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| Image by Mike Lewinski |
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A GREETING
I trust in your love;
my heart rejoices in the deliverance you bring.
(Psalm 13:5)
A READING
Jesus insisted that the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side. Having sent the crowds away, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray, remaining there alone as night fell. Meanwhile the boat, already a thousand yards from shore, was being tossed about in the waves which had been raised by the fierce winds. At about three in the morning, Jesus came walking toward them on the lake. When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they were terrified. “It is a ghost!” they said, and in their fear they began to cry out. Jesus hastened to reassure them: “Don’t worry, it’s me! Don’t be afraid!” Peter spoke up and said, “If it is really you, tell me to come to you across the water.” “Come!” Jesus said. So Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened. He began to sink, and cried out, “Save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and caught Peter. (Matthew 14:22-31)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
So I wait for you, O God —
my soul waits,
and in your word I place my trust. 6 My soul longs for you, O God,
more than watchmen long for the dawn,
more than watchmen long for the dawn.
(Psalm 130:5-6)
A POEM PRAYER
Lord, not you,
it is I who am absent…
I have long since uttered your name
but now
I elude your presence.
I stop
to think about you, and my mind
at once
like a minnow darts away,
darts
into the shadows, into gleams that fret
unceasing over
the river’s purling and passing….
You are the stream, the fish, the light,
the pulsing shadow,
you the unchanging presence, in whom all
moves and changes,
How can I focus my flickering, perceive
at the fountain’s heart
the sapphire I know is there?
- by Denise Levertov
found in The Flowering of the Soul: A Book of Prayers by Women
ed. by Lucinda Vardey
VERSE OF THE DAY
My life is safe in your hands.
(Psalm 16:5b)
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| "Fear Not," by Jorge Cocco Santángelo (click to enlarge) The extended arms of both Jesus and Peter leave us wondering who is waiting to receive whom. The disciples n their crowded boat are darkened by night; Jesus is the colour of the moon, his torso reflected in water. In contrast to yesterday's painting of Jesus rebuking the storm, these waters appear calm, despite that the story tells us there was "fierce wind." The artist seems to be showing us that just the mere presence of Jesus is enough to bring stillness. |
In the stories of the gospels, Jesus and the disciples are constantly crossing the Sea of Galilee on boats as they do the ministry of teaching. Occasionally Jesus seems to need time to himself, as at the start of today's story when he leaves them to make their own journey and takes himself into the mountains to pray. He does this a number of times in the gospels -- often after having been with crowds.
Perhaps the storm starts there on the mountain. As the wind rises and the thunder cracks, perhaps Jesus thinks of his friends out on the sea and knows in his heart how they are doing. The story doesn't give us this inbetween scene. Instead, Jesus appears suddenly to the disciples on the water, walking over its surface. They are frightened, believe him to be a ghost and then once he is recognized, Peter wants it proven. In an act of great faith (not doubt), he steps out of the boat to go to Jesus. Then the material world awakens in him and he begins to sink. Jesus puts out an arm to catch him.
There are many human vulnerabilities in this story: Jesus' need for privacy and rest; his miscalculation of how the disciples will fare without him; the fear the disciples have in the storm; the bravery and anxiety of Peter. And yet all this is resolved when Jesus comes to them, and when he catches Peter. His arm goes out, he catches him. If we think back a few days to the painting on Thursday of Jesus cradling the lamb, perhaps we can imagine him cradling Peter now too on the boat.
The story tells us a specific time when Jesus appears on the water -- 3 am. In the ancient world, 3 am is the fourth watch of the night, and the watch that precedes the dawn (3:00 - 6:00 am). In today's song, an adaptation of Psalm 130, we hear how the Psalmist waits for God more than watchmen wait for morning. Jesus comes to them in their darkest hour, but where will they be in his? It will be 3:00 on a Friday afternoon when Jesus is crucified. The watches of the night protect people from danger, but there are no watches for the evil that takes place by day. We are told that every one of disciples, including Peter, will desert him.
In yesterday's maritime storm story, Jesus is asleep in the same boat with the disciples; here he is apart from them and then comes to them. His actions, however, are the same in the sense that his simple presence is enough to calm nature.
How much can it comfort us to imagine Jesus walking toward us over the sea of our anxieties, fears and challenges? And how can we be challenged to notice and ask when others appear distressed, so we might be the arm that reaches out to them in hope?
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| Image by Steve Cole |
Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.
In Psalm 130, "sentinels" has been replaced by "watchmen" for clarity of meaning.
The next devotional day is Monday, March 3rd.
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LC† From Dust, Still Holy is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!