[ Today's Readings ]
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Perhaps the impressive part of the gospel reading seems to be Peter's willingness to step out of the boat unto the waves. And this is of course an impressive act of faith. But simply to approach the LORD is a fearful thing. We see this when disciples see Jesus walking on the sea and they are all terrified. They cry out in fear. Even the reassurance Jesus gives is not quite enough.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Even though they are still afraid Peter knows how to find reassurance. Peter still wants to go to Jesus. He wants to approach the LORD. But the situation makes it obvious that he cannot do this on his own initiative. The wind and the waves highlight that which is always true. We cannot come to the LORD by our own strength.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the LORD.
We need to be like Peter in that we don't let fear stop us from going to the LORD. We don't let the circumstances stop us. But neither do we just attempt to charge in to his presence. Instead, we ask the LORD to call us to him. When we ask he answers. He is always standing at the doors of our hearts knocking. But we don't always hear him. So we ask him to make his invitation explicit. We ask him to draw us to himself.
He wants us to come to him so that he can restore us.
See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
He wants to heal everyone who touches even just the tassel on his cloak. The risk is that we look away from him and start to strive on our own.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
If we look at the circumstances and not at Jesus we will start sinking. That is how it is. We can't walk on water and the circumstances we encounter in the life are a torrential flood. Yet even if we look away and begin to sink we have only to cry out to him. Even the wound from the great guilt of our numerous sins is given only that we might turn back to him.
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
Let us ask the LORD to invite us to come to him. Let us keep our eyes fixed on him so that we can experience the truth of who he is and the restoration he plans for Zion.
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
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