24^th August 2011

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 7 August 2011

Lessons -- Genesis 1:1-10; Revelation 21:1-4; Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus said: 'Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.' (Matthew 14:27 NRSV)

The storm-tossed sea is often used to depict turbulence in human affairs.
In Genesis the 'sea' is such a threat to life that it is 'separated' from the earth (1:9). Then a terrible flood destroys almost all life on earth (6:1ff). The waters save the Hebrews from a cruel tyrant. In the Psalms the sea monster is a threat to life. Jonah is tossed overboard into the sea during a severe storm.

So it is with the story of the storm-tossed boat on the Sea of Galilee. It depicts the turmoil to be expected by Jesus' disciples as they speak a word of hope to a troubled world. This is a Parable of the Church under pressure. It portrays the perils of discipleship, the fragility of faith and the saving grace of Christ.

* It captures the mood of times like ours when traditional securities are
being swamped by forces beyond human control. It speaks to an age that
is experiencing an 'eclipse of God' (Buber, 1950s), the 'subversion of
Christianity' (Ellul, 1970s) and an 'assault on human dignity' (John
Paul II, 1980s).

The Anglo-Irish poet, William Yeats (1919), put it well in 'The Second Coming':

Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold.
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. . . .
The best lack all conviction,
while the worst are full of passionate intensity.

* It unmasks our bravado. Against the idea that it is about 'faith and
courage in the face of a most arduous undertaking' (Goethe), the story
speaks of the Church's loss of nerve. The reluctant disciples are 'made
to get into the boat' by Jesus (Matthew 14:22). They are helpless in
the storm and bereft of courage. Even Peter, the boldest of disciples,
who responds to Jesus' call by stepping onto the stormy seas, cannot
hold his nerve.

* It reveals the gracious power and encouragement of Jesus. When the
disciples are terrified at the sight of what they think is an evil
presence, Jesus calms their fears immediately by saying, 'Take heart,
it is I.' And he 'saves' Peter by immediately stretching out his hand
and putting him back in the boat. Jesus shows himself to be, not the
spectre of death, but the Lord of life (v 27).

It is hard for us in Australia to grasp this parable today. The 'terrors of discipleship' -- so real to small, vulnerable communities of Christians in a pagan empire and to others in Egypt, Iraq and West Java -- seem so unreal to us living in a nominally Christian nation.

Moreover, the need to rely on the saving grace of Jesus seems foolish and unnecessary. We are confident that our Christian principles and strength of character will enable us to meet challenges to our faith.

What seems obvious to us in our congregations, Presbyteries, Synods and Assembly is that we should keep the little ship of the church afloat by every means at our disposal. We often boast about our public spiritedness and chart new directions with our mission statements. 'We set up endless committees, run campaigns and launch new lifeboats for the preservation of members' (Church & Nation, 29/7/81), all the time oblivious to the fact that our efforts are insufficient to bail out the water and calm the storm
-- that we are merely 'rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic'.

This description is not flattering. And those who think that everything depends on them are not amused. But it should make us realise that our participation in Christ's mission in the world is a miracle which we have done nothing to deserve. The true miracle is that the Church's life is not sustained by our faith, goodness and efforts but by the grace of God. The true miracle is that, despite our fears and doubts, we are enabled to proclaim the Gospel of Christ - - even in a culture where so many people glorify themselves, demean others and mock the self-giving love of God.

Ultimately the Parable is a sign of hope and encouragement, not simply because of what Jesus does, but because of who he is. He is not a disembodied 'spirit' nor an ordinary teacher but the 'Lord' and 'Saviour'
(vv 28,30) who is to be worshipped as 'the Son of God' (v 33). Thus the Parable confronts us with the reality of God.

Remember that the same title, Son of God, is used by the Roman centurion (and others) at Jesus' crucifixion (27:54). What takes place on the cross and in the resurrection is the culmination of what is conveyed in this Parable of the Church. The violence of the storm-tossed world is ultimately powerless to destroy Jesus and his disciples! The Son of God 'saves' us from evil and enables the Church to live by hope even in the
midst of the stiffest opposition.

He acts with divine authority by calling disciples into the little boat of the Church (v 22). He calms the storms that batter the Church from outside
-- in her disputes with the world over what is good, merciful and humane, and disputes that rage inside the Church -- in our doubts, fears and
timidity.

All of this is conveyed in the symbol used by the earliest Christians and chosen as the motif of the World Council of Churches and of the National Council of Churches of Australia: the empty cross amidships keeping the Church upright in a turbulent world.

In this Parable and symbol we are pointed to what is essential in the life and witness of the Christian community. The cross and resurrection of Christ, the Son of God, is the place where evil has done its worst and been defeated by God. That ultimately is where the 'wind and waves' have been 'calmed' and where timid, fragile and faithless people, like you and me, are given courage and hope to worship and obey God amidst the continuing 'storms' that rage outside and inside the Church today.

In this way, the Parable of the Church captures the mood of our times, unmasks our bravado and reveals Christ as the One saves us from drowning and puts us back in the boat. Indeed, 'only there, in the midst of the beleaguered and storm-tossed church, can we truly know who he is, and worship him' (Church & Nation).

Therefore when we are daunted by widespread contempt for Christ and the Church, we can 'take heart'. The assurance that Christ is with his embattled Church is heartening, as is the promise that, when God brings history to its glorious fulfilment, 'the sea will be no more' (Revelation 21:1).

That evil and death, which have been defeated in Christ, shall be no more is Good News that encourages us, and the Church throughout time, to obey him in testifying to the goodness and mercy of God and standing against all that demeans our God-given humanity.

In a culture where the social fabric is 'falling apart', God is being 'eclipsed', Christianity is being 'subverted' and 'human dignity is being assaulted', let us take this marvellous promise to heart!

-----------------

Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.