Walking
on water
This
story that is so well known to Christians is a continuation of last
weeks reading. Remember, Jesus fed the five thousand and after all
was done he goes off to the mountain to pray. The apostles go on
ahead and become stuck in a storm at sea. I have had that experience
and I can attest to how frightening it is. They a afraid and then
they see this figure coming to them from off in the distance. They
believe it to be a ghost but it turns out to be Jesus and he is
walking on water!
I can
just imagine their shock and awe. If it is Jesus, he is once again
doing the impossible. Peter is still not sure so he says, “if it
is really you then command me to come to you on the water.” So
Jesus does and Peter gets out of the boat. And Peter walks briefly on
water and then he gets scared and begins to sink.
Jesus
of course saves Peter from drowning. He also calms the waters and
the grateful disciples worship him as the Son of God.
Peter
is a very interesting fellow. He is prone to make bold statements but
he doesn't always have good follow through. Remember during the
passion Peter denies Jesus three times even though he earlier vowed
to never do so. Maybe that is why I relate to him so well. Peter is
a flawed human.
Lets
get back to the boat. There is a book written by John Ortberg called,
If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat.
This book title is a metaphor directed toward all of us. I read it
many years ago and let me share with you what I remember. Peter took
the risk. He left the relative safety of the boat for the choppy sea
and what would be considered an impossible task of walking on the
water. It went well for him as long as his focus and his trust was
on Jesus. The moment he was distracted he began to drown.
The
message Jesus gave to Peter is the same one he gives us. When you
have Christ and his mission as your focus you can do seemingly
impossible things. I have to speak on a personal level here. I am a
little like Peter. I tend to get out of the boat not fully prepared,
not fully focused and then I begin to sink. Then Jesus just shakes
his head and through his grace he pulls me out of the water …
again.
Jesus
made faith a real focus for many of his sermons. And, he talks a lot
about us not having enough of it. We are all works in progress.
That is why I think prayer is so important. I know I don't do enough
of it. I am not talking about praying for wealth or an A on an exam
or to win the lottery. I am talking about the things that truly
change our lives and those around us. I pray to have the courage to
know what is right, to do what is right, to face adversity no matter
what it is, and to live by the Christian principles of love and
faith.
I pray
that I will have the courage to get out of the boat and walk on that
choppy sea that we call life and to have the focus to keep my head
above water. I know that all things are possible as long as Jesus
and his teachings are my focus and my guide.
Walk On Water: A Cautionary Tale
So, off he went in a boat with his friend Eric. When he got out in the middle of the lake, he got up and stepped out of the boat....and damn near drowned.
The next day, Joey asked his grandmother why he wasn't given the same gift as the others in his family. The grandmother told him that his father, grand-father and great-grandfather had all been born in February...not in August as was he.
Peace,
Fr. Fred
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