Speaking of Life 5038 | Remembering Salvation
This week we’re sharing a Speaking of Life message from our archive as a supplemental resource. We encourage you to use this for reflection and preparation, or small group discussion. For your worship gathering, consider how a call to worship from a local voice or contextualized introduction to the theme might serve your congregation well.
Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBftK-PDgzM
Program Transcript
Speaking of Life 5038 | Remembering Salvation
Greg Williams
Have you ever had your memory save you?
For example, you find yourself locked out of your house and after hours of trying to find a way in you finally remember that you left a spare key hidden in the flower bed. Or, you have a flash of panic in the security line at the airport when you discover that your wallet is not in your back pocket. But then you recall that you chose to pack it in your carry-on for safekeeping. Or perhaps you wake up fearing you have overslept because you forgot to set your alarm only to have your wife or husband remind you that it’s a holiday.
You may never have found yourself in one of these exact scenarios, however, I imagine you have had similar experiences where your memory bailed you out of a tense situation. Of course, we realize it wasn’t really our memory that saved us, rather it was that hidden key, misplaced wallet, or forgotten holiday that amounted to our rescue. But what an important role our memory played. What we needed most in those moments we already had, but when forgotten, we were left in fear, anxiety, and panic.
I think it is safe to say that this is very similar to our lives of faith. We have been saved by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That’s a fact that cannot be taken away. He is everything we need, and we never need to fear that he leaves or forsakes us. However, when we forget his saving presence, we experience fear and anxiety. In those moments, what we need most is to remember who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Either we are reminded of what the Lord has said to us in his word, or a fellow believer reminds us of the good news we have in Christ. It’s these constant reminders that chase away our fears and worries and help us return to the peace and joy held out to us in Jesus.
Unfortunately, we are very forgetful creatures. But thankfully, we have been given God’s word in scripture and a community of brothers and sisters in Christ to worship with as a way of remembering over and over the extraordinary good news of who our Father is and what he has done for us in his Son Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
Listen to the interplay of worship and remembering that leads to rejoicing in this Psalm:
“Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!”
Psalm 105:1-6 (ESV)
This exhortation to worship and remember is echoed throughout scripture. Jesus gave us the communion sacraments so that we would remember. May we continue to remind one another of the good news we have in Christ Jesus as we worship together and make witness of his wondrous works.
I’m Greg William, Speaking of Life.
Program Transcript
Speaking of Life 5038 | Remembering Salvation
Greg Williams
Have you ever had your memory save you?
For example, you find yourself locked out of your house and after hours of trying to find a way in you finally remember that you left a spare key hidden in the flower bed. Or, you have a flash of panic in the security line at the airport when you discover that your wallet is not in your back pocket. But then you recall that you chose to pack it in your carry-on for safekeeping. Or perhaps you wake up fearing you have overslept because you forgot to set your alarm only to have your wife or husband remind you that it’s a holiday.
You may never have found yourself in one of these exact scenarios, however, I imagine you have had similar experiences where your memory bailed you out of a tense situation. Of course, we realize it wasn’t really our memory that saved us, rather it was that hidden key, misplaced wallet, or forgotten holiday that amounted to our rescue. But what an important role our memory played. What we needed most in those moments we already had, but when forgotten, we were left in fear, anxiety, and panic.
I think it is safe to say that this is very similar to our lives of faith. We have been saved by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That’s a fact that cannot be taken away. He is everything we need, and we never need to fear that he leaves or forsakes us. However, when we forget his saving presence, we experience fear and anxiety. In those moments, what we need most is to remember who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Either we are reminded of what the Lord has said to us in his word, or a fellow believer reminds us of the good news we have in Christ. It’s these constant reminders that chase away our fears and worries and help us return to the peace and joy held out to us in Jesus.
