Searching for faith Gospel Matthew 14: 22-33

Gospel Reading for Sunday 7th August Matthew 14: 22-33

The gospel reading for this week follows directly on from last week’s ‘Feeding of the 5000’. Jesus had just miraculously fed 5000 men plus women and children. No doubt Jesus was the ‘hero’ of the day and was emerging as well suited to save the multitudes physically and politically.

However, Jesus was not to be a political saviour so he dismissed the crowds and, so it seems to protect the disciples from the crowd’s fervour, he sent the disciples, via a boat, to the other side of the lake.
Meanwhile Jesus went up to the high country (hills) to pray, to meditate in quietness and solitude. The disciples on the other hand ‘rowed a different boat’ – there’s was one of turbulence and waves and white water AND white knuckles. It appears that this was a ‘hang on and fight’ against the elements battle for most of the night. No wonder when Jesus appears, out of the spray, walking on the water, that the disciples are terrified and exclaim that, “It’s a ghost!”
Jesus responds with a calming, “It is I (echoes of the great ‘I am’ of Exodus 3). Don’t be afraid”. How many parents have said similar to their night time frightened child?

Doubting Peter, like doubting Thomas to follow, asks for proof – “Order me to come out to you”, to which Jesus, like a good parent who let’s their child learn from their mistakes, obliges. Peter, childlike, at first walks then falters and starts to sink. “Lord save me”, pleads Peter, which Jesus does after he chides Peter for his lack of faith, and as they both enter the boat the wind, the sea, and the disciples’ hearts are calmed. Then follows the acknowledgement, from the disciples that, “Truly you are the son of God”.
For me, the one standout point of this narrative is the cry of, “Lord save me”. How many times have we, amid one of life’s storms when we were white knuckled or just plain sinking, asked Jesus to save us? Indeed how many times have you seen the need for such a cry on behalf of one or more folk in our school communities?

“Lord save me”; “Lord save them”, is this a sign of little faith, as it was for Peter, or is it an affirmation of faith in that it acknowledges Jesus as Lord (and saviour)? Either way it is ‘faith’ based – it involves a trusting heart in the power of Jesus; and either way it is a good expression to hear in our schools whether from a searching soul or a deeply devout saint.
For me, “Lord save me”, is one of the pivotal expressions both for, and arising from, my faith. Is this also the same for you?

[Loyd Fyffe]