19 TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR A
When Jesus said, come, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward
Jesus.
The part of this gospel passage that we usually remember is that Peter’s faith failed
him and that Jesus drew attention to this: Why did you doubt! But we should keep in
mind that A) that it took real courage for Peter to venture out on the water at all, and B)
that Peter actually did walk on water – it wasn’t just Jesus.
So, before we simply take this as a lesson to not take our eyes off Jesus, remember
that Peter got out of the boat. How many of us don’t even take that first step of trust in
the Lord? Am I willing to leave behind the relative safety of where I am to trust in Jesus?
Will I leave the security of my house, my office cubicle, or my classroom to approach
another person to tell them about my faith?
When Peter began to sink, he could only think of one thing - drowning. But as
soon as her cried out, Lord save me, he was safe, because Jesus immediately stretched out
his hand and took hold of him.
When Jesus rebuked Peter for his lack of faith and asked him, why did you doubt?
Peter must have thought; the reason for my doubt seems obvious. I was bone tired from
rowing all night and getting nowhere, scared to death by the storm, then by what I though
was a ghost. And then it seemed that I was going to drown before I could get to you.
It may be that actually walking on water also added to his shock and fear. The
problem was that Peter lost his focus. In all his time with Jesus, he had not learned to
trust Jesus fully.
What is the storm that you are facing? If it’s the pandemic and the boredom and
isolation that come with it, then focus on Jesus. If it's finances or partisan politics or
unemployment, then focus on Jesus. Jesus came to Peter’s aid in the storm and the Lord
goes before us and with us in whatever storm we find ourselves in.
When we get frustrated, anxious, confused and frightened, Satan and our own
weaknesses tempt us to wonder why God allows such things to happen to us. And, if we
keep our attention on those things we’ll begin to sink, just as Peter did. But, when we cry
out to the Lord for help he will come to rescue us just as he rescued Peter.
Where can we find God when the storms of life overwhelm us and we begin to
sink? Where is God when we hurt? Where is the Church when it hurts? Where are we
when someone else is in need or in pain?
If we are doing our jobs as members of the Body of Christ; if we are binding the
wounds of the oppressed; if we are comforting the broken-hearted; if we are offering food
to hungry and shelter to the widow and orphan – I don’t think people will wonder so
much where God is when it hurts. They’ll know where God is; God is present in each of
us, his people on earth.