photo #9334892

THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST August 9, 2026 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto Our Bible Readings: Old Testament: Job 38:4-18 Psalm 18:1-16 Epistle: Romans 10:5-17 Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33 The Sermon – “Take Heart; It Is I. Do Not Be Afraid.” Jesus sends His disciples across the Sea of Galilee while He goes up on a mountain to pray. Today’s Gospel events occur after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. As the twelve make their way across the water, the wind turns against them, and waves batter the boat. They’re far from shore, and Jesus is not with them. Then, in the fourth watch of the night, sometime between 3 and 6 a.m., Jesus comes to them, walking on the sea. The disciples see Him; and they’re terrified. They think they’ve encountered a ghost. But Jesus speaks immediately: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Those words are at the heart of this Gospel. The disciples are afraid because they’re in circumstances that seem beyond their control. The wind and waves are threatening. Darkness surrounds them. And Jesus, they thought, was far away. Yet Christ has not abandoned them. He comes to them in the midst of their distress. There is a central Christian truth here. Faith does not mean the storms of life disappear. Faith doesn’t guarantee Christians will never experience fear, suffering, or uncertainty. Faith means that in the midst of all these things, we have Jesus and His Word. And Christ's Word is sufficient. The Old Testament reading from Job reminds us of the greatness and majesty of God. The Lord asks Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” Who established the boundaries of the sea? Who commanded the morning? Who has seen the gates of death? The questions are meant to humble Job before his Lord. God is not merely one who possesses some power. He is the Creator of heaven and earth. The sea itself is under His authority. And that’s precisely what we see in the Gospel. Christ calms the storm. He walks upon the very waters that panic the disciples. The One who comes to them is the Lord of all creation. The God who laid the foundations of the earth has come among His people in human flesh. This is one of the great mysteries and comforts of Christianity. Jesus is true man, and also true God. And He comes to His frightened followers with a Word of comfort: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Peter responds, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus says, “Come.” Peter gets out of the boat and walks upon the water toward Christ. But then the disciple sees the wind and waves. He fears and begins to sink. Peter cries out, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus reaches out His hand and takes hold of him. Notice the simplicity of Peter's plea. There is no elaborate theological argument here. No attempt to save himself. It is the simple plea of a sinner who knows he cannot save himself. And Jesus saves him. This is pure Gospel. The Christian faith is not about the power of our belief. It is about the strength of the One in whom faith rests. Peter's faith is weak. He becomes afraid, takes his eyes off Jesus, and begins to sink. But Jesus remains all-powerful. And when the disciple cries out, it is Christ who reaches down and saves him. This is a beautiful portrait of the Christian life. There are times when our faith is strong. And times when we’re frightened, discouraged, and uncertain. There are times when we focus on the storm, rather than Christ. There are moments when we wonder whether the Lord is really with us. But our salvation doesn’t depend upon the perfection of our faith. Our redemption rests upon the faithfulness of Christ. That’s why Romans Chapter 10 is so important for understanding the Gospel. St. Paul writes, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Then he asks, “How are they to call on him in whom they have not believed?” Paul goes on to inquire how they are to believe without hearing. Finally, he declares, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Faith comes through hearing the Word of our Saviour. That is the Lutheran confession. We do not manufacture faith within ourselves. We don’t climb our way up to Heaven through personal spiritual efforts. God came down to us. He speaks His Word. And through that Word, the Holy Spirit creates and sustains faith. Peter wasn’t saved because he successfully walked across the water. He was saved because Jesus reached out His hand. We are not saved because we’ve lived a sufficiently faithful, perfect Christian life. We’re saved because Christ lived the perfect, sinless life we cannot, and then paid for our sins at Calvary. He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and reaches out His hands to us today through His Church, through His Word and Sacraments. He has reached out through His Gospel. Through Holy Baptism. Through Absolution. And He gives us His true body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Today, Christ speaks His saving Word to human beings who cannot save themselves. “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” There is another important detail in this Gospel passage. Jesus doesn’t merely tell Peter to stop being afraid. He asks, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” The answer is not that Peter needed to be a stronger person. Peter needed to trust the Word of Jesus. That’s also our need. We live in a world filled with storms. Storms within families, in society, and within our hearts. There are moments when the future seems uncertain, and the Lord distant. But Christians do not live by what we see. Believers live by the Word of Christ. The world says, “Look at the storm.” Jesus says, “Look to Me.” The world says, “Save yourself.” Christ says, “Take heart; it is I.” The world warns, “You must be strong to live.” Christ says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Psalm 18 gives us words that fit beautifully with Peter's cry. “The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me.” Yet the psalmist declares, “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.” The same Lord who delivered the psalmist is the One who comes walking on the sea. He is our Lord today. At the end of the Gospel, the disciples worship Jesus. And they confess what Peter had begun to understand: “Truly you are the Son of God.” That is where the Gospel leads us – to Christ. It does not tell us to admire Peter's faith. It calls us to behold Christ's faithfulness. It doesn’t tell us that Christians will never sink; it reassures that when we do, Christ is there to rescue and redeem. The hands that reached down to Peter would one day be stretched out upon the cross. There, Jesus would bear the sins of the world. There, the Lord of all creation would fully accomplish the salvation we could not, in whole or part. And because Christ has died and risen again, we can trust His Word. When our conscience accuses, Christ says, “You are forgiven.” When we’re burdened by sin, Jesus reassures, “Take heart.” When suffering overwhelms us, Christ says, “It is I.” When death approaches, Christ comforts and says, “Do not be afraid.” When we cry, “Lord, save me,” He does. Dear Christians, do not put your confidence in the strength of your faith. Put your trust in Christ. Do not look at the size of the storm. Look to the One who walks on the waters. Don’t rely on your ability to rescue yourself. When your faith is weak, and you feel abandoned, remember your Saviour has promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Trust in the One who saves, now and for eternity. Amen. Hymn of the Day: Lutheran Service Book 717, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VrraIIjabo&list=RD7VrraIIjabo&start_radio=1