Unfortunately, we are very forgetful creatures. But thankfully, we have been given God’s word in scripture and a community of brothers and sisters in Christ to worship with as a way of remembering over and over the extraordinary good news of who our Father is and what he has done for us in his Son Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
Listen to the interplay of worship and remembering that leads to rejoicing in this Psalm:
“Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!”
Psalm 105:1-6 (ESV)
This exhortation to worship and remember is echoed throughout scripture. Jesus gave us the communion sacraments so that we would remember. May we continue to remind one another of the good news we have in Christ Jesus as we worship together and make witness of his wondrous works.
I’m Greg William, Speaking of Life.
Psalm 105:1–6, 16–22, 45b • Genesis 37:1–4, 12–28 • Romans 10:5–15 • Matthew 14:22–33
The theme for this Sunday is Jesus comes to us in the storm. In Genesis 37, Jacob’s son, Joseph, is thrown into the darkness of a well by his brothers and left for dead. In the end, Joseph is rescued out of the well and sold to Midianite traders, who sold him into slavery in Egypt. The psalmist reminds us to give thanks to our God, who was faithful to deliver Jacob and his family from famine. He did this by lifting Jacob’s son, Joseph, out of his unjust imprisonment and making him second in command in Egypt. In Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples are on the sea, in danger from the storm and the threat of evil. Jesus, the Son of God, comes to them and saves them, just as he came to us in the storm of our humanity and saved us from evil, sin, and death. The apostle Paul reminds us that we are saved by faith. We confess Jesus as Lord, believing in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, and we are saved.
Reminder: This introductory paragraph is intended to show how the four RCL selections for this week are connected and to assist the preacher prepare the sermon. It is not intended to be included in the sermon.
How to use this sermon resource.
Jesus Comes to Us in the Storm
Matthew 14:22–33 ESV
[Read or ask someone to read the Matthew passage.]
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:22–33 ESV
Sometimes life can feel like a storm. Have you felt this? We try to move forward, but the wind is against us and everything feels heavy and difficult. We keep rowing, but we do not seem to get anywhere. Whatever kind of storm we face, this Gospel passage reminds us of a deep and hopeful truth: Jesus comes to us in the storm. He enters the story, comes near to us, makes himself known to us, and comforts us.
Our gospel story for this Sunday draws us into the middle of a chaotic storm on a very deep lake called the Sea of Galilee. This event on the lake takes place at the end of an extraordinarily long day. The narrative picks up where we left off last Sunday. It’s the same day.
Here’s a quick recap: Jesus attempts to get some solitude, but the crowds follow him. He took compassion on them and healed those who were sick. Then much to the disciples’ astonishment, Jesus asks the disciples to feed them. The crowd is more than five thousand people!
They only have five loaves and two fish. Jesus takes this small amount of food and offers it up to his heavenly Father.
Then Jesus tells them to give the two fish and five loaves to the thousands of people. When they do, the food is miraculously multiplied. In the end, the disciples come away with more scraps than the food they started with!
Let’s continue the story in Matthew 14.
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, (verses 22–23)
Jesus is alone. Finally! He goes up the mountain to pray. Well, Jesus isn’t exactly alone, is he? The Son lives in constant communion with his Father in the Spirit. Even in his humanity, Jesus depends completely upon the Father’s love and presence, living by the Spirit. We say our God is “triune” because that means relating to three. God is three-in-one, the Trinity. God has always existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — three distinct Persons in perfect union and harmony.
As Jesus prays to his Father, “the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them” (verse 24). When night falls over the Sea of Galilee, a storm blows up. The image is vivid. The disciples must be exhausted. Jesus saw them laboring against the waves (Mark 6:48). The sea is violent.
In the ancient world, the sea often represented chaos, danger, and forces beyond human control. Superstition caused people to believe this deep lake at night was a place of demons and haunted by evil. Now the storm makes it an even more unnerving and scary place. And the disciples are caught in the middle of it.
