Sermon text: Matthew 14:22-33
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
If the feeding of the 5000 invites an emphasis on Jesus’s compassion, this week’s miracle invites a sermon focused on Jesus’s authority. The storm, after all, was not the problem, at least not in chapter 14. The disciples did not ask for help weathering the storm and showed no relief when the wind ceased. This is important to notice because it’s easy to conflate this text with the calming of the sea in Matthew chapter 8. Those two accounts are often confused. There the disciples were afraid of perishing as the boat took on water. Here, the wind was against them and the waves were tormenting them, but that was not the cause of their fear. The problem was Jesus — or more precisely, a lack of faith in Jesus.
1 John 4:18 tells us that there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. The disciples feared because their faith was being diminished by the circumstances in which they found themselves. And again, the feeding of the 5000 invited an emphasis on compassion. Matthew wrote of Jesus in Matthew 9:36: when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. And again in Matthew 14:14: when Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd. He had compassion on them, and he healed their sick. This week’s miracle invites us to focus on Jesus, the creator of all things — Jesus, the one who has authority to shape the universe. His rule over creation was both the source of the disciples’ fear and the reason for their worship.
So this suggests that we might work with a kind of evidential function of Jesus’s miracle. Jesus’s authority is particularly significant to notice at this point in Matthew’s gospel. At the end of Matthew chapter 13, Jesus found nothing but unbelief and dishonor in his hometown. In fact, they wanted to kill him. He did not do any miraculous works there on account of that. Then at the beginning of chapter 14, John the Baptist loses his head. So things weren’t going well for Jesus or his followers among the people, and especially the leaders of the religious groups.
It is reasonable to imagine that his disciples were wondering about and questioning the extent of Jesus’s authority. What could and could he not do? The text follows immediately after Jesus feeds the 5000. Having provided compassionately for those who were hungry, Jesus now sends away the disciples in a boat. While he dismisses the crowd, he continues by finally finding some time alone with his heavenly Father. It is not until early next morning, probably between 3 and 6 a.m., that our text picks up.
Jesus initiates the encounter between him and his disciples by walking to them on the sea. Their initial reaction was understandable confusion and terror. They thought they were seeing a phantom — which is the reason for their reaction when Jesus appears in the upper room on Easter evening. They can hardly be blamed. Unlike Easter evening, Jesus had not promised that he would walk to them on water. He simply showed up on the sea unannounced, which may be why he doesn’t chastise them. Instead of chastising them, he encourages them: “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” “It is I” is used in the Greek in a very specific way. The way that we speak it in English is ego eimi — “it is I” — in other words, the great I AM. Jesus says “I AM” — in John’s gospel he’s proclaiming that he is the Son of God, the promised Messiah. It’s a unique construct.
But when he saw the wind, that is, Peter, he was afraid, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus responds immediately by reaching out his hand and taking hold of the sinking disciple. But that is not all. He also has words specifically for Peter alone. He uses the singular pronoun in verse 31: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” The text concludes as the disciples respond with both worship and a confession. Verse 33: “And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.'”
Now, most sermons will likely invite you, the hearer, to identify with Peter as the main character. The hearers certainly have their own questions about Jesus’s authority. Is he really who we say he is? Can he really do the things we believe he can do? His words of assurance are nice, but can they really be trusted? And in our day-to-day life, those questions come to life frequently whenever we’re faced with adversity of some sort. Peter’s lack of faith in Jesus manifested itself in fear. And remember those two words, faith and fear: when it comes to things of Jesus, they are opposite forces that have different agendas. You see, Jesus promises us that he rules over all creation. He promises that he will deliver us from all adversity and provide for all of our needs. We do not always see it, which leads to doubt, as it did for Peter. The result is often fear, and it was for Peter. And fear is a very powerful force. It leads us into all manners of foolishness and disbelief. Yet, it is true: Jesus rules over all creation. He promises he will deliver us from the adversity of this world and provide for all our needs. Thus, we pray in the Lord’s prayer: Give us this day our daily bread.
What is causing you to fear? Which promises of Jesus are you struggling to believe? To what foolishness is your fear leading? You can name the usual suspects in the list of irritants: financial instability, questionable government leadership these days, the rise of socialism and communism in our country and in our communities. But regardless of the cause of your fear, listen to the words that Jesus spoke to the disciples. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost,” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart. It is I — ego eimi — do not be afraid.” “It is I” is a revelation of Jesus’s identity as the promised Messiah and the Son of God, who comes in full authority and calms our fears and works his will in our lives.
Listen to how often this greeting is used — and this is just a small sample. Matthew 8:26: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Matthew 10:28: “Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” Matthew 10:31: “So do not be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 17:6-7: “Get up and do not be afraid.” Matthew 28:4 and 5: “Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who is crucified.” Matthew 28:8-10: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me.” Move into the Gospel of Mark: 4:40. “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 5:36: “Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 6:50: “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” Mark 13:7: “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is still to come.” Do not be afraid. He greets his own disciples with that greeting on Easter evening when he appears behind the locked doors. Fear is the enemy of faith, to which many of us fall.
Peter’s walk was a call to trust. When Peter says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water,” Peter is responding to Jesus’s command with the gift of faith. Peter’s success comes from obedience and trust, but his sinking when he looks away shows that his faith is not just belief. It shows his faith cannot just be believed but has to be active, dependent on Christ and upon Christ’s word.
So Jesus comes to us as he came to the disciples in the boat: unmasked, sometimes unrecognizable, but always he comes with authority, which he always expresses in his word. His stroll on the sea gave them a glimpse of his authority. His resurrection from the dead sealed the deal. His promise to return will provide the final assurance. The storm in today’s gospel was a test. It was a barometer of the disciples’ faith. The disciples, those skilled fishermen, were overwhelmed by the wind and the waves. Their fear reflected the reality that human knowledge and skill are insufficient against spiritual and physical trials.
The story shows that faith can carry us through. But it can also falter. So we are encouraged to hold fast, steadfast to Christ in the storms of life. Even in those moments of doubt, Jesus reaches out to us to rescue us — first through his word and sacrament ministry, and of any other means at his disposal that he uses according to his good and gracious will. Those things that befall us befall us because they are finally and ultimately used by Christ for our redemption and our sanctification.
This passage is a scriptural model for trusting God in the midst of fear, and having that trust rooted in the assurance of Christ’s presence, his love, and the power of his word to save. It would be a reminder to the disciples that it’s not just about knowing Jesus; it’s about walking with him — sometimes literally, sometimes spiritually — through the storms of life. As we proclaim Jesus’s promise to return and to manifest his authority for all to see, we invite hearers of the gospel to worship Jesus without fear. Though fear tries to conquer faith time and time again, faith and love, nonetheless — love drives out fear.
This is not only on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week as we hear and live under Christ’s gracious rule and under his protection and his power. And the greatest power of all is the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you all your sins, to cleanse you from all unrighteousness, to clothe you with his holiness and righteousness and innocence and blessedness. Thus you need not fear, for Christ is with you. Amen.
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.