That’s the story where Jesus was asleep in the boat while the storm was raging around them.  The disciples woke Jesus up.  Then they asked him a pointed question. “Master,” they said, “do you not care that we are perishing?”  Jesus chastised the disciples for their lack of faith and then he ordered the wind and the waves to be silent.

So, it all comes down to this.  Jesus had two ways he could have rescued the disciples.  He could have stood on the shore and rescued them by ordering the wind and the waves to be silent. Instead of doing that though he chose the more spectacular option.  He rescued them by walking on the water.  It certainly got their attention.  It certainly made an impression on them. 

Not only that but it’s clear that Jesus also wanted Peter to be a little bit of a show off. When Peter saw Jesus he said to him, “Lord if it is you command me come to you on the water.”   Now, Jesus could have told Peter that it was too dangerous and ordered him to stay in the boat.  He didn’t do that though.  Instead, he invited Peter to give it a try. So, Peter got out of the boat and went for a walk on the water.  He wasn’t on the water very long before he began to sink, but he did walk on the water. For a few brief moments Peter was out there on the water standing tall while the wind and the waves were swirling around him.  That’s why Jesus was a little bit of a show off that day.

Jesus did it because he knows that when you find yourself in the middle of one of life’s storms it can get the best of you.  It can fill you with a lot of fear and doubt.  It can do a number on your self-esteem.  You blame yourself and beat yourself up because you weren’t smart enough to see the storm coming and you’re not smart enough to make the storm go away.

Think back to the last storm that you found yourself in or a storm that you’re facing right now.  Maybe it’s a storm at home or at work.  Maybe it’s a storm that involves a friend or someone in your family.  Jesus knows that there’s always the danger that you’re going to end up feeling the same way Charlie Brown felt about a bird house that he was making.  When Lucy asks him how the bird house is coming along Charlie Brown lets out a big sigh and replies, “ “Well, I’m a lousy carpenter.  I can’t nail straight.  I can’t saw straight and I always split the wood.  I’m nervous.  I lack confidence.  I’m stupid.  I have poor taste and absolutely no sense of design.   So, all things considered, it’s coming along okay.”

That’s not what Jesus wants you to do when you’re facing one of those storms.  When you’re facing one of those storms Jesus wants you to get out of the boat and show everyone what you can do. That’s why Jesus rescued the disciples by walking on the water.  That’s why Jesus invited Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water with him.  Jesus wanted Peter and the other disciples in that boat and us to always remember that he believes in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves.

Now some people find it hard to be a showoff the way Jesus showed off that day.  They’ll tell you that you’re supposed to be humble.  Norman Vincent Peale though said something very interesting when it comes to being humble.  He said that “humble people don’t think less of themselves.  They just think of themselves less often.”  

True humility doesn’t mean you have to deny yourself or doubt yourself or put yourself down all the time. When you’re in the middle of one of those storms Jesus wants you to get out of the boat and walk on the water they way he did.  Jesus wants you to get out of the boat and walk on the water the way Peter did for a few moments anyway.  Jesus wants you to stand tall and proudly use the gifts that God has given you; the gifts that can help you make it through the storm.  That may be there reason Jesus said what he said in the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus said, “So let your light shine so that others may see your good deeds and give glory to God in heaven.” 

Have any of you ever heard of an author by the name of Marianne Williamson? Marianne Williamson is a Christian author who has written a number of books.  Those books include “The Age Of Miracles”  “A Woman’s Worth” and “Everyday Grace”  She’s one of Oprah’s favorite authors and she also wrote a book that sounds like it could help get this country back on track.  The book is called, “Healing The Soul Of America: Reclaiming Our Voice As Spiritual Citizens.”  By the way, when I googled Marianne Williamson’s name I discovered that she has a website. So, I went to her website and discovered that she’s going to be leading a special week long Bible Study next March called “A Study In Miracles.”  The really cool thing about the Bible Study is that she’s going to be leading it while sailing on a cruise in the Caribbean.  Now I don’t know aobut you but that’s my idea of a Bible Study!

In any event, Marianne Williamson is best known for a wonderful quote that most people incorrectly attribute to Nelson Mandela, the former South African President.  The quote goes like this:

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.

            It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.

            We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

            Actually, who are you not to be?

            You are a child of God.

            Your playing small does not serve the world.

            There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel

            insecure around you.

            We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.

            It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

            And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people

            permission to do the same.

The next time you find yourself in the middle of a storm just remember that the Lord believes in you even if you’re having a hard time believing in yourself.  Not only that but remember that the Lord wants you to get out of the boat and show the world what exactly what you’ve got.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

August 10, 2008