The disciples are not making bad choices or sinning when the storm comes. In fact, they are exactly where Jesus told them to be. That matters because many people quietly assume that the “storms” of life only happen when they have failed themselves, others, or God. Yet here the disciples obey Jesus, and still the waves rise against them.
Now as we look at this Gospel story, our focus will not be “How can we brave the watery storm.” No, our focus is “What kind of God walks into the storm to be with us and save us?”
Let’s continue with verses 25 and 26.
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
Then, sometime between three and six in the morning, Jesus comes to them walking on the water. Instead of relief, the disciples react with terror. They think it’s a ghost; they do not recognize Jesus.
Jesus is with them now, but the storm is still raging. Do we ever assume that if God were really present, things would feel calmer? Do we expect Jesus to remove the storm before he comes near to us? In this story, the waves are still crashing. The wind is still howling. Yet there, in the middle of the chaos, Jesus draws near. Jesus comes to us in the storm.
Verse 27:
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
The phrase “it is I” carries deep meaning. Jesus is not simply saying, “Don’t worry; it’s just me, your Rabbi.” In the language of Scripture, these words echo the divine name God. In the Old Testament, God revealed himself to Moses, the leader of ancient Isreal. And God told Moses his mysterious divine name, which meant something like, “I AM” — the One who is always present, always living, always faithful. So, when Jesus says, “It is I,” he is identifying himself as the Son of God, as divine. He reveals that the living God has come near to frightened people in the person of Jesus.
The God who revealed himself to ancient Israel has come near in Jesus Christ. This is Immanuel — God with us. God has not stayed far away from human suffering. In Jesus, God himself has stepped into the storm with us. The One who rules over the chaos is now standing beside frightened people, speaking peace. “Take heart; do not be afraid.”
Even so, it’s unclear whether or not the disciples understand who this is yet because Peter still has a question. Verse 28:
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
Peter’s words hold both trust and uncertainty together. On one hand, there is clearly trust in Jesus. Peter actually believes Jesus can command him onto the water. No ordinary rabbi could do that.
But on the other hand, the wording “if it is you” does carry a note of uncertainty and questioning. Peter does not yet fully understand who Jesus is. Yet Jesus meets him there anyway. Jesus comes to us in the storm.
Verse 29:
[Jesus] said, “Come.”
Let’s pause here for a moment. This world is obsessed with power and proving authority by force and might. But here we see our God, the Creator of the universe who submits to the request of his creation! Peter says, “Command me to come;” and Jesus does.
God is omnipotent, all-powerful and has nothing to prove. God is also all-loving and draws near to us so that we may come to know and trust him.
Continuing in verse 29–31:
So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Peter demonstrates both faith and confusion, trust, and fear at the same time. And that makes him deeply relatable. We struggle to trust God’s identity and goodness without demanding reassurance on our own terms. It’s part of our unhealed humanity. Like many of us, Peter reaches toward Jesus with a faith that is real but still trembling.
So, Peter is neither a pure hero of faith nor a villain of doubt. He is a disciple in process. Peter’s understanding is incomplete, but Jesus draws him further into relationship all the same. This is very good news for all of us.
Our emphasis should fall less on analyzing Peter’s feelings and actions, anyway. Our emphasis is on what Jesus does in this encounter.
The important movement is this: Jesus comes toward frightened disciples. Then Peter responds imperfectly, but Jesus sustains and rescues him anyway. Jesus comes to us in the storm.
When Peter cried, “Save me,” we see an example of recognition and dependence. It’s not meant to be an example of magic words that we must say first before God will act. Can we imagine if Peter had not said it? Would Jesus have let him drown? Of course not! God acts first. God has acted first in sending his Son while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).
In this story, we see Jesus perform a miracle by walking on water, then calming the storm. We see Jesus lovingly save Peter from drowning. But maybe you’re wondering what this story that happened more than two thousand years ago has to do with you? Why should it matter to you?
