The readings for the 11th Sunday After Pentecost, Yr. A were: 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13, Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33. This sermon was preached at Grace & Glory Lutheran Church in Palmyra, VA on August 9, 2026.
In the neighborhoods surrounding the Pentagon in Northern Virginia, there is a story that circulates about a Navy Admiral and an Army General who were friends – unlikely friends perhaps – that often enjoyed fishing together. And so, one day, they decided to take a break and go fishing on the nearby Potomac River. They fought their way through traffic to the Columbia Island Marina, just off the GW Parkway, and they excitedly get into their small boat and headed out for a peaceful time fishing together.
Unfortunately, an unexpected, strong storm came upon them very quickly. (These were the days before your handy dandy weather app, and they were taken by surprise.) And sadly, the high winds and waves soon swamped and capsized their small boat tossing both highly decorated, powerful, and respected men into the water.
Then, the storm died down almost as quickly as it came. Both renowned warriors struggled almost helplessly to get back into the boat. They had grown totally exhausted fighting the wind and the waves. It was a literal sink or swim moment, and they feared this might be it.
Yet, the Admiral floundered his way back first, righted the boat, and pulled himself painfully in with great effort. Then he fished out the General, using an oar still floating nearby. Catching his breath, the Admiral puffed: “Please don’t say a word about this to anyone. If the Navy found out I can’t swim well, I’d be disgraced.” In response the Army general panted, “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe. I’d hate to have my men find out I can’t walk on water.”[i]
Ah, if only we could walk on water. This story is totally a joke of course, but sadly, for the General in my joke or anyone else who is human, walking on water is an impossibility. Now, you might stop me and say, “Hey, Pastor Lou, didn’t St. Peter walk on water. I mean we just heard the story. He did take a few steps.” But I would have to correct you. You see, no human being ever could walk on water under their own power. They need God’s help to do so…God’s power…and that’s exactly what Peter was connect to through his trust in Jesus.
You might think I’m being a bit too nuanced here, but the events of Matthew 14 with walking on water are very similar to the Feeding of the 5,000 a few verses earlier. As I mentioned last week, Jesus’ earlier miracles in Matthew had previously been focused on healing and exorcisms as he begins his ministry. Thus, they are sometimes called therapeutic ministries.[ii] Now that things are getting serious and it is time for Jesus to head toward the cross in all earnestness, Jesus is starting to reveal himself more plainly. He is beginning to do even mightier works of power to help people identify who he is.
These will be nontherapeutic miracles that show his power over the cosmos and the established order of the world…even death itself.[iii] What human could multiply food or walk on water on their own? Moses, Elijah, Elisha and any other of God’s prophets needed God’s help. In contrast, Jesus can perform miracles as he wills. He is Imanuel, God with us…Those with the eyes to see will understand such nonverbal messages…revelation through mighty deed…With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can come to trust that Jesus is Lord.
Look at some of the details in today’s account. Jesus appears like a ghost. Was it the Apostles shock or his divine power that made him seem so? We aren’t told. Yet we are told, Peter dared to hope…dared to hope…that against all odds and common sense, despite anything he thought plausible in a very real world…Peter dared to hope this apparition was Jesus. Peter says, “Lord, if it is you [if…emphasis mine], command me to come to you on the water.” Even this great Apostle and beloved friend of Jesus, Peter, knows that he needs Jesus’ help. He cannot manage this on his own.
We see throughout Matthew’s Gospel that Matthew understands that you risk trusting Jesus or you don’t really trust Jesus. The way he weaves his witness, Matthew sees the Kingdom of God against the Kingdom of Satan throughout.[iv] There is a cosmic battle, we have a life-giving or life-ending choice to make. You are either for Jesus or against Jesus. You either trust him or you don’t.
As one commentary suggests, that is a very dualistic presentation for sure, yet it is not meant to say that Satan was ever equal to God or has a chance to win. No, the powers of sin, death, and the Devil do not equal God and are not absolute…They have no real power over us because of Jesus. But the God who has chosen to love us is all powerful…eternally powerful.[v]
Yet as evidenced by Peter’s comment (“if it is you”) as well as his sinking into the sea as he starts to notice the wind and likely the frantic waves pounding against him and around him, and he starts to listen to his doubts instead of the commanding voice of Jesus, Peter is seen struggling with trust. (Trust is another word for faith.) Indeed, when he asks Jesus, “if it is you,” Peter sounds a lot like Satan back in chapter 4 (verse 3) when he says, “If you are the Son of Man…”[vi] Within this great Apostle, beloved by Jesus, we find sinner and saint simultaneously…just like us. And when we doubt like Peter, “we can unwittingly cooperate with sin, death and the devil even [within] our efforts to prove our faith.”[vii]
Yet, there’s Good News, friends. Jesus is always to the rescue. He knows we are messed up…It is Jesus who comes to the Apostles in their need. It is Jesus who reveals his power and steadfast love to them. It is Jesus who forgives Peter’s doubts and shortcomings and commands him to walk on water like Jesus. And when Peter sinks? It is Jesus, the Word of God, who comes to Peter to raise him to new life. Extending his hand down into the sea, Jesus grasps the sputtering Peter and pulls him out to save him.
