Brent Kuhlman

+ Jesu Juva +

The disciples are in trouble again.  Last week they couldn’t feed the huge mob.  This week it’s a boating trauma.  A storm on the sea.  Their boat is battered by high waves.  The winds won’t let them make any progress.  All their boating skills are put to the test. They’re failing.  They’re as good as dead.  Where are you Jesus?  He’s on the mountain.  Praying.  All by Himself.  What good is that kind of Jesus?

Are you in trouble?  What’s bothering you?  Can’t handle the pressures and assaults of the life’s stormy seas?  Is it all just too much?  Find yourself getting nowhere against the constant battering of your sin, the devil’s accusations, and death’s creeping door?  Where are you Jesus?  Where are you Jesus?  Are you still on the mountain praying all by yourself?  What kind of Jesus are you?

He’s the Jesus who comes.  Comes to His disciples on the water.  Comes to you in the water of your Baptism.  You who are in need.  Comes the way He chooses.  To save you.  To strengthen your faith in Him.

So off the mountain and on to the sea He goes.  Comes to them.  He is not a ghost.  It’s really Him.  Flesh and blood Jesus.  Walking on the stormy sea.  Walking the midst of your stormy life.  Bellies right up to His frightened disciples and to you.  He speaks:  “Courage!  I am!  Don’t be afraid.”  

Good thing He speaks.  Because seeing can be deceiving.  Seeing can be terrifying.  Threatening.  “Is it a ghost!”  And they scream in fear.  So would we.  So Jesus speaks:  “Courage!  I am!  Don’t be afraid.” Faith comes from hearing.  And hearing from the word of Christ. 

So not a ghost but flesh and blood Jesus speaks.  He doesn’t say:  “It’s me guys.”  No.  He literally says:  “I AM.”  He’s the great I AM of the Old Testament.  He is Jehovah God of the Old Testament in the flesh.  He is the I AM, YHWH, who speaks to Moses from the burning bush.  He is the great I AM who brings Israel out of Egyptian death and hell.  Who speaks to Job and you in the OT lesson.  Who saves you, His NT Israel, from sin, death, Satan and hell.  Jesus speaks out His Name:  “I AM.”  He gives them His name.  He gives you His Name in Baptism.  He is their God.  He is your God.  The only God there is. 

And His words do what they say.  “Courage!  Do not be afraid.”  And they are comforted.  We are comforted.  He comes to save not destroy.  That’s the kind of Jesus He is.

Not a ghost but flesh and blood walking on the water Jesus draws believers to Himself.  And so Peter wants to be with Jesus.  “Lord, if it’s you, command me to come to you on the water.”    Faith is not content just to know Jesus is out there.  Faith desires communion with Jesus.  To be where Jesus is.  To walk where Jesus walks. 

But that means leaving your old life behind.  Forsaking everything that you are, everything that you have been, and everything that you have.  It means dying to self and trusting only in Jesus.  It means that you are nothing and that Jesus is everything. 

Jesus tells Peter -- He tells you, “Come.”   And so we go in the power of that inviting word.  We and Peter leave the security and safety of our lives behind in the boat.  We venture to trust that we have nothing but Jesus’ word “Come,” to hold us up.

And then our faith shrivels.  Who can trust a Jesus who simply says, “Come,” when our eyes only see the waves, whitecaps and winds?  When ears are distracted from Jesus’ speaking, to the sight of this life’s boiling and churning waters, we sink.  Just like Peter.  Fear and doubt are the cement goulashes that take us under. 

Compared to the waves Jesus appears to be too small.  Too little to handle our problems.  Too insignificant to take care of our disappointments.  To scrawny to save us from our diseases.  Too weak to save us from sin, death, and hell. 

When you’re wearing the cement shoes of fear and doubt the only thing left to do is cry out like Peter:  “Lord, save me!”

Peter is nothing.  We are nothing.  Jesus is everything.  All that’s left when we’re going under is:  “Lord, save me!” Straight away Jesus reaches out, grabs Peter, and puts him in the boat.  “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”         

Jesus is greater than the winds and the waves.  Greater than any of your troubles.  Greater than any of your sin.  He is I AM who dies on the Cross for you.  “Courage!  Do not be afraid!  Do not doubt any longer.” 

“And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’”    Not a ghost.  But the Son of God.  To say Jesus is God’s Son is the biggest thing you can say about Jesus.  For when you say, “Jesus, you sure are God’s Son,” you’re saying, “Jesus you sure are my Savior!”

He certainly is.  He death is for you.  His resurrection is for you.  Pulled you out sin and death as you were buried with Him in Baptism.  And in the water Son of God Savior Jesus bids you to “Come” and walk with Him.  Your baptismal water is the glassy and calm sea where Jesus says:  “Courage!  I AM!  No need to fear!  I’ve got you.”

In the Name of Jesus.