9th Sunday After Pentecost

Title

Fear or Faith

Outline

There are tough things that we have to do in life and that can make us fearful

I have friends who are facing the probable death of relatives - stage 4 cancer and the like - tough to walk someone through that

And we have all faced tough situations and may be facing tough situations, wondering if we can make it through

In the Spring of 1966 my housemates and the coach whose house it was went for a canoe trip up a river for a campfire and picnic, in my case taking my fiance along. While I had experience in a canoe, it was in the bow, not the stern. On the way back we were going into the wind and Judy’s lack of upper body strength in the bow showed. The others pulled farther and farther ahead, so there was no help around. . . . I do not remember prayer or releasing the situation to Jesus, just fear

What a setup for preaching on our gospel passage!

We see three principles in our passage:

Prayer must be a priority

Jesus has had a busy day and rather than kicking back, he goes up on a mountain alone to pray

Communion with the Father is the key to his life and the key to why he never seems flustered or fearful

There are three parts: alone, significant period of time, and communion directed

Obedience does not make life easy

The disciples were doing just what Jesus told them to do, but the “winds were contrary” and they were pulling hard but making little headway - hungry, tired, frustrated, but doing the will of God and doing it better than their terror in the storm the first time they encountered problems on the lake with Jesus

Trust and fear are incompatible - one will win

Jesus is at prayer, but realizes that the disciples need some encouragement so follows the Father’s guidance and walks the miles or so out to them

The first response is fear

Then bold Peter tests whether it is Jesus or a ghost - tell me to come

He walks, but then looks at the “real world” rather than at Jesus and trust turns to fear

Finally, in desperation he cries out to Jesus and is rescued - “You of little faith”

Jesus gets Peter and himself into the boat and the wind dies down - all is good

This engenders deeper trust - you are the Son of God - you control the chaotic sea

So where are we?

Is prayer our priority?

The choice is yours - but it is a choice

Do we realize opposition makes life tough but is no reason for fear?

Easy to say, but hard to live out

Where are we when it comes to trust and fear? Where are our eyes fixed?

Jesus and his Father will teach us these lessons, brothers and sister, and the better we learn and practice them, the more easily we will overcome our obstacles, for Jesus will be with us in the boat

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 8-9-2020: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

EPISTLE

1 Corinthians 3:9–17

9  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

10  According to the commission of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. 11  For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13  each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15  If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.

The “you” is plural

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 8-9-2020: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

GOSPEL

Matthew 14:22–34

22  Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24  but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately he spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.” 29  He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; 30 but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33  And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

34  And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (8-9-2020: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost)

SUNDAY, July 25, 2021 | OCTOECHOS

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Dark Vestments

Matins Gospel John 20:19–31

Epistle 1 Corinthians 3:9–17

Gospel Matthew 14:22–34

Dark Vestments Blue

Dormition of St Anna