Reaching out

Sermon by Pr. Sharai Jacob on the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost + Saturday, August 8, 2026

There is a particular kind of sermon that I’ve heard many times on this reading. It usually goes something like this: Peter is walking on water. Peter is doing great because Peter has his eyes on Jesus. But then Peter notices the wind. He loses his focus. He takes his eyes off Jesus, and he starts to sink. And the moral of the story is: Keep your eyes on Jesus. Don't get distracted. Focus harder. And when you start to sink, well… clearly, you weren't focusing hard enough.

I don't know about you, but that interpretation never gave me much comfort. In fact, when I was a child, it left me with more shame than anything.

I have ADHD, and focusing has always been difficult for me. I could try my hardest to pay attention and still find my mind wandering. When I was young, I didn't have the language to understand that. I hadn’t been diagnosed yet.

So when I heard stories like this one and was told that faith meant keeping my eyes on Jesus, I sometimes wondered if I was simply a bad Christian. Other people seemed to be able to focus, why couldn't I? I thought maybe I didn't have enough faith or maybe other people were just trying harder than I was.

But when I read it again this week, I realized that there is another way to understand this story! This week I read it and saw:

The disciples are in a boat, and the storm comes. Notice: the storm isn't their fault. Jesus doesn't say, “If you had prayed harder, this wouldn't have happened.” He doesn't say, “You should have known better than to go out on the water.” And he doesn't say, “I made this storm happen because you have something to learn.”

The storm just happens. That is what storms do. That’s just life. Sometimes terrible things happen for reasons we cannot understand. The diagnosis happens. The relationship ends. Someone we love dies. The job disappears. Sometimes the world feels like it has become unrecognizable - full of grey skies and loud thunder. Crashing waves and strong winds.

And sometimes there isn't a satisfying theological explanation for any of it. Sometimes a storm is just a storm and life is just really, really hard.

The disciples have been out on that water for hours. Matthew tells us that Jesus comes to them in the early morning hours—the fourth watch of the night. Somewhere between three and six in the morning. Isn’t that a great time for a storm to feel enormous. When we’re laying awake at three in the morning ruminating on every stress, every possible disaster?

And there in the wind and waves, the disciples see Jesus. Jesus doesn’t arrive with a lecture or a spiritual self-help program. He doesn’t show up with instructions to improve their concentration.

Jesus says: “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” But in the original Greek, Jesus might actually be saying “Take heart. I AM. Do not be afraid.” Jesus shows up and names that God is present even in this chaos.

Peter says: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” And Jesus says: “Come.”

So Peter gets out of the boat. And for a moment, Peter is walking on water. Then he notices the wind and he sinks. And here's the part I love.

Peter doesn't fail the test or lose his salvation. He doesn’t prove that he is a bad disciple. Peter does what humans do in helpless situations: he asks for help.

“Lord, save me!” And immediately, Jesus reaches out his hand. Immediately.

Not after Peter demonstrates sufficient faith. Not after Peter apologizes, or explains why he took his eyes off Jesus. Not after Peter proves that he has learned the lesson.

Jesus reaches out his hand immediately.

This is something I wish I had understood as a child. The point of this story isn't that faithful people never lose focus. The point isn't that if we can just think the right thoughts and maintain the right spiritual attitude, we will somehow be able to walk above the storms of life.

God's grace comes to us before we get our act together. God's grace comes to us whether we are walking confidently or whether we are sinking. We are not saved because we have managed to keep ourselves calm and above the water. We are saved by grace.

We don't have to save ourselves from Peter’s fate. In fact, the whole point is that we can't. Salvation is not something we earn. Salvation is God's gift.

And maybe that is why Peter's prayer is so important.

Peter doesn't say: “Lord, I can handle this.” Or :“Lord, give me the strength to save myself.”

He says: “Lord, save me,”

There is no shame in needing help. There is no shame in asking for help. There is no shame in discovering that we have reached the limits of what we can do on our own.

One of the great lies our culture tells us is that independence is the highest form of strength. We are taught to be self-sufficient, to figure it out. Don't be a burden. Handle your own problems. Keep it together.

But Jesus tells us something different. Jesus tells us that we are creatures, not gods.

We need one another. We need God. We need grace.

And sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is ask for help. That is not a failure of faith. That is faith. Faith is trusting that when we can't keep ourselves afloat, God reaches for us.

This matters so much in our world today. We are living through so many storms. Our political life feels increasingly frightening and unstable. There is so much violence, fear, and cruelty. It can feel like we are all sitting in the same little boat while the waves keep getting higher. And in a storm like that, there is a temptation to believe that we need to take control. But the truth is, we can't.

We cannot control whether someone else chooses compassion or cruelty. We can’t control when bad news will come our way. We can’t control life or death. Just like we can’t control the wind and waves. And pretending that we can is exhausting.

But there are things that we can do. We can choose what kind of people we will be in the storm. We can speak the truth. We can stand up for our neighbors. We can feed people, and welcome people. We can vote, call our representatives. We can pray, and listen, and rest. We can ask for help, and we can offer our help.

One last thing I noticed about this story is that after Jesus saves Peter, Jesus brings him back into the boat - back into community. So whether the storm ends or rages on, we are not alone. We are navigating this storm together, and with Jesus.

So when the winds get too strong and we realize that we cannot do this alone — we don't have to pretend.

We can call out for help, and know that our community is here for us, and that the hand of Jesus is already reaching out.

Amen.