Treading Water

~Prove to me that you're no fool, walk across my swimming pool!~

I'm not going to lie. For the past three days, I've been denying that it's actually July. Summer is in full swing, and that means I'm spending time doing one of my favorite summer-y activities: swimming. There's just something about thrashing about in the water that says "Oh, okay God, you want to put us on a planet and then make 70% of it water?! Yeah? Well watch these moves." 

Or at least, that's what it said until people started getting uncomfortable around the weird man on the raft yelling at the pool. 

Anyway, one of my favorite stories in the Bible takes place on the water. You (might have) guessed it! I'm talking about the walking on water! It's mentioned in three of the four gospels - I guess Luke just wasn't cool enough - and is one of those common reference points that everybody seems to know, Christian or not. 

In fact, I'd argue it's another one of those stories we don't really pay attention to much anymore. Let's change that. 

For our purposes, we're going to use Matthew's depiction of this event. I like Matthew. If you want, it's also found in Mark 6 and John 6 (Matt didn't get the memo and put his version in 14)

"Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone.

Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. 

During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.

When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. 'It is a ghost!' they said, and they cried out in fear. 

At once Jesus spoke to them, 'Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.'

Peter said to him in reply, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you in the water.'

He said, 'Come.' Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!'

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'

After they got into the boat, the wind died down.

Those who were int he boat did him homage, saying 'Truly, you are the Son of God.'"

Have I mentioned how much I love this passage? It's got everything: Jesus, storms, action, loving condescension...what's not to love?

Alright, let's start duc'ing in altum here. Our story starts with the 30 AD equivalent of "Go on ahead guys, I'll finish up here." This is right after Jesus feeds the five thousand, so he's got a bit of a following going (Then, like now, people will follow free food). The disciples set sail, not even wondering how Jesus will meet up with them (in this rendition). Jesus, after dealing with all the people, goes to pray. 

The action shifts to the disciples in the boat. Matthew says that it was being "tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it." Now, let's think about this boat. It was probably Peter's, or one of the fisherman disciples. Cause, I mean, they already had a boat. Anyway, fishermen by trade are not using a dinky rowboat. This boat was probably pretty big. So the fact that it was still being "tossed about" tells us something about how much of an understatement "the wind was against it" really is. Yeah, it's storming.

Let's think of this as our own storms. Those times in our life when we're a tiny boat on a big sea, and the waves are just getting higher. It seems like the next wave is the last one, the one that wins, the one that you just can't overcome. We feel like we're drowning in our problems and there's no relief. That's where the apostles were here. Put yourself in their place.  

Now, according to Roman timekeeping, "fourth watch" is approximately 3 AM. It's around then Jesus comes strolling across the sea, not even paying attention to no waves 'cause he's God and all. The disciples in the boat see him, and think it's a ghost.

Let's imagine what was going through their minds at this moment. They're on a boat, without their master. It's storming, and every wave could be the one that sinks them and kills them all. Oh, great, now we've got a ghost. 

I'm starting to think "cried out in fear" might have been an understatement too. 

What sort of significance does 3 AM have? Why would Matthew tell us this? Well, he also gives us another time in another story. Traditionally, Jesus dies at the equivalent of 3 PM. If we see the Cross as our saving hope, then this storm marks the opposite. It marks hopelessness and despair. 

It's right at this moment of despair that Jesus walks toward us. The disciples didn't call him. They didn't yell for help. Jesus knew, and came before they even thought to call him. That's what Jesus does for us too. Sometimes, like in other passages, they call for help and he comes. But even when we don't, or don't think of it...he is there. 

Jesus sees them getting scared and says the same thing he says to us in our stormy moments: "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Isn't that a wonderful thought? Do not be afraid. I'm here. 

Then Peter asks him what I originally thought to be the worst "prove it" ever. I actually wondered why Peter thought this would be a good idea, let alone a good way to prove this mysterious (and presumably hostile) spirit is actually Jesus: "Prove that you are Jesus by telling me to step out of this boat in the middle of the storm that will kill me!" "Do it." "Okay!"

What I never really realized was that Peter wasn't trying to prove it was Jesus. He was doing the same thing Samuel did in the temple, and the same thing we do every time we sing "Here I Am, Lord" - he was saying "I'm here. Use me as you wish." 

And, like Peter, our tasks are going to look impossible. Peter was told to step out of his only apparent safety right into the middle of a terrible storm. Do we really expect our jobs to be easier? We're called out of our comfort zones every day. We're called to step into the storm. 

And Peter actually does okay at first! He's walking! He's making it...until he saw how bad the storm was. He saw the wind, and became frightened. He got scared, and started to sink. 

Sometimes we find ourselves in similar situations. We think we're doing fine, until we get overwhelmed by how big our storm is. We get scared. We start to sink. Now we've got no boat beneath us, the waves are as big as ever and on top of it, we're sinking. That makes us even more scared, which leads to us sinking even more and so it goes. That's when we, like Peter, cry out "Lord, save me!" That's when Jesus lifts us up.

Jesus doesn't just save us, though. The bare minimum for that would have been "Eh, I'll plop you back in the boat after you pass out or something." No, Jesus "Immediately" saves Peter. The second Peter cried for help, Jesus was right there to catch him. 

What does that tell us about Jesus? He wasn't waiting to save Peter until it got to the worst point...he was waiting until Peter called on him. 

He asks Peter the same thing he asks us when we fall: "Why did you doubt?"

He doesn't yell at Peter. He doesn't call him Satan (this time). He doesn't even accuse. He just lovingly says "Why did you doubt?" as he picks him up. He doesn't punish Peter ("Eh, he's the one without faith. Let him drown.") but gently brings him back to where he's supposed to be. 

Then the wind dies down and everybody says "Truly you are the Son of God." This, of all places, is where the apostles declare him to be the messiah. They were about to die, and he saved them. 

I ask you to consider one last thing from this passage. It's alluded to in the next to last verse, but other than that isn't really mentioned in the text. 

"After they got into the boat, the wind died down." 

Jesus could have calmed the storm at the very beginning. He does it at other places. But not here! He calls Peter into it. He supports Peter through it when he falls. Eventually the storm ends, possibly of its own accord. 

We all face storms. Whether it's the trials of every day life, or living as a Catholic in a world that doesn't always look too kindly on us, we all find ourselves struggling sometimes. We all feel like we're about to drown. We worry if the next wave will sink us. 

We need to remember that even if we forget to call for help, Jesus is there. He's always there, beckoning us. We walk toward him through the storm and we know that if we yell "Save me!" he's going to be there without hesitation. That doesn't mean the second we pray God's going to make our problems go away. He's going to be there though, through it all. Jesus doesn't immediately end every storm, but he's always there to help us through them.

That should also be our role model for our interactions with others, be they friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, family, anybody. Be Jesus to them...and remember that doesn't always mean calming their storms. Sometimes the best we can do is lift them up until the waves pass.