Rochester, MN UCC - "Jesus in the Boat with Us" - Matthew 14:22-33
If you’ve ever been in the sanctuary of Christ United Methodist Church here in Rochester, you may have noticed that the interior bears a striking resemblance to a boat. Looking up at the ceiling you get the distinct impression that you’re inside an upside-down ship. This is not an architectural coincidence; rather it reflects the ancient Christian practice of referring to the church as a boat that carries the faithful through the storm-tossed seas of the world.
This week’s text from Matthew’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus walking on the water. In the story Jesus and the disciples have been separated. Jesus has withdrawn to a mountain to pray and instructed the disciples to go on in the boat. On the water the wind begins to blow with ferocity and the boat is battered by the waves. In the midst of this storm, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water. They struggle to believe that it is Jesus who is coming towards them; initially mistaking him for a ghost. Then Peter even asks to join Jesus to confirm that it is indeed him walking on the water. After Jesus saves Peter and steps onto the boat, the storm ceases and the disciples recognize him as the Son of God.
Bearing in mind the ancient use of a boat as a metaphor for the church can help us penetrate to a deeper meaning present in Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ walking on the water. After the events of Easter, Jesus and his followers seemed to be separated from one another. He was no longer with them in the flesh, having ascended to the Father. Yet before he left, he promised to always be with them. How were they to believe in this promise now that Jesus was gone? The disciples headed out in the boat, the church, to face the storms of the world, struggling to believe in Christ’s promise to be with them. Jesus comes to them, walking towards them on the water. Though they struggle to believe that the divine presence of the risen Lord is truly with them, Jesus saves them from their lack of faith, calms the storms around them, and joins them in the church.
We too cling to the safety of the church in a world whose waves batter us and whose storms rage around us. We too struggle to believe in the promises of God. We struggle to believe that the risen Christ is still with us in the church, that the power of God is with us and for us. Let us take comfort from this story. Let us strengthen our faith by the knowledge that the risen Christ will not let the storms of this world, nor our fear, nor even our lack of faith, keep us from his loving, gracious presence.
Pastor Andrew Greenhaw