Even through trauma such as this, the near loss of life, God can help the Apostles grow in faith despite themselves. (Today, we might compare it to what is called post traumatic growth in chaplaincy.) Their faith grows despite their doubts because they made it through this life changing and challenging event with God’s help. And thus, they worship Jesus as this episode ends. They’ve learned more about themselves and their need through this event, but they have also learned more about Jesus, Son of the Living God, a Savior who comes to his children when in need and when the time is right…always will save them. Jesus reveals his divine nature to them, including his love and grace.
In my most recent #TheologicalThursday video, I spoke a bit about what it means to be saved. And we see that today. Elijah was being hunted down by the forces of Queen Jezabel. He had lost hope. He actually previously said that he wanted to die because things were that bad. And yet, he is up in the mountains when God speaks to him within silence like a still, small voice. God came to him.
Similarly in the midst of storm and the noise of the world shouting for us to give up, Jesus comes speaking peace to us. As Paul writes, “The scripture says, ‘No one who believes [who trusts] in [Jesus] will be put to shame.” No one! Even those of us who struggle to have faith, struggle against sin, or like Elijah contemplate our own death in our sense of defeat. The Word, Jesus, is near us…coming to us again and again…never giving up on us…extending to us his hand o grace because Jesus wills to save us.
Sadly, there are some of our brothers and sisters in Christ who focus so much on the Law…accusing us as it tells us to just be better or try harder…they unwittingly give power and worship to the wind and waves of life. Echoing the faith of Paul and martyrs of the earliest Church, the message to focus upon is not ultimately, “If Peter had enough faith, he could have walked on water.” That kind of thinking leads only to a false hope of perfection, works righteousness, and feelings of defeat if not shame. This would be as if I said, ‘If we had enough faith, we could overcome all our problems”…accident, disease, aging, or any other terrible circumstance…”We can beat it.”
That’s magical thinking, my friends, not faith…a kind of hubris and sin, for we cannot will or wish our salvation. In life, bad stuff happens to good people just as it happened to Jesus, Peter, and any of Christ’s martyrs. For some reason, God allows sin, death, and the Devil to have its day…for now…but they shall never, ever win. Indeed, they lost when Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), from the cross and died.
When Jesus walks on water, he knows that a storm is coming on the Sea of Galilee. And Jeus knows that soon a political if not spiritual storm is coming to Jerusalem when he will die. And he knows that later a storm will come as the Church is sent out in hope but faces infighting, persecution, and death.[viii] Life is filled with storms, but the Word who is Jesus is always near. He alone is the gift that keeps us afloat.
Yes, miracles will ultimately happen when we trust in Jesus. Yet, miracles tend to happen when God needs them to happen. It always remains as in our prayers, “Father, your will be done” (Matthew 6:9-13), and this means sometimes we might need to faithfully risk drowning… to risk death as Peter did to prove the presence and true power of divine reality over the world’s vision and version of reality.[ix]
Still, even then, when we think we or the Church are sunk, we are asked to try to keep our hearts clinging onto Jesus and his promises alone. “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,’” Paul reminds us. We can’t walk on water even one step without Christ’s help.
In trying to be faithful like Peter, we often can stumble, fall, or be afraid as we try to live and serve faithfully…and yet, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Imperfect or powerless as we might feel…no matter the power or principality of this world threatening us…even facing death itself…we are asked to remember this: Jesus has already reached down to the depths of Hell to ensure that we never drown.[x] “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”[xi] It is time for us to walk in faith so that others might learn of Jesus and be saved. Amen.
[i] I adapted the above joke as found on Upjoke.com at https://upjoke.com/walk-on-water-jokes.
[ii] Card, M. (2013). Matthew: The Gospel of Identity. Lisle, IL: InterVarsity Press. p.71.
[iii] Ibid., p. 70.
[iv] Keck, L.E. (chief editor) The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary in Twelve Volumes, 1995. p.329-330
[v] Ibid., p.329-330.
[vi] Ibid., p.329-330.
[vii] Ibid., p.329-330.
[viii] Expanded upon from Card, M., p.71.
[ix] Ibid., p.329-330.
[x] In the story of Jesus walking on water, we are reminded of the Apostles’ Creed. Even as Jesus is one with God the Father and Creator with power over the Earth, even as the gift of faith is implanted in us through the Holy Spirit, Jesus also died and descended into Hell (or Sheol, the place of the dead) for our sake.
[xi] Here is a favorite quote, shared once again, from Julian of Norwich.
Below, please find a video of our worship service. The sermon starts at about the 35 minute mark.
© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.
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