Matthew 4:22-33. Graduation Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, May 7, 1993

Buck, Erwin

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Called to Walk on Water

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 20Issue 1 A Ministry Miscellany Article 95-1-1994Called to Walk on WaterErwin BuckFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Sermons is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationBuck, Erwin (1994) "Called to Walk on Water," Consensus: Vol. 20 : Iss. 1 , Article 9.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol20/iss1/9Called to Walk on WateriErwin BuckProfessor of New Testament,Lutheran Theological Seminary, SaskatoonText: Matthew 4:22-33Graduands, this is your night of celebration and reflection.The focus is on you, and you have selected the text on whichthis sermon is based. But I am sure that you want us to thinkof this auspicious occasion in much broader perspective. Youwant us to think about the life which all of us gathered heretonight share together. You want us to reflect upon the chal-lenges and the promises addressed to all of us, as we attemptto follow the invitation of Jesus to venture out of safe space,into uncertain waters.In Matthew’s story the disciples have at this point beenwith Jesus for quite some time already. They have heard Jesusteaching in the Sermon on the Mount, they have seen Jesus healpeople’s diseases, they have seen Jesus liberate people from theoppression of various kinds of demons; they have experiencedJesus relating to people of all sorts. They have seen him calm astorm, feed multitudes in the wilderness, and even raise peoplefrom the dead. They had even been on a brief internship ofsorts when they went on a missionary journey at Jesus’ request.Now it is time for them to launch out on their own, liter-ally and flguratively. Jesus virtually pushes them away fromhimself to embark on their own journey. He does the kind ofthing mother-birds do when they push their young out of thenest and so force them to begin to rely on their own wings.For the little birds—and maybe for us bigger birds, too—this is at once threatening and exhilarating. Threatening, asthe fledgling takes a leap into—you know not what. Threaten-ing in that down there in the underbrush lurk cats and other102 Consensusdangers. But exhilarating in their discovery that by relying onnothing but thin air, they can learn to soar to new heights andjexperience a previously unknown freedom. iIt is an awesome venture (not just for recent seminary grad-uates, but for all of God’s people). It is an awesome ventureto become involved with people at a deeper level, at the levelwhere one addresses life’s essential questions and where oneexplores one’s relationship with God and with God’s people ona personal, an interpersonal, even an inter-national level. Itis an awesome venture to engage fragile human beings and tobecome vulnerable yourself in the process. If it is an awesomerisk to accept the responsibilities of parenthood, it may be evenmore demanding to relate intimately to others as peers.At practically every juncture one encounters the potential |I:for conflict. Practically every issue that arises touches peoplej|on a level at which they are likely to respond on the basis of lldeeply engrained patterns of behaviour. »Human feelings and relationships are so tender and frag-|ile, and human emotions so unpredictable and volatile. And jpeople’s expectations and needs are so varied in all areas oflife, that it is hardly likely that you will satisfy the hopes anddesires of the people for whom you care. As pastors you willbe expected to provide responsible leadership in liturgical wor-ship, people will look to you for a model of spirituality whichthey can emulate, they thirst for intellectual stimulation, andfor theological insight. And those people may look for quickresults.A pastor after 17 years in the ministry recently observed:“When I started my ministry... congregations allowed a youngpastor to make mistakes. Today this is no longer the case.”Furthermore, ministry inevitably deals with controversialissues, as we try to come to grips with root causes of problems,even though we do not have absolute or ready-made answersto offer.“Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, butthe Son of Man does not have a place to rest his head.”Anyone who follows the beckoning call of Jesus to get in-volved with people is going to have to walk on water, or, moreappropriate to our climate: to skate on thin ice.Every issue of substance creates conflict. Closing of hospi-tals/holding the line on taxes; cutting jobs, the elimination ofWater 103certain services, reducing the national and provincial deficit,downsizing of businesses and institutions, enhancing the self-respect of minorities, safeguarding the dignity of people. All ofthese often laudable objectives pose immense problems such asincreasing unemployment and decay of the social fabric, prob-lems with which national and international governments seemunable to cope. And yet, responsible ministry must deal withall of these things on a daily basis. We are to become involvedwith people on the deepest level and so not only to attempt towalk on water^but on eggshells.Jesus issues an invitation to dare to undertake what seemshumanly and scientifically impossible, to attempt to live asthough the structures which constrain and circumscribe ourexistence have ultimately no ultimate power over us.Obviously it is inappropriate for us to attempt to approachsuch issues in an over-confident sort of way. To jump off thepinnacle of the temple in order to force God’s hand is not aventure of faith. Nevertheless, faith does require us to attemptthe impossible and to emulate none other than Jesus himself.Indeed, this is precisely what Jesus asks his disciples todo when he sends them out to duplicate what he had done,to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and even to raise thedead. Walking on water seems a rather simple thing to do incomparison.Scary stuff!But lo and behold, as the fledgling bird discovers that theair will sustain it in bold flight, the disciple discovers that theinviting word of Jesus will sustain those who venture out ontothe water.Not for long, maybe, but for just long enough. As by amiracle you experience the incredible actually happening— aslong as you don^t look down]Years ago, in University, in Physical Education class, whenthat was still a compulsory subject in every undergraduate de-gree program, I learned an amazing lesson: In the gymnasiumI had not been successful in jumping over the vaulting horse,no matter how hard I tried. The whole exercise was intimi-dating, to say the least. The wooden horse is a rather highand cumbersome structure; one approaches it at considerablespeed, and after clearing it one hurtles through thin air before104 Consensuscoming back down to earth. And back to earth I did come,usually with a tumble, or worse, a thud.The instructor insisted that there was only one thing I wasdoing wrong: I was looking downwards. ‘Tift your head high,”he would encourage me. “Look up!” But that is scary. It isdisorienting. If you look up, you cannot tell how high off theground you are, and whether you are on target.“Never mind,” the instructor insisted! “Just do it. Yourbody goes where your head points. Raise your head, and yourbody will follow.” It didn’t make sense, but I tried it. And itworked! I found that I could clear the horse with ease. Whatan exhilarating experience it was!“Take a run, jump on the springboard, touch the back ofthe horse with your outstretched fingers, spread your legs ina straight V—and soar! And land on the mat in a straightupright posture! Whatever you do: keep your head up! Don’tworry about what is below. Trust me, the ground is level andthere is a mat at the place where your feet will come down.Don’t look down to check and double check that that is reallyso! Keep your head up!”And it worked, beautifully.That got me to think: maybe the same thing applies inother areas of life as well. Maybe it is true that if we are notoverly anxious about the solid state of terra firma below us,maybe if we are not too concerned about our visible means ofsupport, maybe then we will be set free to follow the invitationof one who encourages us to walk on water.Oh you of little faith! Why are you afraid? Keep your headup!It is all too tempting to focus so much attention on all thethings that could possibly go wrong that we become stymiedand ineffective. The future of the church, the commitment ofGod’s people, the apathy of society around us. All of this—andmuch more besides—can fill us with fear and foreboding.The readers of Matthew’s Gospel knew a lot about depress-ing statistics. In the sower’s field only a few grains of wheatbore hundred-fold. The invitation to the banquet was acceptedonly by some. False prophets were making inroads in the con-gregation. It was enough to make anyone timid and fearful.The water outside the boat looked even more treacherous.Water 105Nevertheless, on Jesus’ invitation, Peter did venture out.Not that he was spectacularly successful, mind you. But thatdid not matter.What did matter was that in the midst of his failure hecould hear a voice and feel the touch of a hand. “It is I, don’tbe afraid!”Notes1 Preached at the graduation exercises of Lutheran Theological Seminary,Saskatoon, 7 May 1993.

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Called to Walk on Water

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