The LCA provides this sermon edited for lay-reading, with thanks to the original author.
Matthew 14:31,32
Travelling by Ship
In the early years of white settlement about the only way to travel around Australia was to go by boat. For example, if one travelled from Melbourne to Sydney, or to Adelaide, it was too difficult and even dangerous to go overland, so one went by boat.
To travel inland, the best way was often to go on the River Boats, to Parramatta, or along the Murray and Darling rivers. To cross a river, one travelled on a punt. Nowadays to travel by boat in Australia is a novelty, or a luxury cruise.
The Church of Jesus Christ has been pictured down through the centuries as a ship, or more like the lifeboats we have at our beaches. The lifesavers do an amazing and valuable work rescuing people who are in danger of drowning in the ocean. They are volunteers.
In a similar way, Jesus is the rescuer. Jesus is also a volunteer. He helps Peter into the boat or Peter would likely have drowned. The same Jesus reaches out to you and me and pulls us aboard. We travel safely because Jesus takes us on board, and Jesus is in control.
Some of us, or perhaps our ancestors, came to Australia by ship. They may have come virtually penniless. A few may have had a family treasure or two to bring along. Some came by ship as refugees, looking for a new land. They wondered, “What will it be like over there on the other side of the world?” Even today, if one goes to the countries in the Northern hemisphere, the people don’t have much of a clue what life is like in Australia. They might expect that there are kangaroos hopping round everywhere, and a koala or two in every tree. In truth, most Australians who live in capital cities rarely see koalas and kangaroos.
In the same way, we have a very limited understanding of eternal life in heaven. It is life in a totally different dimension. We barely get a glimpse of what it is like. We see the risen Jesus when he appears to his followers. At first they think he is a ghost come to haunt them. Then disciples like Thomas can touch the hands where the nails had gone through, and they know Jesus is real. In an instant the same Jesus disappears. We get a tiny glimpse of eternal life when we see the risen Jesus with Thomas.
When we leave this life to journey to the next we will go penniless. The only treasure we take with us is Jesus. He is still in command even when we go into death. He is also our best treasure. He is the captain of the ship on the journey, and he is the ruler who is worshipped when we arrive. Jesus is always in command of the situation for us, just as he is in total control in the little boat with the disciples on board.
The picture of people travelling on a ship together is of people going on a journey, maybe to a new life. It may sound trite to say it, but there are many Australians who live today as though they are going nowhere – as though this life is all there is. It is ironic that the Hebrew people in Jesus’ day were terrified of the sea. When they give us a picture of the new Jerusalem in Revelations 21 it reads,
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.”
They were terrified of the dangerous seas in their day and one good picture they had of heaven is that there is no sea there! But the message of this text is that the dangers we face in this life will have disappeared. What you and I fear most in life will be gone. Whatever those fears may be, Jesus reaches out and pulls us out of the dangers we find ourselves in, just as he rescues Peter from drowning. Jesus is in command of our lives all of the time.
Jesus doesn’t need a boat for himself. He can walk on the water! It is we who need to be rescued and taken to safety on board the ship: the Church of All Ages. Jesus doesn’t own a boat, or a house. He is always on the move. In his Gospel John hints that Jesus is God’s tent among us. Jesus is always moving on: more like a back packer than a permanent resident. His home isn’t in this world. His real home is on the other side in heaven.
When the risen Jesus visited the disciples from the other side, they were terrified at first, but then they worshipped him. And the disciples in the little boat screamed out in terror when Jesus came to them in the darkness at three in the morning. But after he calmed the storm we read, “Then the disciples worshipped him. ‘You really are the son of God,’ they exclaimed.”
We too worship the Jesus who is the Lord of Nature. Jesus is always in control. After the disciple’s little boat gets to shore we read in verse 35:
“The news of their arrival spread quickly throughout the whole surrounding area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. The sick begged him to let them touch even the fringe of his robe, and all who touched it were healed.”
The text doesn’t say how much faith they had to have to get healed. Even to touch the fringe of his garment was enough. The Epistle reading for today assures us in Romans 10:13 that
“Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Every time we see a ship, even a little fishing boat, it can be a reminder that we are travelling, as it were, on a boat too. Jesus is the captain, and he cares so much about us he is pleased to pull us aboard. As Christians we might not all be good sailors, but with Jesus at the helm we are safe. He is in control.
On a ship’s journey it is a special honour to sit at the captain’s table for the evening meal. Some of us might have enjoyed that experience. We too are honoured to sit at the captain’s table. Jesus invites us himself. It is the best food – the food of eternal life. It is vital food for our journey to the other side. And there is plenty for everyone.
When we arrive at our destination, Jesus will be there to greet us. We will be standing on the shore of eternity. There will be much excitement as we experience life in the new country on the other side. We don’t have human words to describe it adequately. It will be different from everything we know. There will be no selfishness, greed, sorrow or sin of any kind. We will never want to leave, or even give a thought to the old life we have left behind.
Jesus left his homeland to come to earth to rescue us from the dangerous seas of evil, death and sin. He reached out his hand and took us on board to take us to safety and a new, perfect life with him in heaven.
Thank Jesus that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Amen.
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