Are You A Risk Taker?
Sermon
Questions Of Faith
Gospel Sermons For Sundays After Pentecost
Introduction
Have you ever done anything that you thought was risky? To some degree we are all risk takers. Everything we do for the first time is a risk. For instance, some risks that most of us have taken are learning to walk, to ride a bike, to swim, to hit a ball, and to drive a car. Bigger risks which some of us have taken are getting married, having children, starting a business, inventing something, or moving across the country. These are risks because we don't know for sure what will happen. If we didn't take them, we could also be missing out on a lot of life.
Some people seem to take more risks than others and have more accidents. That seems to be true of the Kennedy family. After the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy, Jr., newscasters raised the question of whether or not he should have taken off that night. Time and time again commentators said that the Kennedy family was famous for its appetite for risk. They did not shrink from pushing the edge of their personal abilities. And they also lived with tragedy.
Why are we willing to take risks? Usually it is because we see other people doing it and we think if they can do it, so can we. Also we are more apt to take a risk if we trust the person who is encouraging us to do it. For instance, one is more likely to do a trust fall into the arms of his/her own father than into the arms of a stranger. Risk and trust go hand and hand.
Terror At Sea
Today's Gospel is a story of terror at sea that shows both risk and trust. Peter wants to do the impossible - walk on water. He is a risk taker. Picture the scene. The disciples are sailing on the Sea of Galilee, a lake about thirteen miles long and seven and a half miles wide. Actually it is just a little larger than some of the larger Minnesota lakes. On these lakes it can be frightening when a storm hits. The wind can come up quickly and change direction so suddenly that you can get stuck out in the lake in the midst of white caps. All you can hear is the wind howling and the crashing of the waves.
In the Gospel we are told that it is evening, so I would guess that storm clouds blocked out the moon and the stars. Perhaps some lightning streaked across the sky followed by crashes of thunder. It must have been very frightening for the disciples to be in that boat being tossed about in the wind. They must have been thinking, how can this be happening to us? After all Jesus had told them to get into their boat and go to the other side, after the feeding of the 5,000, while he went up the mountain to pray. They did as they were told. Certainly you would think that they had a right to expect a nice, smooth, safe, and comfortable boat trip. Right? Wrong! Instead they were straining every muscle in an attempt to keep the boat going into the wind. Their bodies would have been tense and their faces full of fear. Likely they thought they were surely going to drown. Things were bad for the disciples and they got even worse. We learn that toward morning they saw a ghost coming toward them and they cried out in fear.
Generally speaking the disciples were not cowards, but like everyone else in the ancient world, they believed in ghosts and they were seeing a ghost. Above the noise of the storm - the crashing waves and howling wind - the disciples heard a voice. It was a familiar voice, the voice of Jesus saying, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." And it is at this point that Peter cries out, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." And Jesus said, "Come."
Peter wanted assurance that it really was Jesus who stood on the waves before them and not a ghost. Peter took the risk of getting out of the boat and did the impossible - he started walking on the water. But when Peter noticed the strong wind and large waves, he became frightened. He began to sink. He cried out, "Lord, save me!"
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
A pastor friend who studied one summer at the Ecumenical Institute in Strasbourg, France, visited a church that had a painting depicting the scene of the boat and Jesus holding onto Peter in the water. In Europe the churches are cultural centers. She said that almost every evening there would be concerts in one or two of the churches. They would go to the churches to hear the music and to see the artwork - paintings, stained glass windows, sculptures. The various art pieces in these churches taught the Bible stories. It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Look around at the art you see in church. What does it teach? Most art in Christian churches shows that Jesus Christ is the one who saves. This is often simply depicted by a large cross. Or a church seeks to depict its name in art. A church by the name of Immanuel, which means God with us, has a large front piece of mosaics and stained glass that shows God with us as God the Creator depicted by stars and a logo of the world, God with us as God the Son with the manger and the cross, and God with us as the Holy Spirit by the dove in the shape of flames. It is a magnificent teaching art piece.
