August 7, 2011 8th of Pentecost

Matthew 14:22-33

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

   25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

   27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

   28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

   29 “Come,” he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

   31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

   32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

“A Sound Of Sheer Silence”

Jesus finally is alone.  Finally he has a moment to catch his breath, gather his wits about him, and just be with God in silence, to pray.

This is no game he is playing.  He needs this time away in prayer.

It takes silence to ‘see who we are’, for it is in silence we touch the deepest part of our humanity as well as God’s divinity.

Thomas Szasz, an American psychiatrist has said; 

“(Humans) cannot long survive without air, water, and sleep.  Next in importance comes food.  And close on its heels, solitude.”

Faith cannot exist without solitude either.

“Only in silence, in the space between noise, speech,  and activity, is there room for a person to become focused, to achieve gravity and centeredness.  Only in waiting before the mystery of existence itself, in brooding upon the world and eternity, does one become endowed with true worldliness and true everlastingness.”   John Killinger

“Compassion is the fruit of solitude (silence) and the basis of all ministry.” Henri Nouwen

To be about God’s business we need to seek a sound of sheer silence, so we can be compassionate as our God is compassionate.

“Let ‘s Walk On Water”

Miracles just don’t happen.  They are caused by mortals such as Peter, you, and I, who dare risk in the face of overwhelming odds.  Who dare act in faith.

God most often acts in concert with a mortal rather then going it alone.  In fact we could say, God  limiteds Himself to working with mortals - and waiting for one of us to be there before He does what He always wanted to do.

God wants us to walk on water; be a miracle of happiness and peace in our world.

Faith is to risk being caught up in a miracle; it is being open to the new creation God seeks to create through us for all.