Lord, save me!

Peter saved from drowning, mosaic. Monreale Cathedral, 1174-78, Palermo, Sicily

 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

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that Herod feared He was John the Baptist risen from the dead, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves 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.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

 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."   Jesus has just fed thousands in the wilderness, which is a prefiguring of the Eucharist, and it is thus another turning point in His ministry.  He's also come to know that Herod fears the power at work in Him.   He withdraws up on the mountain by Himself to pray, as was His intention in coming to a deserted place before the feeding in the wilderness in yesterday's reading, above.  My study bible points out regarding today's reading that only God has dominion over nature; therefore His walking on the sea is a confirmation that Christ is divine.   It also notes that this is the second time that Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see this reading for the first).  In that first incident, Christ was with them.  Here He has left them alone while He prays on the mountain.  In the tradition of the Church, we understand that Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life, as my study bible puts it.  It is I is literally translated from the Greek "I Am," which is the divine name of God (see John 8:58, Exodus 3:14).  My study bible comments that in so saying, Jesus reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  Let us note that all of this takes place in understandably frightening circumstances.  The fourth watch of the night is about three o'clock in the morning.

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!"    My study bible says that it is Peter's faith that allows him to walk on the water.  It emphasizes that rather than asking to walk on the water per se, Peter asks that He be commanded to come to Jesus.  This gives us an emphasis that it is not a desire to perform miracles that is present in Peter, but rather a desire to be with the Lord.  As long as he keeps his focus on Christ, Peter is able to participate in the divine miracle.  But as soon as he is distracted, he begins to sink.

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 points out that the Greek term for doubt used here means "wavering" or "hesitation."   What caused Peter to sink was not the storm, but rather his doubt.  Christ does not rebuke the wind here (as in this previous event), but rather Peter.

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."   In Matthew's Gospel, this is the first time that the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  In this recognition of divinity, worship is appropriate.  The word in Greek translated as worshiped means to bow down or make a prostration.  The boat, my study bible says, is symbolic of the Church.

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.  Here the sense of touch is focused upon. My study bible says that Christ permits miracles through touch in order to show that His very body is life, and that contact with His flesh is life-creating (see 9:20-22, the story of the woman with the blood flow).

At this stage in Christ's ministry, it is evident that His appeal is now to great multitudes.  There is contradistinction between His acts in private with His apostles, and the public ministry that creates a sensation.  Throughout chapter 13 (the previous chapter in Matthew's Gospel), Jesus taught in parables, and Matthew alternated reporting Christ telling the parables to the public, and in private explaining them to His disciples.   In chapter 14, Christ's renown has reached such proportions that even Herod now fears that John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that this is the source of Christ's power.   In response, Jesus withdrew from the public, going to a deserted place, but the crowds followed Him.  This resulted in the miraculous feeding of thousands which we read in yesterday's reading, above.  But Jesus still needs time to Himself alone on the mountain to pray, because Herod's suspicion of Him is clearly yet another turning point in the ministry.  In today's reading, we get an intimate moment with the disciples which is both earth-shattering in its revelation, and yet strongly personal.  That is, Peter's request to go to Jesus on the water, and the confession of all those who were on the boat that Jesus is the Son of God, together with their worship of Him.  This is, indeed, astonishing news, but it comes only to the few to whom it has been revealed.  When Jesus is recognized yet again in another region across the Sea of Galilee, the frantic crowds appear again, who desire even simply to touch His hem to receive His healing power.  In sum, we're given contrasting scenes of great public acclaim, and also private encounters with Christ in which revelation occurs, and also interaction of the most personal kind.  Certainly the interaction of Peter and Jesus is a glimpse into a personal relationship, which also becomes occasion for teaching.  Even Jesus' search for privacy on the mountain is about the personal and private need for prayer and communion with God the Father.   And so, in presenting to us these contrasting images within Christ's life and ministry, the Gospel also prepares us for both the private and public life of faith.  In this, also, is the deeply personal nature of encounter with Christ, and the intimacy that is necessary within a public practice of faith.  The crowds come for something they deeply desire, but to "know" Christ on an intimate and personal level becomes something necessary and encouraged.  It is part of the deepening of our faith to which we are called, part of this road within which the disciples travel and learn to trust Christ on yet new levels.  The entire text with these alternating scenes of public and private life is meant to teach us also about the deepening personal nature of our faith to which we are called as His disciples.  So, too, we will learn in our own lives to lean more deeply on our faith, to trust to intimate moments in prayer -- just as Jesus does -- which are indispensable to the guidance a faithful person must seek in his or her life.  To depend upon this growing faith, to allow ourselves to experience even the risk of faith, is to go forward in one's discipleship.  The risk involved is something that is not necessarily often remarked upon, but let us note something our earliest faithful forbears knew and understood quite well:  that to follow Christ is, in fact, to deepen risk.  We will find ourselves in circumstances that strongly test our own character, bringing out strengths we didn't have before, and courage, even as the apostles are thrown into circumstances that demand the development of an even greater faith.  For Peter, it's a "sink or swim" moment (to make a bad pun) -- and yet, Christ is always there.  Peter's plea, "Lord, save me!" makes a good prayer for any of us at any time.  Let us, moreover, remember Christ's reply, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"   There is a remarkable line in one of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels:  "In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day" (The Crack-Up).  I am certain he was inspired by this story, as both Matthew and Mark report it taking place at the fourth watch of the night.  Let us remember Peter's effective prayer at such times for ourselves, and that there are all sorts of ways in which we may need to be "saved."