospel passage is especially instructive. It is a mistake to make our own actions the ultimate repository of our faith. However determined and powerful our will for good may be, we are likely to sink beneath life’s waves. Only the presence of Christ in our lives saves us.