Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come," And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

- Matthew 14:22-36

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' feeding of the five thousand (men -- there were additionally women and children present), as told in Matthew's gospel. This event is so central to the gospel that all four evangelists report it. It is a prefiguring of the Eucharist, as we are told "And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes." Jesus had gone to a deserted place to be alone after He heard the news about John the Baptist's death, but the multitudes followed Him, and He had compassion on them. First he healed, and then later instructed His disciples that they would give the people something to eat.

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. In yesterday's reading, Jesus began the day by seeking a deserted place to pray, after hearing the report about John the Baptist's beheading. In today's reading, too, He takes the time to go by Himself again to pray. This time He goes to a mountain, a place with a high view. The word for "mountain" here in the Greek is, interestingly, a root for "horizon" and therefore implies an expanded view, a way to see beyond the usual field of vision.

Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. This is quite a picture we are given: at the same time, Jesus is alone on the mountain, while the boat is in the middle of the sea, tossed by waves. It is as if we, too, are given an expanded field of view -- a picture of Jesus far away, and a small boat with His disciples in the middle of a windblown sea, struggling against a contrary wind.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. The fourth watch is the very early hours of the morning, beginning at 3:00 A.M. We note that no one has called Him. He appears to the disciples as they struggle alone in the sea.

And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." My study bible notes the reassurance present here: "He is also assuring us He will be with His people in the midst of the storms of life."

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come," And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" My study bible also points out that Jesus word, "Come" "is the call of Christ in the midst of turmoil." It also notes that Peter's cry, "Lord, save me!" is the shortest prayer in the bible -- and that this is the same prayer as the refrain "Lord, have mercy." It is a prayer we can pray anytime, the root of the practice of the Jesus Prayer, or the Prayer of the Heart. The word for doubt here implies that one is of two minds, in some sense -- as my study bible says, it means "wavering, hesitation, or vacillation. Peter is not denying the faith, but he hesitates and weakens because he has taken his eyes of Christ and focused on the storm."

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God." Here we have the first confession of faith in Matthew's gospel, and it is made in unison, by all those who were in the boat. What prompts their faith? Jesus has walked on the water, and perhaps calmed the winds -- all signs of divinity at work, power over nature. But we really must note that the great heart of this story is about faith, and its saving power, and most especially about the cry to Christ who is always there with us, our Companion and Comforter. We note His awareness of the disciples; without their call, He nevertheless appeared there with them. In our doubt, we may pray also this short prayer of Peter's -- again, the heart of the story is all about faith.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. The gospel emphasizes here for us another story about faith. They had only to touch the hem of His garment. It is an echo of another famous story we read earlier in Matthew's gospel, of the woman with the years-long blood flow, whose great faith made her well -- when she believed that all she had to do was touch His hem. Gennesaret was a town on the northwestern shore of Galilee; its name means "a garden of riches" and we indeed observe the marvelous riches that happen here. Interestingly, it was a town allotted to the Hebrew tribe of Naphtali, which means "my struggle." Tied together, we view the riches produced in the great struggle of faith -- the names and places of the inspired writing of Scripture teaching us something more deeply than we often understand, and alluding to the fruits and richness of the practice of such prayer, "Lord, save me" or "Lord, have mercy." We note also that the fruit of prayer is healing: they were made perfectly well, as was Peter. Again, there is a hint of meaning in the words: the word used for "well" here (diasozo) has as its root to be saved, delivered into safety. Salvation, and the Savior, is here to make us perfectly well, all the way through, whole.

So let us consider this little prayer, "Lord, save me." It is used at all times and places. It's impact on our understanding of saving or deliverance is incalculable. We can be saved from our doubts and fears, saved from the trap of false beliefs, saved from our own foolishness and limitation, saved, restored, made whole. The earliest monastics who went into the deserts in pursuit of Christian faith and sainthood used this prayer, unceasingly -- seeking to follow St. Paul's injunction to pray without ceasing. We hear it as an echo of the Psalmist, in whom the desert monks also found their prayer. When we pray, "Lord, save me" or "Lord, have mercy" or any variation of this prayer, it is a calling upon the One who is with us, who knows us, our Companion and Comforter. How do you need to be saved, or made whole, healed, today? What fears conflict with your faith? What conflict in you needs resolution and healing? Use the prayer, anytime, anyplace -- even in the middle of a storm-tossed sea, fighting the wind that blows against you, in the midst of a great struggle of faith. Try it even while going about your daily work, or sitting quietly alone. This is the Christian practice of mindfulness. We all may hear the reply, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."