This storm on the lake pointed to a greater storm still to come for Jesus. One day Jesus would step into the darkest storm of all — sin and judgment. On the cross, the Son of God did not stand above the storm; he entered it fully for us. He took our fear, our failure, our guilt, and our death upon himself. He sank into the depths so that we would not drown. And when he rose from the grave, he broke the power of that storm forever.
The cross was not an accident. It was rescue. Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. So, when we cry, “Lord, save me,” we are crying to the One who has already saved us. He stepped into the ultimate storm and came out victorious for us.
Peter’s cry, “Lord, save me,” then becomes profoundly representative of all humanity. We all need God. It is the proper human response when confronted with the reality that we cannot rescue ourselves. Salvation is grounded in the faithfulness and action of Christ himself. Jesus immediately grasps Peter. Grace precedes, surrounds, and sustains the human response.
Verses 32 and 33:
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
That is where this story has been leading all along. The miracle is the revelation of who Jesus is. Jesus walking on the sea is a revelation of divine identity. In the Old Testament, God alone treads upon the waters of chaos (Job 9:8). Jesus reveals himself as the Lord who stands sovereign over all that threatens humanity.
And the revelation of who Jesus is leads to worship. He is the Son of God who rules over chaos. He is the Savior who comes near to frightened people. He is the Lord who reaches into the deep to rescue those who are sinking.
Jesus comes to us in the storm.
But some may feel exhausted from rowing against the wind. Some may feel overwhelmed by grief, anxiety, suffering, loneliness, illness, addiction, or failure. Some may feel ashamed of choices you have made. Others may simply feel tired and afraid.
This gospel announces that Jesus has not abandoned you. The Father sees you. The Son has entered the storm for you. The Spirit is present with you even now. Your rescue does not depend upon the strength of your faith, but upon the strength of the Savior who holds you.
He holds you even while your storms rage on.
The good news is not that Christians never face storms. The good news is that Jesus meets us there. He comes walking across the very chaos that threatens to undo us. He speaks peace into our fear. He reaches out his hand when we are sinking.
Remember, Jesus does not remain safely on the shore. He does not ask us to meet him halfway. He comes into the storm itself. God does not save humanity from a distance. In Jesus Christ, God enters our condition fully — this is the Incarnation. The Son of God steps into the depths of human existence — fear, suffering, alienation, death — in order to redeem humanity from within.
Because he has already gone through the deepest storm of the cross and emerged victorious in resurrection, we can trust that no storm will finally overcome those who belong to him.
So, when the waves rise and the night feels long, hear again the words of Jesus: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Jesus is with you through the presence of the Holy Spirit in you. You are never alone.
The good news of this story is not that courageous people can rise above storms or be bold enough to step out of the boat. It is that Jesus Christ enters humanity’s chaos, unites himself to us, and brings us safely into communion with the Father through the Spirit.
Jesus comes to us in the storm.
This is the good news. May it lead us to worship Jesus.
Cory Rice—Year A Proper 14
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/GReverb/GR078-Rice-YearA-Proper14.mp3
Program Transcript
Cory Rice—Year A Proper 14
Anthony: All right. Yeah, let’s transition to our next pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 14:22–33. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 14 in Ordinary Time, which is August the 9. Please read it for us, Cory.
Cory: Yeah.
Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Anthony: Lord, save me. And what did Jesus do? He did it. Too often I’ve heard this text preached in such a way that Peter is the focus as maybe initially a hero and then a zero. What I want to know is what this text shows us about the goodness of the triune God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Cory: Man, I kind of like that hero or zero perspective. I think we don’t hear enough about how this story, however, reveals a God who moves toward people in fear and doubt, not away from them every time. Even the story of Thomas, he shows up. We don’t oftentimes talk about that. I hate that Thomas is even known as Doubting Thomas because he asked a question that he wasn’t around for, and Jesus shows up, without shame. And isn’t that the gospel, how God continually moves towards people that have fear and doubt?
Praise God, because that’s me all the time.
