The Dream and the Chaos
(Free Version) Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33
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This week, we hear the good news that there is nothing too big, chaotic or messy for God. Many in our congregations are facing daunting circumstances and incredible pain. The good news of promise is that God has given a dream, and that dream is not undone by our circumstances. The good news of salvation is that you will never be put to shame. The good news of the kingdom is that you do not have to be afraid.
In our Old Testament reading (Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28), we are told that Joseph is his father’s favorite son and that Joseph has been given dreams about his own future rule. This leads his brothers to hate him and plot against him. God has given the dream, which upsets the world as it is; this will always produce a backlash, scheming, and rejection. Such things, however, are unable to defeat the dream.
Our epistle reading (Romans 10:5-15), reminds us that we are free from shame. This is true, not just for “insiders” but for anyone who, in their distress, calls upon the name of the Lord. God is near to us. God’s kingdom is made up of a different substance from the kingdoms which appear to run the show in our world.
Jesus’ words to the disciples in our gospel reading (Matthew 14:22-33) and his words to us today are “Do not be afraid.” Sometimes we hear this imperative and think: “Well, that’s easy for you to say! You do not understand what I am facing!” Perhaps a better way to hear it today is “You don’t have to be afraid.” God is in the pain with you, and yet is not overcome by it. It’s not up to you. Your responsibility is not to fix, but rather to fix your eyes on Jesus.
When I think about the half-faith or mixed-faith of Peter I can’t help but think “that’s me too.” Sometimes I am fully trusting in God, in his new world, even when it doesn’t make sense. And then, there are many times when I fall back on myself. When I read a scary news headline about climate change or the economy or housing prices; or the threats to democracy; when I face something in my own life which feels like a plunge into chaos, there are times when I find myself sinking, or grasping for forms of stability which will not hold.
We all deal with these things differently, and those in our congregation face the world’s challenges (and the challenges in their own homes) differently. Some dismiss the challenges altogether, acting as if they do not exist. It is often easier to say that the climate is not changing, that COVID was all a hoax, that systemic racism does not exist, to live in denial of the challenges of our own lives, than it is to face the realities of such things. If I ignore it, or that there is a quick-fix, that everyone is just lying to us, I can feel more in control, more secure. But denying the reality of the waves is not the way forward.
Others are paralyzed with fear. We are unable to see any way forward and it freaks us out. In times like this, we turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms that promise a lot and deliver very little—substances to numb pain, unhealthy relationships, or overspending. Or, we turn to other behaviors which may give us a sense that we are in control because they promise “the good life”—overspending, diving deep into unhealthy forms of political radicalism, etc. This is a way of “giving in” to the waves crashing over us, which is not the way forward.
Some dismiss the waves. Some are paralyzed by them. Both are a desire for some sort of control. If I dismiss the scary thing, I can still control it. If I give up, I can turn to other things and at least be in some sort of control of how I feel about it. Both ways of viewing the world, say that it is ultimately up to me. I have to fix it. I have to do everything I can to make things right.
The difficult truth is that all of us do this on some level. We all have a kind of mixed-faith. We are constantly tempted towards control or we are paralyzed by fear. We all walk seeking to trust God, but we are often faltering. We falter to see and live into that new world. Our God is not deterred by our circumstances or our lack of faith. He is not a god who needs to be appeased in order to love us or to work for our good. His posture is always love. In the middle of our dismissal, in the middle of our grasping for control, in the middle of our coping mechanisms, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.”
As Christians, we do not have to fear “the end of the world.” Another way to say this is that we do not have to fear death. If death is the worst thing that can happen, remember: you are a Christian! And, if you do not have to fear death, you really don’t have to fear anything else.
The end of the gospel reading is really a microcosm of our future hope as Christians. Immediately Jesus reaches out his hand and catches Peter. “You of little faith,” Jesus says, “why did you doubt?” Jesus does not let Peter drown in his doubt. He catches him, and he catches us.