Feeling battered? Reflection for 10th of August 2014

August 10, 2014 Proper 14A / Ordinary 19A / Pentecost +9
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b Romans 10:5-15 Matthew 14:22-33

Such a crazy and hectic week this has been and I haven’t had a chance to do the reflection on the readings… yet… but at the last minute I feel that I just have to reflect in the readings might give some perspective to the crazy week that was.

And sure enough I find the Gospel reading of Jesus walking on the water and Peter going out to him. Peter stepped out in faith and then being pounded by the wind and the waves he begins to fear. Yes, this is how it is. We set out on our way, thinking- no, actually knowing, that we are walking in the way that God wants, but let me tell you that mighty wind and those fearsome waves can certainly cause more than a momentary distraction from the path before us.

Our first reading is that famous story of Joseph and his equally famous coat. Joseph was the favourite… the “golden” child. He may well have been a little coddled and pampered, but he was also a person of good and noble character, which he possessed in such abundance that his faith in God and good character remained true and strong even under the pressure of the injustices and the seductions that presented themselves to him in Egypt.

This Joseph was a man who learnt that the waves and the wind that cause us such disillusion at times, can actually be purposeful in the hands of God.

So…. How are you going at this moment in time?

On a Global scale, we hear the stories of the Malaysian airlines tragedy and then the absolute terror that is happening in the Middle East. More and more people from so many places are seeking asylum and yet many people in our country keep saying, “it isn’t our fight… it is someone else’s… let them fight it out themselves…”

On a more personal level, I keep hearing stories from people who are going through all kinds of sudden catastrophes. My Facebook status last night was that I feel like the universe is out of alignment.

Yes, certainly there are waves that battle and war against us and just like a wave in the ocean, just as you regain footing from being knocked off your feet from one wave, then next one crashes. I don’t know about you, but at times like that you are forced to find strength in you that you didn’t think you had…. And then you begin to realize that you are really exhausted.

Our Gospel holds the most important message that we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, but there is something else. ..

Even this great man, Peter, who so trusted in Jesus, that he climbed out onto the water himself, became afraid.

We need not feel like failure when we are afraid or exhausted. It is a simple fact of life, but be encouraged by the fact that the VERY most important message of this Gospel story is that when Peter failed, and began to sink he called out for help and that is when Jesus reached out and held him.

The thread that weaves through all our readings for this Sunday is about being sent.

Joseph was sent ahead of his family to provide a way for them to have food and a place of safety during the years of famine. Joseph had to stand firm and endure the waves that battered him and God brought about, not only his own salvation, but the salvation of his whole family.

Peter was the great apostle who would lead many other apostles. To be an apostle is to be one who is “sent”. We see this link between calling on the Lord and being sent in our reading from Romans:

Romans 10:12 - 15 “There is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is Lord of all. He richly blesses everyone who calls on him. Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them? And how can anyone preach without being sent? It is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””

We are also people whose lives have been touched by God and we are also “sent”. We are sent to be bearers of the Good News. We are sent to be the hands and feet of Jesus. If those great people of old who were sent, experienced the bombardment of waves and wind, rejection, betrayal and injustices, we need to take note of their story and encouragement from them for when this happens in our own lives.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

We continue to hear horror stories of the Middle East and we continue to experience our own battles. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and stand firm. But most important of all; when we begin to fall as the wind and waves of the battle war against us, call out to God for help. For in that cry, and not in our own strength, is our salvation.