Proper 14, Yr A (2026) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Proper 14, Yr A (2026) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
1 Kings 19:9-18 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Matthew 14:22-33
In the name of the one, holy, and loving God:
in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Amen.
I remember as a child,
perhaps late elementary school age,
an advertisement for these little floatation devices that you could strap on to the bottom of your feet –
kind of like the floaties children put on their arms when learning to swim.
I remember thinking that could be really cool to use to walk on water,
stepping off the side of a pool and walking across to the other side…
wow-ing friends and family,
especially at dusk or dawn.
I now don’t know if those really existed,
or if they were the creation of a very active imagination
trying to figure out how to walk on water like Jesus did…
or perhaps to explain how Jesus himself walked on water.
It’s a mystery.
But, at my current age,
I am pretty sure that would have been physically impossible,
what with being a little top heavy
and trying to stay afloat and walk that way.
Today’s gospel reading is an odd, and interesting, story.
Jesus, having just spent a full day healing folks,
and then feeding a crowd of upwards of 5,000,
finally ensures that he has some time away by himself to pray.
He dismisses the crowds
and makes the disciples get into a boat,
which he pushes off into the sea.
He then makes his way up the mountain, alone,
and prays.
Now, mind you the sea isn’t actually all that big…
you can see the land on the other side.
But, the wind is pushing against the boat,
so the disciples don’t get very far.
Early the next morning Jesus sees the boat,
loaded with the disciples,
tossing to and fro,
so he walks on the sea toward them.
Perhaps the disciples have been awake all night due to the stormy waters,
so they see him walking towards them, across the water.
It’s still pretty dark out since there’s heavy cloud cover,
and their eyes are probably groggy with sleep.
Their first thought is that Jesus is a ghost.
Apparently, they have never seen anyone walking across water before…
nor have their imaginations led them to consider footie floatation devices.
So, they are terrified and cry out in fear.
Jesus immediately reassures them,
“Take heart,
it is I;
do not be afraid.”
With the wind howling around them,
I doubt they could get a clear read on his voice.
But Peter recognizes that “I am” statement.
“It is I.”
Take heart.
Do not be afraid.
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
“Come.”
That is all Jesus says…
Come!
So Peter does.
That’s all he needs to hear.
Peter scrambles overboard and begins to walk…
simply…
and surely…
and solidly.
Until he notices the strong wind and loses his focus on Jesus.
Then Peter realizes what a crazy thing he has just done…
stepping out to walk across the sea, of all things!
And he begins to sink.
“Lord, save me!”
At least his immediate reaction is to ask Jesus for help…
that is more than I can say for myself.
I usually try first to solve my problems on my own.
Immediately Jesus reaches out his hand and catches him.
“You of little faith,
why did you doubt?”
We have all heard this story so many times.
Poor Peter…he’s at it again.
I find it curious that when Jesus first speaks to the disciples saying,
“Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid”
that Peter responds in the way he does.
Why didn’t he say, “Lord, if it is you, command the winds to stop”?
Seems like a much better use of Jesus’ power at the moment,
having been rowing against the wind all night,
tossing the boat so as not to get a wink of sleep.
Lord, if it is you,
command the wind to stop!
And yet, Peter says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
Was Peter looking for a “big show?”
Was he asking Jesus if he could come meet him on the water
so that he could exhibit the same power as Jesus?
That’s quite an ask.
And one, quite frankly, that demands a great deal of Peter.
To share in Jesus’ power meant to heal people,
to caste out demons,
to raise the dead,
to be shunned by nay-sayers, including your own flesh and blood.
It is difficult to know Peter’s intentions
except that we know that whatever Peter did,
he did with boldness
and was “all in” as it were.
Whether living into his faith -
or his doubt -
Peter gave it all he had.
And Jesus does not deride him for it.
When Peter began to sink,
Jesus simply asks, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Why did you doubt?
You could have just kept on walking.
But here… take my hand.
It is I;
do not be afraid.
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Peter had just kept walking
and embraced Jesus out there in the middle of the sea?
Maybe they would have walked back to the boat together,
or maybe all the other disciples would have joined them out there!
I am guessing that story might not have made it into Matthew’s gospel.
Our gospel stories are about being human
and Jesus’ presence in the midst of being human.
Peter hops out of the boat, filled with faith, and walks on water…
until doubt sets in, and he sinks.
Not long after this incident,
Peter claims that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God”
but then he goes on to deny he even knows Jesus when he is arrested.
This is part and parcel of our lives of faith.
Some days it is easy speak up;
other days we keep our mouths shut.
Some days it is easy to help a neighbor in need;
other days it is easier to make up an excuse to stay home or look the other way.
I remember a clergy quiet day when our leader, Catherine Meeks, talked about trying to be “one shade braver.”
That was her goal.
Not to leap out of the boat into the water and walk all the way to Jesus.
I mean, that would be glorious and all…
but to leap out of the boat and walk a little way before the waves come up to meet you.
One shade braver.
The good news is that wherever we find ourselves,
full of faith, or full of doubt, or somewhere in between,
Jesus is right there calling to us.
“Take heart, it is I;
do not be afraid.”
And when we need to, we can simply call out, “Lord, save me!”
And Jesus will tend to us.
Jesus will reach right out…
and grab hold of us.
Amen.
