Walking on the Water Deacon Chris Korte Homily on the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (August 13, 2023)
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus dismisses the crowds and goes off alone to a mountain to pray. Last week we also had in our Gospel where Jesus went up a mountain to pray, and there with him were Moses and Elijah. Here in our first reading today, is the account of Elijah going up the mountain to pray.
Why was Elijah going up this mountain to pray? First, he was running for his life. But more, he was retracing the steps of Moses. He spent 40 days in the desert and climbed here. To reconnect with something… re-establish something… renew something… that had been lost.
He is being called to be a prophet to his people. But before he speaks to them, the first thing a prophet has to learn is to LISTEN. Before he gives a word to his people, he has to receive it. To listen for God. To listen for God’s word. To wait. And to watch. And to DISCERN. How do you recognize God’s voice? How can you tell if this is coming from God… or from something else? Leading to God… or leading to something else?... is of God… or something else?
We hear how he experiences this powerful explosion of thunder and lightning… that’s not it… earthquake and rocks… that’s not it… It was a tiny wind… quiet… still, small voice… That was it – more powerful than the earthquake – that is what commanded his attention. How can you recognize God’s voice?
God’s voice is powerful, but is also still. At peace. God’s voice also has an effect on the one who hears – God’s voice stills… doesn’t rush or harass. Gives encouragement and reassures… doesn’t frighten or discourage… enlightens and gives conviction… doesn’t confuse or worry…
But it is not that God just says nice things or just calls us to some nice place. If God speaks to you, it is for a good reason… probably to tell you something important… to ask something important of you… to call you to be a part of something… to share something from yourself…
You might not understand at first. It doesn't make sense!... but that still, small voice says, trust Me. It might lead you in a way you do not want to go… but that still small voice says, I know… it is scary… it is big… but I am with you… we will do it together. We see this with our Gospel today with Peter and the apostles in this boat on the sea. When Jesus comes to them, it really calls Peter out of his comfort zone. Jesus sees this, knows this, and speaks to Peter – Be brave. Don’t be scared. It’s me.
On the one hand it is to help reassure Peter – it’s Me. But there is something else happening here as well. For Jesus to say “It is I”… if you spoke Hebrew you would also hear this another way. It is very familiar to how God revealed himself to Moses “I AM.”
Peter gets this. He immediately responds and says “Lord…” He calls him LORD – not Master, not Rabbi, not Teacher. He uses the one word that the Jewish people used for God, in place of using the sacred name “I AM.” If it is you – if YOU ARE – command me to come to you.
Peter is willing to listen, and willing to go where he is called – even if that means onto the water, into the chaos, the storm, the dark. If you call me – I will go. Here he is, holding on to the one thing he knows: BOATS! The one thing he knows that gives him a sense of who he is, his identity, a sense of some kind of security, or control. And he makes a choice – between what he knows and is an expert in… or Jesus in a storm.
And he says, I will go with you, Jesus. I am more sure there with Jesus than I am with all I know and have. Peter sees through all the chaos, sees past all the storm and darkness, and sees Jesus for who he is.
And I love Peter, because when he is called, he can’t take two steps without messing up. How many times I have felt this way? I try to follow God, and then I falter. It becomes scary, or difficult. I feel I am in over my head. I become tempted.
When this happens to Peter, immediately he cries out. Lord save me! He prays. In that cry is fear, and desperation. I know what that is like. But it is also a profession of faith, of trust in Jesus.
Peter cries out Lord, save me! If you spoke Hebrew you would hear this. He cries out Lord save – which is Jesus' name. Jesus in Hebrew means Lord save. His prayer is calling Jesus’ name. He says Lord save me! Jesus – me. Together. And that is what happens. Jesus immediately reaches out and grabs him by the hand and lifts him up – I got you. This little prayer is Peter reaching out to Jesus, and Jesus reaching out to him.
Jesus chides Peter a little, reprimands him – Oh, Peter, you of little faith… but I think it was also an affirmation. Oh Peter, you of little faith – it’s perfect. You have the faith of a little one. Who knows and feels I am small… I am weak… I mess up… I am not good at this… but I will jump in with you… and hold out my hand to you… That is a little faith. And that little faith, and that little prayer, is more powerful than the storm. When Jesus appeared to Peter and the apostles, it was not in a way they understood, or recognized. Peter said to Jesus, If it is you, call to me, speak to me. When Jesus spoke to him, Peter knew it was him. He knew Jesus. I would know that voice anywhere. The way it spoke to his heart.
If we are to hear Jesus speak to us, we need to know Him. And we need to have some quiet, some stillness, even in the storm, to listen, to let that voice come through. And we need to be willing to go.
When God speaks to you, it may not be in a way you were expecting, not what you were expecting. But there will be a still, small voice. It may remind you of something or someone, make you think of something – Hey, give this person a call. Hey, this person needs your help. Hey, you should volunteer with this. It may say to you, Hey, this thing you have been doing, it is time to let this go. It may say to you, Hey, why don’t you put that down and spend some time with Me.
It takes practice, every day. I don’t know what storm you are in right now – and some of you might not be in any storm – Now is the time to practice for when the storm comes. For those of you who are in a storm right now – maybe a big challenge… or a big change… or a loss… have a “little faith”. Pray, Lord, if it is You, call me to come to You. If you falter, pray, Lord, save me.
It might not be that Jesus leads you out of the storm, but into it, together.