Dear Brothers and Sisters. The church is likened to a ship. You have heard me repeat this many times. It will experience stormy weather and waves, but if its gaze is on Christ. If it is faithful, it will overcome all things. Jesus constrains His disciples (the church) to get into the ship and go on ahead of Him to the other side of that country; They do not wish to leave Him, they thought that they would dismiss the people, while He would go up to the mountain to pray, come down and they would leave together. The Lord went up into the mountain alone to pray that we might learn that retirement and solitude are good when we wish to converse with God. Isolation is not what we are talking about here. Humans once they get isolated do not grow stronger and instead grow weaker and become easy pray for the hunter of souls. Do not isolate yourselves from your brothers and sisters, but visit with each other as often as is necessary. And retreat to quietness and solitude when turning to prayer.
In today’s gospel lesson, we have an image of the church. Here are some resemblances. The multitude came to Christ, (You came to church today). When Saul was persecuting the church, Christ told him, why are you persecuting me. Christ taught them (We heard the teachings of Christ. The priest walked out of the Altar with the Gospel and you even made a bow to His teachings). Christ dismissed them (The priest says, In peace let us depart.) Christ sends His disciples on the boat, and the multitudes go home (All of you go home in your cars and face the world once again). We have an image of the church and the church passes on the teaching that Christ established to the world.
He went up the mountain alone to pray. What did Christ pray for? John Chrysostom answers this question. “Not as being in need of anything did Christ pray, but as the great and righteous High Priest He offered prayers for us.” According to Chrysostom, Christ prayed for me and you and for every human soul. Here in the west we often think of Christ as our closest friend or councilor when I need someone to talk to, but we seldom think about Christ as a warrior, a prayer warrior. The prayer warrior who went to go fight for me. We have need of something and petition God to get what we need for our benefit. God alone knows what we need for our salvation and if we ask with a sincere heart, He grants what we ask for. As the high priest, Christ prayed for His disciples, so that they would be strengthened and they needed every ounce of spiritual strength. They were in for a very long, extended night of warfare. From evening to early morning, they struggled to keep the ship and were tossed by the waves. Everything was going against them. The ship was breaking apart. And just as all hope was lost, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. But they did not recognize His appearance, thinking Him to be a ghost. Before this, they saw Him walking on land and now it is dark, rainy, windy, they are scared. But even though they can’t make Him out, Jesus comforts them saying, “Be of good cheer, it is I; do not be afraid.” Very comforting words. Chrysostom - “Because the disciples did not recognize Christ by His appearance, on account of the most wondrous manner of His arrival, He revealed Himself by His voice. They could not make Him out, but they recognized Him by His voice. In saying, Be of good cheer, He tested their faith, which means of salvation for everyone who believes in Christ clearly and truly. Then He added, It is I, to expel and destroy all fear.” Not sure, Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, If it be You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
Many think that Jesus is the only one that walked on water, but this is not true. Peter also walked on water. Chrysostom - “Peter said this to resolve his doubts and to find out for certain that it was not a ghost, but Christ Himself, Who can both walk on water and make others do the same. Emboldened by his Master’s command, Peter leaves the ship and goes toward Him.” Peter is walking on the water and going to Christ. At the moment Peters gaze is on Christ amidst the storm. Even as the waves, the wind, the rain, were pounding him, as long as his gaze was on Christ, he was ok. Then as Peter was walking on the water, he saw the wind and storm, and he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried 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. Chrysostom - “Though Peter had the courage to set foot upon the water while its waves rolled mightily, he could not withstand the stormy wind. Christ was nearby, but being close to Christ is of no avail for those whose faith is lacking. As long as the blessed Peter did not doubt, and looked to Christ, he was lifted by the sea, despite the weight of his body; for the power of the word overcame the body’s natural heaviness.” Gods power is above nature itself and that is how it is able to do this.
What are we afraid of? Are we afraid that the world will look at us funny if we follow Christ? Are we scared of what people will say if we try and imitate our Saviour and live how He taught in the Scriptures? Are we shaken by some of the hard sayings, “Eat My flesh and drink My blood?” Are we afraid of what our parents will say, or what our friends might say or brothers and sisters? Living in the world is like living in the sea. There will be calm and there will be storms. There will be illnesses, ailments, disease, hardships and deaths. If you have not experienced this, believe me it will not be too long before you do. But it will be a blessing and not a curse. Nothing is just by chance and everything has a reason. It is not so that you would harden your heart and become isolated. It is for you to be strengthened for the churches mission here on Earth. To spread the Gospel and save others and by obeying this commandment, we will save ourselves.
Christ prayed to the Father for you so that you would be strengthened. How is it that when we come together for prayer, or pray in solitude that we are strengthened? It is because Christ as the High Priest takes our prayer that we offer to Him and attaches it to His prayer. His prayer is constant and without ceasing rising up to God, not because He has need of it, but is only done for our sake. What will Christ do for me? This is the wrong question to ask. We should be asking, why has Christ done this for me. This is one of the many gifts that Christ has given us. Without this intercession, without this mediation, our prayer would not be able to reach the Father and would not be able to reach God. We have this gift available to us, only by the mercy of God.