Elijah and Peter
Sunday, August 13, 2023
First reading is from the Book of 1 Kings, (19:9a, 11-13a)
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
"Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by."
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
The Gospel reading is from Matthew, (14:22-33)
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come."
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
"Truly, you are the Son of God."
This week’s lectionary texts are very rich. On this reading, I am struck by the juxtaposition of these men. First, we have Elijah, a prophet of the Most High God who has run for his life to escape Jezebel and finds himself in a cave. Clearly fear had impacted his life in a powerful way. Peter having just witnessed Jesus feeding 5000 men plus women and children finds himself in a boat asleep. Awakening to see what he thought was a ghost, he is afraid. Both men have experienced the incredible power of the Holy One in very different ways. Both are men of faith. Both are men plagued by fear. Their humanity is on display. How many times do we witness the power of Divine Presence in the world and in our lives only to let fear of_________ (you fill in the blank) immobilize us?
The paradox of knowing the Presence of God in their midst stands out to me on this reading. Elijah knew God was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire. When things got quiet, a tiny whispering reached his ears and he knew. It was one of those “I know that I know that I know” moments. A moment of surety. A moment of comfort and assurance.
Peter on the other hand sees Jesus and thinks he is a ghost. Then he wants proof that this being walking on water was indeed Jesus. “If you are really, really Jesus ask me to join you on the water because I need assurance you are really you.” (My translation). Keep in mind he just saw him feed thousands of people with a small number of loaves and fish. So Peter gets out of the boat and begins to walk on water only to once again find fear overcomes him as the wind blows. Peter seems in a very different place on his spiritual journey than Elijah. Rather than a place of communion with Jesus, Peter remains afraid. Jesus helps him into the boat and has a conversation with him about faith.
I am also struck by God and Jesus meeting each man where they are metaphorically speaking. I sense the love of God for both men and compassion mixed with teachable moments. God loves us where we are and always seeks to help us move forward and grow. I love that!
I think we have probably all been like Peter and Elijah at various times in our lives. My hope is that we all find our way to a deep knowing and being known by God so that the circumstances of life no longer impact us by bringing fear. Rather, my hope is that in the midst of turbulent times, we realize our souls are safe in the arms of the Holy One.
This comes with tender love,
Mary Ann