It was at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Strasbourg that my friend saw the fresco depicting today's Gospel story of Peter trying to walk on water. It is a church that has had a stormy and unusual history. It was first built in the seventh century and rebuilt in the thirteenth century. In 1524 it became a Lutheran church as a result of the Reformation. In 1681 King Louis XIV gave the chancel back to the Roman Catholics, and a wall was built between the chancel and the nave. Sometime between 1895--1900 the chancel was given back to the Lutherans, and it is one of the few Lutheran churches in France today.
The painting in St. Peter's is actually a large fresco that covers the back wall of the sanctuary. A fresco is a painting done with watercolors on wet plaster. The fresco depicts the eleven disciples in the boat with Peter standing on the water holding on to Jesus. The whole story is told in that painting. The focus is on Jesus holding Peter. The message that came through to my friend from the painting was that Peter lives on the edge. The other disciples play it safe by staying in the boat. Peter in the water is the risk taker testing Jesus.
Trust And Risk
I like today's Gospel because it is a story of trust and risk. Jesus is with his disciples. It has nothing to do with the crowds of people he fed the day before and nothing to do with the Pharisees and the skeptics. It is just Jesus and his disciples. And it shows that even Jesus' disciples get into difficult situations and need reassurance at times. That would be true of us, his disciples today, we who are here in the church. There are times when we are afraid. There are times when we lose our confidence. There are times when we need to be renewed and strengthened in our faith. And that is what Jesus does for the disciples in today's Gospel. It ends with those in the boat worshiping Jesus saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
We are here this morning in this church to worship Jesus Christ as the disciples did in the boat that day. The church has often been symbolized as a boat. In fact in many church sanctuaries, if you look up, you will see the design of an inverted ship's hull. The church, like a ship, is often in the midst of life's raging sea of problems. The church, like a ship, can be a refuge, a place that provides a respite from the storms of life. Jesus sometimes calms the storm and other times he calms us who are in the midst of the storm, giving confidence to go out to trust and risk.
In today's Gospel, Peter trusted and risked by getting out of the boat. But then he lost his trust and he began to sink. He called out to Jesus and Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Is Peter doubting Jesus or himself? It seems it must be himself because he looked to Jesus to help him. It seems that Peter experienced a loss of confidence. He began to doubt himself. The lesson here may be that faith is not only placing our confidence in God to get the job done, but it is confidence that God has given us all that we need to do it. I believe trust in self is an expression of trust in God. In a way it is like the saying, "God helps those who help themselves."
I have heard some pastors say that at one time they could not believe that God had called them to proclaim God's word. Some were those who in high school could not even give a speech. Yet now they are standing in a pulpit proclaiming God's Word. To do that means they have trust that God will give them what they need to obey God's call. And when you think of those first disciples that Jesus called, it is hard to believe that God would entrust his Word to them to bring to the world. But he did and he gave them confidence that they dared risk their lives for the gospel.
Peter is perhaps the most colorful of Jesus' disciples. He is certainly the most talkative and the most eager. One moment he proclaims grandly that Jesus is the Messiah then in the next breath he tries to tell Jesus how to go about his ministry. And it is Peter who tells Jesus that even if all others forsake him, he will never forsake him. Yet three times Peter said that he never knew Jesus.
In spite of all his foibles and failings, Peter is the one who shows the most trust in Jesus. He is the risk taker. He is willing to try the impossible. I admire that because many of us are not willing to take any risks. We are afraid we will fail, or that we will look foolish, or we will do something wrong, so we do nothing. Peter, with all his imperfections, is an inspiration to us to trust and to risk.
Conclusion
The miracles which Christ performed when he was here on earth were not just walking on water or multiplying the loaves for the 5,000 or changing water into wine, but changing hearts. He changed Simon Peter from a wishy--washy being who blew in the wind to a solid rock. Christ can do that for you as well.
The Gospel for today is about Jesus Christ who is our Savior, who has not abandoned us, even in the most fearful circumstances. It is about trust, trusting that we can risk and do what God calls us to do.
Jesus says to us, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." If we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus even when the waves of life's storms are threatening, he will not let us drown. A miracle will occur, a miracle of trust - trust in God and trust in ourselves. Amen.