Anthony: Yes, me.
Cory: And people are terrified. They are overwhelmed, battling whatever it is that they’re battling, and Jesus shows up in the middle of that, walking on the water. And so, the Gospel reveals, to me at least, a God who’s not afraid to enter our chaos, enter our suffering, enter our human weakness and human experience.
And so, what stands out to me the most is not Peter’s failure or success, which by the way I’m going to steal that hero or zero line because that’s pretty funny. But in my opinion, I think it’s Jesus’ steadiness in all of it. Like what you already said. He reached out his hand. And so, what is the Trinity like? Restorative in every possible way.
Anthony: Let’s talk about Peter and the 11 left in the boat. Again, kind of going back to this topic of participation, or in some cases the lack thereof. But I’m struck by this, Cory, before you answer, that the 11 still witnessed this miracle …
Cory: Right …
Anthony: … and shared a testimony. And so, there’s a lot to be said about the participation in this. What do you have to say?
Cory: So much. Truthfully, I think that Peter gets criticized totally unfairly here. Like you just said, there are 11 dudes witnessing this …
Anthony: That’s right.
Cory: … scared in the boat. Where are they? They’re scared in the boat. They didn’t do it. Peter at least walked on water. And what I tend to think on this specific instance is, even it can come off even how Jesus is confrontational with Peter when he says the phrase, “You of little faith,” or, “Why did you lack faith?” Whatever translation you’re looking at.
Honestly, that phrase isn’t a story of try harder, because there’s actually four times in the Scripture where Jesus says this phrase, and he never says it to anybody except his disciples, which is wild to think about. Actually this, “You of little faith,” if, when you look it up in Greek commentaries, they talk about this idea that this is a metaphoric phrase, and literally it gets translated as dull of hearing or disinterested in walking intimately or lacking confidence.
And so, in other words, it simply means, “Do you really not understand?” And I think it’s fair that they don’t understand, because even after the three years, Jesus is about to send them out on the Great Commission, and it says, I think it’s Matthew 27:17, I think. That’s one of my favorite verses where it says, “Some worshiped and some doubted.” This is after the resurrected Jesus, right?
Anthony: Yes. Yes.
Cory: And I think it just reveals the humanity. And when we ask questions like, “Didn’t the disciples, didn’t they understand?” we’re reading from a 21st century lens, and we have the whole story, right? And so, for them to not fully understand, I think is totally fair, because Peter sinks when he does something that we all do as humans, when we focus on what’s going on externally instead of the presence of God internally within us in Christ.
And then, when Jesus grabs him, I think it reveals another aspect of the Gospel. This security is not found in the strength of our grip on God. It’s found in God’s grip on us, which is eternal and everlasting, thank God.
Anthony: Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Peter often gets shamed, and I’m thinking, wait a second. In human history, only two people have ever walked on water that I know of. Peter’s one of them. Before he sank, he walked on water. There is something about joining Jesus in the unknown, and there was so much unknown to getting out of the boat. And it seems to me, Cory, that’s what participation often looks like. We, we only have so much vision to see around the bend. And if we could see more, where’s the need for trust, right?
Cory: For sure.
Program Transcript
Cory Rice—Year A Proper 14
Anthony: All right. Yeah, let’s transition to our next pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 14:22–33. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 14 in Ordinary Time, which is August the 9. Please read it for us, Cory.
Cory: Yeah.
Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Anthony: Lord, save me. And what did Jesus do? He did it. Too often I’ve heard this text preached in such a way that Peter is the focus as maybe initially a hero and then a zero. What I want to know is what this text shows us about the goodness of the triune God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Cory: Man, I kind of like that hero or zero perspective. I think we don’t hear enough about how this story, however, reveals a God who moves toward people in fear and doubt, not away from them every time. Even the story of Thomas, he shows up. We don’t oftentimes talk about that. I hate that Thomas is even known as Doubting Thomas because he asked a question that he wasn’t around for, and Jesus shows up, without shame. And isn’t that the gospel, how God continually moves towards people that have fear and doubt?
