Text: Saint Matthew 14:22-33

In an old cartoon, a Monastery scene features a large well-maintained cured green lawn...
In the middle of that lush greenery, there is a small swimming pond. Two Monks dressed in brown robes are passing by, their eyes focused on a sign posted in the grass at the edge of the pond. The sign reads, "PLEASE DON'T WALK ON THE WATER."

An American Traveler in the Middle East decided to visit the Sea of Galilee where, the Bible tells in today's Gospel Reading, Jesus walked on water - He approached a boatman and asked if he knew the place where Jesus performed the great miracle. The boatman told him he could take him out to the exact spot. Moreover, he said, "I'll take you there free of charge." Whereupon they got into the boat and the boatman rowed out a considerable distance from shore. Then stopped. "This is it," he said. "We are in the exact position Jesus was when He walked on top of the waves."

After drinking in the sight and meditating for a while, the American said he was ready to be returned to shore. "That will cost you fifty dollars," the boatman said. "But you told me there would be no charge," the traveler protested. To which the boatman replied, "I told you I would take you out here free, you didn't ask about the return trip." Then, as the Traveler dug down for his wallet, he murmured, "No wonder Jesus walked."

Rather remarkably in the four Gospels, which cover about one hundred fifty average pages, there are some fifty references to water. Over-and-Over again, the Gospel writers describe Jesus' activities as being on the sea or the seashore. In Matthew's Gospel account there are twenty such references. For Example, we read, "As He walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea - for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fish for people." (Matthew 4:18-19).

From another scene we read, "And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. And they went and woke Him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing! And He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm" (Matthew 8:23-26).

And in today's Gospel Reading we have the story in which the Apostle Peter is pleading with the Lord to save him from drowning. The story begins as Jesus and the Disciples are together on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus instructs the Disciples to take off in their boat while He goes onto the mountainside to pray. When evening comes, He is still there alone, while the boat now far out on the Lake, is battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head wind. At this point Jesus comes down from the hill where He is praying and walks on the water toward the Disciples. The Disciples are fearful, but Jesus calls out to them, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." The impetuous Peter then gets out of the boat to demonstrate his faith in Jesus by walking toward Him on the water himself. But, suddenly, his faith gives out and he begins to sink. "Lord, save me," he cries, and Jesus pulls him out of the water, saying, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

"Doubt is part of all religion! All the religious thinkers were doubters," so said the famous Journalist Isaac Singer. Albert Einstein once said, "While certainty is of value, the important thing is not to stop questioning." On the same subject, the Philosopher Francis Bacon said, "If a man will begin with certainties, he will end in doubt. But if he begins with doubt, he will end in certainties."

This brings to mind the familiar story of "Doubting Thomas," the Apostle who would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead and had appeared to the other first Disciples.  Thomas had been prepared meticulously for a life that makes a difference by the greatest Teacher who ever lived. But he wasn't ready for it, even after Jesus' resurrection. He had seen Jesus' example. He was one of Jesus' closest associates. And still, he wasn't ready to give the required response. For Thomas, nothing had changed. Nothing had made a difference - until he could say with deep conviction, "My Lord and My God," when he saw the Risen Christ standing before him. And, at that moment, for Thomas everything changed. "Doubt no longer, but believe," said the Risen Lord to Thomas. "Doubt no more, but respond to the example I have given you. Doubt no more, but change." And, for Thomas, everything did change. "Give me your hand. Put it into my side," Jesus said to Thomas. Whereupon Thomas experienced the Resurrection Power of God, by way of the Cross. He felt the wound and he was a new person. He felt the wound and he was a believer, a follower of Christ, a man with a mission, a man for others.

One cannot come to the point of saying "Yes!" to God, except by way of the Cross. By giving His life for others, Jesus came to New Life. And so it is with us when we identify with the Cross of Christ, the wounds of Christ. We become new persons. We become true believers. We become true followers of Christ. We become persons with a mission. We become persons for others.

Suppose we had picked up our morning newspaper earlier today and read the headline, "Jesus appears, walks across the San Francisco Bay." Suppose the story beneath the headline told about how crowds of Christians had gathered at the shore to watch the miracle unfold before their very eyes. Suppose the story went on to describe how Jesus had called out, "Come," and the crowds began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But they became frightened by the wind and, no longer trusting Jesus, they all began to sink, and would have drowned if He hadn't rescued them.

The question is, would any of us have exhibited a faith so strong as to have kept us from sinking? I submit that the measure of our faith in that circumstance would have been no different that the measure of our faith here and now.  We are here, after all, not merely because we believe that Jesus can walk on water. We are here because of our faith in the Resurrection Power of God. If our faith in God's promise of Eternal Life is real, we will rejoice with the Apostle Paul that we are sent out to build up, not destroy. We will rejoice as we begin to share the Gift of God's Glory which Jesus has given us. We will rejoice in the realization that Jesus sends us out as a light to the nations, a means of salvation, to the ends of the earth.

And while it is true that we may never experience the miracle of walking on water, it may come to pass that the joy we experience in our ministry of love will make us feel like we're "WALKING ON AIR!"

Thanks be to God!!!!! Amen!!!