Have you ever done anything that you thought was risky? To some degree we are all risk takers. Everything we do for the first time is a risk. For instance, some risks that most of us have taken are learning to walk, to ride a bike, to swim, to hit a ball, and to drive a car. Bigger risks which some of us have taken are getting married, having children, starting a business, inventing something, or moving across the country. These are risks because we don't know for sure what will happen. If we didn't take them, we could also be missing out on a lot of life.
Some people seem to take more risks than others and have more accidents. That seems to be true of the Kennedy family. After the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy, Jr., newscasters raised the question of whether or not he should have taken off that night. Time and time again commentators said that the Kennedy family was famous for its appetite for risk. They did not shrink from pushing the edge of their personal abilities. And they also lived with tragedy.
Why are we willing to take risks? Usually it is because we see other people doing it and we think if they can do it, so can we. Also we are more apt to take a risk if we trust the person who is encouraging us to do it. For instance, one is more likely to do a trust fall into the arms of his/her own father than into the arms of a stranger. Risk and trust go hand and hand.
Terror At Sea
Today's Gospel is a story of terror at sea that shows both risk and trust. Peter wants to do the impossible - walk on water. He is a risk taker. Picture the scene. The disciples are sailing on the Sea of Galilee, a lake about thirteen miles long and seven and a half miles wide. Actually it is just a little larger than some of the larger Minnesota lakes. On these lakes it can be frightening when a storm hits. The wind can come up quickly and change direction so suddenly that you can get stuck out in the lake in the midst of white caps. All you can hear is the wind howling and the crashing of the waves.
In the Gospel we are told that it is evening, so I would guess that storm clouds blocked out the moon and the stars. Perhaps some lightning streaked across the sky followed by crashes of thunder. It must have been very frightening for the disciples to be in that boat being tossed about in the wind. They must have been thinking, how can this be happening to us? After all Jesus had told them to get into their boat and go to the other side, after the feeding of the 5,000, while he went up the mountain to pray. They did as they were told. Certainly you would think that they had a right to expect a nice, smooth, safe, and comfortable boat trip. Right? Wrong! Instead they were straining every muscle in an attempt to keep the boat going into the wind. Their bodies would have been tense and their faces full of fear. Likely they thought they were surely going to drown. Things were bad for the disciples and they got even worse. We learn that toward morning they saw a ghost coming toward them and they cried out in fear.
Generally speaking the disciples were not cowards, but like everyone else in the ancient world, they believed in ghosts and they were seeing a ghost. Above the noise of the storm - the crashing waves and howling wind - the disciples heard a voice. It was a familiar voice, the voice of Jesus saying, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." And it is at this point that Peter cries out, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." And Jesus said, "Come."
Peter wanted assurance that it really was Jesus who stood on the waves before them and not a ghost. Peter took the risk of getting out of the boat and did the impossible - he started walking on the water. But when Peter noticed the strong wind and large waves, he became frightened. He began to sink. He cried out, "Lord, save me!"
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
A pastor friend who studied one summer at the Ecumenical Institute in Strasbourg, France, visited a church that had a painting depicting the scene of the boat and Jesus holding onto Peter in the water. In Europe the churches are cultural centers. She said that almost every evening there would be concerts in one or two of the churches. They would go to the churches to hear the music and to see the artwork - paintings, stained glass windows, sculptures. The various art pieces in these churches taught the Bible stories. It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Look around at the art you see in church. What does it teach? Most art in Christian churches shows that Jesus Christ is the one who saves. This is often simply depicted by a large cross. Or a church seeks to depict its name in art. A church by the name of Immanuel, which means God with us, has a large front piece of mosaics and stained glass that shows God with us as God the Creator depicted by stars and a logo of the world, God with us as God the Son with the manger and the cross, and God with us as the Holy Spirit by the dove in the shape of flames. It is a magnificent teaching art piece.
