13A Pentecost                                   Matthew 14:22-33                                  Aug. 10, 2008

Sometime ago someone shared one of those pearls of wisdom that has stuck with me and it is this:
There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity.
I don’t know about you, but I there are plenty of times when I have crossed that line.
It is this pearl of wisdom that I am reminded of each time I encounter this story of Peter stepping out of the safety of the boat onto and eventually into the storming sea.
What was he thinking?
What was he hoping to prove?
What on earth would encourage you to step out of a perfectly good boat and surrounded by the company of your fellow companions and then step out into the stormy waters and attempt to walk across the water toward someone who moments ago you thought was nothing more than a ghost or aberration?
And why didn’t the other disciples try to discourage such seemingly stupid behavior?

Well, the long and the short of it is, Peter did, he crossed the line, he took the proverbial ‘leap of faith’ and for a little while his faith held up and then he had a reality check and he began to have that sinking feeling.

I have to admit that I am far too often inclined to give Peter a hard time, questioning his decision and actions—and yet, I also have to admit that I admire the guy because he was willing to stretch his faith, he was willing to take a risk, willing to venture into the unknown.

I admire that because I sometimes question my own lack of willingness to take a risk, or venture into the unknown and deep down I would love to take more risks, take a stab at being a thrill seeker, to stretch my faith beyond my current comfort zone.
And I say this not because I am looking for a faith-filled adrenalin rush, but because I have come to understand that there are times when we need to risk.
There are times when we need to stretch.
And there are times when life demands that we step out of the boat—even when it really looks like a foolish move.  But is it really an act of foolishness if you know deep down in your soul that God is calling you forth and you trust that Jesus is not only standing in front of you, but also at your side and watching your back all at the same time?
If that’s the situation, it certainly isn’t an act of foolishness, but rather an act of faithfulness.

That sentiment is echoed in a quotation I came across as I prepared this sermon by a fellow by the last name of Cranfield who wrote a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Cranfield said:
“If it is a result of obedience to Christ command that the church or the individual Christian is in a situation of danger or distress, then there is no need to fear.”

Let me repeat that: “If it is a result of obedience to Christ command that the church or the individual Christian is in a situation of danger or distress, then there is no need to fear.”

If I understand this Cranfield correctly, he is saying—if we are doing what God want us to do, by the grace of God, it will come out O.K.

This story about Peter serves as a reminder to each of us that here are times when we too need to get out of the safety of the boat and step into the stormy and turbulent waters of life.
This story reminds us that there are times when we need to risk and when we take these leaps of faith we also do so knowing that to risk carries with it the possibility of failing, the possibility of being hurt, but when we take a risk for Jesus’ sake, we have the promise that he is with us, and that “no one who believes in him will be put to shame.”

Matthew tells us that the other eleven disciples stayed in the boat. 
(Maybe simply being in a small crowded boat in the midst of storming sea was enough of an adventure for them?)
In any case, it was probably the prudent thing to do, of course. 
Safety and security and familiarity and self-consciousness can keep a lot of people on the boat.
 
You may remember the movie "Apocalypse Now." 
It is the story of a boatload of soldiers on a dangerous mission during the Vietnam War.
At one point, as they are traveling through some beautiful, lush, country, they dock and one of the sailors who is a cook goes looking for mangoes, accompanied by a soldier.
Suddenly, in the forest he hears movement and fears an enemy.
As they begin to retreat, a tiger roars out and there is shooting.
 
When the sailor returns to the boat he is hysterical and keeps crying over and over, "Never get off the boat, never get off the boat, never get off the boat!”
 
Most of us are kind of predisposed to want to stay on the boat. 
But there may be times when Jesus calls us to “walk on water”—to attempt those things that look difficult, if not impossible, that are scary, that carry risk. 
But those things that seem impossible are not always impossible when we keep our eyes on Jesus.
 
A leadership-training group was asked to work together and build a structure that would support a bowling ball. 
The only material they had to use was a spool of thread.
Can you do it? 
Can you build something of thread that supports a bowling ball? 
Maybe we should hand out spools of thread at the door and make this your homework assignment. 
But the answer is, yes, you can. 
How often do we not attempt something that God wants us to do because it just seems too tough, too improbable, and too unrealistic?
 
When was the last time you attempted something that was really scary? 
When was the last time that you took a risk in order to serve God?
 