Praise God, because that’s me all the time.
Anthony: Yes, me.
Cory: And people are terrified. They are overwhelmed, battling whatever it is that they’re battling, and Jesus shows up in the middle of that, walking on the water. And so, the Gospel reveals, to me at least, a God who’s not afraid to enter our chaos, enter our suffering, enter our human weakness and human experience.
And so, what stands out to me the most is not Peter’s failure or success, which by the way I’m going to steal that hero or zero line because that’s pretty funny. But in my opinion, I think it’s Jesus’ steadiness in all of it. Like what you already said. He reached out his hand. And so, what is the Trinity like? Restorative in every possible way.
Anthony: Let’s talk about Peter and the 11 left in the boat. Again, kind of going back to this topic of participation, or in some cases the lack thereof. But I’m struck by this, Cory, before you answer, that the 11 still witnessed this miracle …
Cory: Right …
Anthony: … and shared a testimony. And so, there’s a lot to be said about the participation in this. What do you have to say?
Cory: So much. Truthfully, I think that Peter gets criticized totally unfairly here. Like you just said, there are 11 dudes witnessing this …
Anthony: That’s right.
Cory: … scared in the boat. Where are they? They’re scared in the boat. They didn’t do it. Peter at least walked on water. And what I tend to think on this specific instance is, even it can come off even how Jesus is confrontational with Peter when he says the phrase, “You of little faith,” or, “Why did you lack faith?” Whatever translation you’re looking at.
Honestly, that phrase isn’t a story of try harder, because there’s actually four times in the Scripture where Jesus says this phrase, and he never says it to anybody except his disciples, which is wild to think about. Actually this, “You of little faith,” if, when you look it up in Greek commentaries, they talk about this idea that this is a metaphoric phrase, and literally it gets translated as dull of hearing or disinterested in walking intimately or lacking confidence.
And so, in other words, it simply means, “Do you really not understand?” And I think it’s fair that they don’t understand, because even after the three years, Jesus is about to send them out on the Great Commission, and it says, I think it’s Matthew 27:17, I think. That’s one of my favorite verses where it says, “Some worshiped and some doubted.” This is after the resurrected Jesus, right?
Anthony: Yes. Yes.
Cory: And I think it just reveals the humanity. And when we ask questions like, “Didn’t the disciples, didn’t they understand?” we’re reading from a 21st century lens, and we have the whole story, right? And so, for them to not fully understand, I think is totally fair, because Peter sinks when he does something that we all do as humans, when we focus on what’s going on externally instead of the presence of God internally within us in Christ.
And then, when Jesus grabs him, I think it reveals another aspect of the Gospel. This security is not found in the strength of our grip on God. It’s found in God’s grip on us, which is eternal and everlasting, thank God.
Anthony: Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Peter often gets shamed, and I’m thinking, wait a second. In human history, only two people have ever walked on water that I know of. Peter’s one of them. Before he sank, he walked on water. There is something about joining Jesus in the unknown, and there was so much unknown to getting out of the boat. And it seems to me, Cory, that’s what participation often looks like. We, we only have so much vision to see around the bend. And if we could see more, where’s the need for trust, right?
Cory: For sure.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- The disciples obeyed Jesus and still found themselves in a storm. How does that challenge the idea that suffering or hardship always mean we have done something wrong?
- Jesus came to the disciples while the storm was still raging. How have you experienced God’s presence during difficult seasons?
- The sermon says the focus of the story is not “How can we brave the storm?” but “What kind of God walks into the storm to be with us and save us?” How does it challenge your ideas about God?
- The sermon ends by saying, “Jesus Christ enters humanity’s chaos, unites himself to us, and brings us safely into communion with the Father through the Spirit.” What part of that good news stands out most to you today, and why?
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