This Sunday's text is the account of Jesus walking on water, Peter's engaging of Jesus on the waves and the calming of the storm.
Clearly this account is meant to show an aspect of Jesus' ability to control and overpower the chaotic forces of nature (waters were thought to be especially chaotic and hazardous). It is part and parcel with Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8:23-27.
You can ponder that precise text alone and during the sermon this Sunday. For today, however, I thought it might be interesting to imagine some of the details Matthew may have left on the editing room floor.
Peace,
Karl
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With a flick of the pen Matthew says that Jesus sent the disciples ahead while he stayed back to dismiss the crowds. This is a massive crowd. There were 5,000 men who were fed. Adding in family members this number swells to the size of a large, modern day political rally. Jesus could, I suppose, send the people away with a blessing for traveling mercies and a benediction. If so, that would have been a quick matter. I imagine, however, that Jesus would linger with people on the way out the door. Imagine a super snack Sunday at Messiah supersized up to 20,000 people or so and Jesus engaging as many as he could before they leave--staggering to ponder.
It was already getting late in the day which is why the disciples approached Jesus suggesting he send the crowds on their way to find food. After the meal it is later still. After sending the massive throng away it is later still. Jesus makes his way up the mountainside by himself as it grows even later. Jesus is very alone in the wilderness. He is exposed and alone late at night and engages God in prayer--more exposing and more solitude. The contrast between the enormous crowd and the solitary Jesus engaged in prayer is stark and borderline cinematic.
After prayer Jesus decides to go a rejoin the disciples he sent out ahead of him in a boat. There is a boat from the time of Jesus that can be seen to this day in the Holy Land. It was exposed during some drought times as the water level dropped in a lakebed. Those who found it preserved what had appeared, dug a bit deeper, preserved that level and continued until the whole boat was able to be transported. It is now preserved and dubbed "The Jesus boat" (you can read about it if so inclined at https://www.seetheholyland.net/jesus-boat/). After a while Jesus approaches the disciples as they struggle against the wind in something akin to the Jesus boat. The disciples see Jesus approaching on the top of the water and presume hi is a ghost.
Peter says "Lord, if it is you, command me to come out to you on the water." That, of course, implies Peter is thinking this very much might not be Jesus. It is a bizarre request from Peter to an unknown entity on the water. Jesus bids Peter to come and he does. Is this a faithful Peter, a foolish Peter, an impulsive Peter or a(n) _________ Peter? Just who is this calling to Jesus from the boat and what is he hoping for?
Once Jesus is back in the boat I wonder what Peter and the others are thinking. Surely they have in their minds the words of Matthew 8:27: "What sort of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?" Maybe they're thinking I'm still not sure he isn't a ghost. As can be seen one of the things that happens across the gospels is people offering food to see if someone is truly corporeal and/or back from the dead. The presumption is that ghosts/spirits/specters don't eat food like we flesh and blood folk. I wonder if some of the 12 basketfuls of loaves and fishes ended up in the boat. I wonder if the disciples tried to encourage Jesus to eat some of the leftovers just to be sure he was who they thought he might be.
One of the beautiful parts of reading books is that the the important facts are conveyed clearly but the details, the colors, the sounds, the smells, etc., etc. are left for the readers' minds to fill in. Sometimes the stories of scripture are less detailed than I would like--maybe you have that thought too. I think the Holy Spirit in her wisdom gave us what we needed and beckons us and our theological curiosities to engage the story with our whole selves to backfill the details.
May you and your faithful and curious imagination enter into this Sunday's appointed gospel text and in the texts in the days ahead.
God, help us to dwell with you and the scriptures you have provided with all of the life-giving truths as well as the maddening and engaging ambiguities. Help us grow more fully into relationship with this one who truly is the Son of God.
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