Reflection by The Ven Dr Deborah Broome

In the storm

Immediately [Jesus] made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”   Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus had gone away to pray on his own, absorbing the news of John the Baptist’s execution, and had sent the disciples on ahead.  But the boat they were in had run into a storm – wind and waves and chaos all around them.  Then early in the morning, between 3 and 6am, in the deepest, darkest part of the night, the time when problems seem most pressing, he came walking toward them on the sea.  I suspect we’ve all known those moments, when we wake at 3am and stare out alone into the darkness.  And here are the disciples, experienced enough sailors to know that you don’t want to try to land in a storm like that, because you risk crashing into the rocks – but exhausted, struggling to keep afloat, scared they were going to sink.  And Jesus comes walking toward them on the sea.

It’s in the storm that Jesus reveals who he is:  “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”  “It is I” is the “I am,” the divine name that God revealed to Moses by the burning bush, the one whose way was through the sea, who makes a path through the mighty waters (Ps 77).  It was only when Jesus got there and came close enough to get into the boat with them that the wind ceased.  Jesus came to them – but they had to recognise him for who he was – not an uncertain, ghostly figure, but the one who loved them enough to come out into the storm.

Jesus didn’t prevent the storm from coming up in the first place.  Nor did he stay on the shore and calm the wind and the waves from a distance.  He came walking out into the storm to be with them.  And it’s like that for us too.  There are things we can only learn by going through difficult times.  And one of the things we can learn is that Jesus is with us.

Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking on the water and comes toward Jesus – only when he notices the strong wind he gets scared and starts to sink.  We can question his common sense, but we need to acknowledge that he trusted Jesus enough to step out of the boat.  And when he does start to sink he does the most faithful thing: he cries out, “Lord, save me!”  And Jesus immediately reaches out his hand and catches him.  And there’s something there for us.  We can come close to Jesus not because our faith is perfect, but because when we sink, Jesus holds us.

Image credit: "Schiffbruch des Floridian auf der Bank Lorigsand an der Küste von Exxes den 28 February 1849." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1837 - 1842. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-6d81-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99