How many of you are familiar with the creature known as a couch potato?
How many of you have one or more of these in your home?
For those unfamiliar with this whole phenomena of being a “couch potato” – it involves just sitting around on the couch, remote control in hand. 
Interestingly, coach potatoes are not exclusive to homes, they can also be found in churches, but they go by another name: Pew Potatoes.
To be Pew Potato involves passively sitting around on the sidelines and watching and choosing to not to get involved with the activities at hand.
You can say what you want about Peter, but he was no couch potato. 
He was in on the action. 
Right or wrong, he did something.
 
Being a “couch potato,” sitting tight, being uninvolved, is not the way to growth. 
It is not the stance that will carry us into the future. 
There are storms in life that we all face. 
There are difficult times. 
Do we sit on the sidelines and hope things get better, or do we become involved? 
Sometimes we have to try walking on water. 
We may sink. 
Sometimes we even have to experience sinking in order to grow, and when that happens, we find that Jesus is there.
 
A close relative of the couch potato and the pew potato is the armchair quarterback, making all the tough decisions and second-guessing everything that happens from the comfort of a La-Z-Boy. 
It is easy to be an armchair quarterback. 
We have no doubt that if the Vikings would just call the plays on the field that we think they should make, they would beat Green Bay, with or with out “what’s-his-name”. 
But on the field, it’s not that easy. 
Things become a lot more complicated when you are the one actually playing the game.
 
The doing, the playing, the sweat and grunt and hard work of life is where faith is truly lived and tested and matured. 
Being a couch potato, pew potato, or armchair quarterback is very tempting. 
It is easier and a lot less risky. 
But in the long run, sitting on the sidelines may be more dangerous.
Being passive and uninvolved has never accomplished anything of value or significance.
Playing it safe rarely makes a difference.
If you want to grow, if you want to make a difference, if you want to leave a legacy, if you want to be the person God created you to be—get out of the boat, get in the game, roll up your sleeves and take a risk.
 
Having said all that, let me be perfectly honest with you…when we get out of the boat and take risks and attempt to walk on water, we will run the possibility of failing 
We may very well fall. 
And when that happens-- we will need Jesus to pick us up. 
But if we never risk, nothing worthwhile will happen. 

There is an old Jewish folk story that is set in the midst of the Exodus when Moses was leading the Israelites away from Egypt.
They had just come to the Dead Sea and Pharaoh’s army is racing across the desert in their chariots.
Moses and the people are not sure what to do, the army to their backs and the sea in front of them, what are they going to do.
On first glance, either option invovled possible death.
But then, lo and behold, an old couple, holding on to each other and their walking staffs, comes through the crowd, making their way with great determination and that determination is not deterred when they came to the banks of the sea, instead they continue forward into the water and much to everyone’s amazement the waters begin to part and everyone followed them safely across and escaped death at the hands of Pharaoh’s army.
Was it sheer determination?
Was it an act of desperation?
Or, was it faithfulness and a spirit of trust that prompted the old couple to charge ahead?
Whatever it was, it was passivity, was not a case of “coach potatoness”.

The truth is--God did not make us to be couch or pew potatoes or armchair quarterbacks.
God did not create us to be part of the audience, or simple observers of reality shows.
God created us to be participants, actors and contestants.
And like all venues, we will mess up, we will falter, we will miss our cues and forget our lines.
And we will most likely take our eyes off of Jesus at crucial moments and we too will have that sinking feeling.
And like Peter we will cry out to Jesus to save us.
But thanks be to God for the one who never faltered. 
Jesus kept his eyes firmly fixed on God—that is why he spent that night in prayer, and that is why he went to the cross.
 
Peter was far from perfect, but we can learn from him. 
He didn’t stand on the sidelines watching, he took a risk. 
He got out of the boat. 
As it turns out, he sank. 
He took his eyes off of Jesus. 
But Jesus took him by the hand and returned him to the safety of his fellow disciples in the safety of the boat. 
Even when he sank, Jesus was there. 
And when we sink, Jesus is there for us.
And even when we loose sight of Jesus, our brothers and sisters in Christ, the community of faith is there to welcome us back and embrace us.
 
In the midst of the storms of life, Jesus is with us. 
Jesus comes to us to protect, to help, to save. 
 
I like the way one of my colleagues put it:
“We can risk, because we have a powerful Lord watching over us. 
We can trust, because we have a forgiving God caring for us. 
We can step out in faith, because we have a God who is sure to save.”
 
There is often a fine line between bravery and stupidity.
Taking the risk, getting out of the boat, can be foolish and scary. 
But often, it is the path to really living.
 
Jesus invited Peter the get out of the boat. 
What is God inviting you to do? 
Amen.


Pastor Stephen P. Blenkush
Zion Lutheran Church
Milaca, MN


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