To the best of our knowledge, no water exists on any other planet with the possible exception of Mars where some speculate that ice might be found beneath its red soil. For our planet, water has been plentiful from its beginning. In the Book of Genesis we are told the earth was initially covered with water and on the second day, God separated the land from the sea.
To the ancient peoples, the sea often represented chaos. Sailors and fishermen, then and now, know quite well the sudden turmoil caused by rough waters. Even if one doesn’t go out to sea, water can cause chaos with hurricanes, tsunamis, heavy rains, and floods. Being caught in any one of them can be quite chaotic.
Being divine, Jesus did what no one else has ever done. He walked on water and calmed the sea. If we take this story literally, we may think it has no relevance to us, but if we see it as being a symbolic faith story, it becomes relevant and meaningful. The boat represents the church, our shelter, the disciples are being beaten by the winds and waves of persecution, and Jesus comes to calm their fears, bringing them peace. Today, Jesus still walks on water. He calms the chaos of our stormy seas, whatever they may be.
Accepting Jesus’ invitation to come to him, Peter climbed out of the boat but after taking a few steps, he began to flounder when he saw how strong the wind was. He cried out for help. “Lord, save me!” Jesus does that, reprimanding him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
The underlying good news of this gospel passage is this: no matter what chaos there is in our lives, Jesus walks on it just as he walked on the water that stormy night. He conquers the chaos caused by things beyond our control.
Just when everything seems to be calm, a “storm” can move in to disrupt our lives. This weekend, many unemployed people are stressed out, wondering if and when they will get any financial assistance to weather the storm of this pandemic. Each day more patients are filling hospital beds, struggling to stay alive due to the coronavirus, and many medics are floundering from the stress of their overload, endeavoring to provide compassionate care to their patients. Even if we are gainfully employed or financially secure and well, we have all personally experienced chaos at one time; perhaps the loss of a spouse, parent, child, friend, or job.
Jesus, Matthew assures us, conquers chaos, helping us to weather such storms. Some are due to our own making when we have made bad or sinful choices; spouses who had an affair or harmed their marriage through addiction to pornography or alcohol, or the couple that agreed to an abortion years ago. The emotional damage is still felt and now more than ever, the family needs the healing that only Jesus can provide by calming their stormy relationship.
It makes no difference whether we cause the chaos by a choice we made or are suffering from the chaos created by someone else. Jesus still offers of the same advice he gave Peter, “Come.” Yet in the midst of our chaos, how often do we focus on Jesus and accept his guidance and wisdom?
Jesus knows that we aren’t saints, not yet anyway. He knows our shortcomings, our prejudices, our addictions, still he loves us unconditionally. He takes us as we are and endeavors to patiently reshape us just as a potter reshapes the clay on his wheel to make us better yet. He only asks that we have the courage to place our faith in him. Faith doesn’t save us from the trials and tribulations of life; rather, faith gives us the courage to face them.
What causes the chaos in your life? Is it discomfort with how the Church is calling us to confront the chaos in our midst that prevents the serenity of God’s kingdom from being realized? Is it the chaos of racism, avarice, pride, lust, anger or gluttony? Any of these will prevent us from calming the storms in our midst.
Peter floundered when he took his focus off Jesus, alarmed by the intensity of the strong wind. Turning to prayer, he gave Jesus the opportunity to calm the anxiety and chaos that enmeshed him and the disciples.
Prayer gives us the opportunity to listen to God but as Elijah learned, God speaks to us in ways we may not anticipate. In his case, it was a tiny whisper. In Hebrew, whisper translates as ‘spirit,’ namely the third person of the Holy Trinity.
There is nothing that life throws at us that we cannot overcome with the Lord’s help. Even if we should falter, even when we make mistakes, the Lord is there to guide us, reaching out his hand, just as he did to Peter, keeping us from being swamped by utter chaos, smiling at our feeble attempts to get by without initially trusting him and his wisdom, gently chiding us, just as he chided Peter, for our lack of faith.
Often, we suffer from too little faith, focusing more and more upon ourselves and less and less upon God, just as Peter did. Some people think that if you have enough faith, life will be smooth sailing. I suspect every saint, especially Peter and Paul, would tell us, “Not so!” Life is a perilous journey. Faith doesn’t shield us from the harsh knocks and situations of life. Rather to live by faith means to trust God. As Jesus said, “Take courage, do not be afraid.” Be attentive to the insights God provides to overcome the chaos in your midst.