It was at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Strasbourg that my friend saw the fresco depicting today's Gospel story of Peter trying to walk on water. It is a church that has had a stormy and unusual history. It was first built in the seventh century and rebuilt in the thirteenth century. In 1524 it became a Lutheran church as a result of the Reformation. In 1681 King Louis XIV gave the chancel back to the Roman Catholics, and a wall was built between the chancel and the nave. Sometime between 1895--1900 the chancel was given back to the Lutherans, and it is one of the few Lutheran churches in France today.
The painting in St. Peter's is actually a large fresco that covers the back wall of the sanctuary. A fresco is a painting done with watercolors on wet plaster. The fresco depicts the eleven disciples in the boat with Peter standing on the water holding on to Jesus. The whole story is told in that painting. The focus is on Jesus holding Peter. The message that came through to my friend from the painting was that Peter lives on the edge. The other disciples play it safe by staying in the boat. Peter in the water is the risk taker testing Jesus.
Trust And Risk
I like today's Gospel because it is a story of trust and risk. Jesus is with his disciples. It has nothing to do with the crowds of people he fed the day before and nothing to do with the Pharisees and the skeptics. It is just Jesus and his disciples. And it shows that even Jesus' disciples get into difficult situations and need reassurance at times. That would be true of us, his disciples today, we who are here in the church. There are times when we are afraid. There are times when we lose our confidence. There are times when we need to be renewed and strengthened in our faith. And that is what Jesus does for the disciples in today's Gospel. It ends with those in the boat worshiping Jesus saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
We are here this morning in this church to worship Jesus Christ as the disciples did in the boat that day. The church has often been symbolized as a boat. In fact in many church sanctuaries, if you look up, you will see the design of an inverted ship's hull. The church, like a ship, is often in the midst of life's raging sea of problems. The church, like a ship, can be a refuge, a place that provides a respite from the storms of life. Jesus sometimes calms the storm and other times he calms us who are in the midst of the storm, giving confidence to go out to trust and risk.
In today's Gospel, Peter trusted and risked by getting out of the boat. But then he lost his trust and he began to sink. He called out to Jesus and Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Is Peter doubting Jesus or himself? It seems it must be himself because he looked to Jesus to help him. It seems that Peter experienced a loss of confidence. He began to doubt himself. The lesson here may be that faith is not only placing our confidence in God to get the job done, but it is confidence that God has given us all that we need to do it. I believe trust in self is an expression of trust in God. In a way it is like the saying, "God helps those who help themselves."
I have heard some pastors say that at one time they could not believe that God had called them to proclaim God's word. Some were those who in high school could not even give a speech. Yet now they are standing in a pulpit proclaiming God's Word. To do that means they have trust that God will give them what they need to obey God's call. And when you think of those first disciples that Jesus called, it is hard to believe that God would entrust his Word to them to bring to the world. But he did and he gave them confidence that they dared risk their lives for the gospel.
Peter is perhaps the most colorful of Jesus' disciples. He is certainly the most talkative and the most eager. One moment he proclaims grandly that Jesus is the Messiah then in the next breath he tries to tell Jesus how to go about his ministry. And it is Peter who tells Jesus that even if all others forsake him, he will never forsake him. Yet three times Peter said that he never knew Jesus.
In spite of all his foibles and failings, Peter is the one who shows the most trust in Jesus. He is the risk taker. He is willing to try the impossible. I admire that because many of us are not willing to take any risks. We are afraid we will fail, or that we will look foolish, or we will do something wrong, so we do nothing. Peter, with all his imperfections, is an inspiration to us to trust and to risk.
Conclusion
The miracles which Christ performed when he was here on earth were not just walking on water or multiplying the loaves for the 5,000 or changing water into wine, but changing hearts. He changed Simon Peter from a wishy--washy being who blew in the wind to a solid rock. Christ can do that for you as well.
The Gospel for today is about Jesus Christ who is our Savior, who has not abandoned us, even in the most fearful circumstances. It is about trust, trusting that we can risk and do what God calls us to do.
Jesus says to us, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." If we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus even when the waves of life's storms are threatening, he will not let us drown. A miracle will occur, a miracle of trust - trust in God and trust in ourselves. Amen.
