Proper 14
Preparation
Please begin by reading Matthew 14:22-33 in your Bible. If you do not have one at hand, we have provided the text for you at the end of this reflection.
Reflection--High Anxiety
One of my guilty pleasures is that I am fond of old Mel Brooks comedies; a “guilty pleasure” because the humor is sometimes, well, shall we say less than mature. One of Mel’s movies, called High Anxiety, is a spoof of the films of director Alfred Hitchcock. In that film, Brooks portrays a psychiatrist who is the director of the “Institute for the Very, Very Nervous.” There are all sorts of silly plot complications that permit making light of a number of Hitchcock’s famous films.
Hitchcock himself occasionally used humor, but his films are famous because he knew the secret terrors buried in our psyches — fear of heights, the intruder who catches someone unaware when they are vulnerable, and other things “that go bump in the night.” Hitchcock knew how to connect with our fear.
Fear is another one of those things often present in our lives at some level. Sometimes, it is a healthy reaction which gives us the “fight or flight” energy to cope with danger. But there is another kind of fear which is not healthy and which has become a constant companion of modern living. It is a constant fear about the future we refer to as anxiety — a kind of low-level gnawing unease.
Anxiety has many sources. Often it’s roots are in those early tapes from protective parents and teachers — “be careful,” “watch your step,” “don’t talk to strangers,” “don’t cross the street,” “hold on to your money,” “you’ll get hurt” and countless other warnings that left us ingrained with the message that life is treacherous and extreme caution is the best guide for life. Later life experiences add to it as we are pressured to succeed, to be the best in school, to get the best job, to rise up the social ladder, and more. Everything has seemed to take on an even keener edge in recent years as many are pressured to do more and more with less and less at work in the era of cutbacks and downsizing. The bar keeps getting raised until it reaches impossible heights. Added to all of this are other concerns — international terrorism, crime on the streets, corruption in government, health and financial issues, and on and on. No wonder there is such anxiety!
What we need is an anchor for our lives. What we need is someone we can trust with our present and our future. We need the One whom even the wind and the waves obey. We need the One who will come to us no matter what the circumstances may look like. We need the One who says "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter’s mistake was in taking his eyes off of Jesus. He got into trouble with fear and anxiety when he began to pay attention to the wind and the waves, and not the One who said “Come.”
Getting rid of anxiety by getting your focus in the right place is not automatic. It is another area of life where “practice makes perfect.” When you feel anxiety beginning to close in, ask yourself these questions. Where have I placed my trust? Is it focused on the One who promised never to forsake me, or is it somewhere else? Is it on the One who created the universe, or is it somewhere else? Is it on the One who tells me not to worry about what I will eat, or drink, or wear because God knows my needs and will supply them, or is it somewhere else? Over time we can train ourselves to keep our eyes on the right One and our own high anxiety will slowly fade away.
revclay
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Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately [Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.
And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
[NRSV]