Sermon by the Rev. Caela Simmons Wood
First Congregational UCC of Manhattan, KS
Matthew 14:22-33
August 23, 2026
Last week we explored the Apostle Paul’s beautiful words in the 12th chapter of Romans about all of us being many parts in the body of Christ. And how we all belong to one another. I talked about the powerful experiences we can have in worship when we are gathered with people from many cultures. We may speak different languages and come from different places, but when we sing common hymns or hear ancient stories from shared scripture, we have a sense that the divisions between us are just man-made and silly.
This sense of unity is a powerful antidote to the heretical voices of White Christian Nationalism, who are primarily concerned with building more barriers between us and shoring up the ones that already exist. Christian Nationalism, whether here in the U.S. or abroad, is antithetical to the truth of the Gospel: which is that we are all one body and we all belong to each other. The Way of Christ is never about creating more divisions, it’s always about integration - creating more wholeness.
Christian Nationalism - actually, wait. I don’t think that’s quite accurate and I think words are important. Because this dangerous ideology is not rooted in the teachings of Jesus. So why pretend it is? Perhaps it would be better to call it something like “Nationalism Masquerading as Christianity.” That’s a mouthful, though. So let’s go with Pseudo-Christian Nationalism instead.
Pseudo-Christian Nationalism misses the entire point of Jesus in several ways. Obviously, it creates division and stokes violence, neither of which are of Christ. But today I want to talk about another way that Pseudo-Christian Nationalism makes a mockery of the Way of Jesus: it creates, feeds on, and amplifies fear.
It’s no secret that we live in a time that is rife with fears - big and small. On a daily basis, I see headlines about the epidemic of anxiety that stalks people of every age, race, nationality, and creed. We could probably go on all day with a list of things people are afraid of but since this is a sermon about conquering fear, let’s keep it short. Hit me with just a few things people are afraid of these days: ___________
Whew. Okay. Yep. That’s a lot.
Luckily for us, the Way of Jesus is laser-focused on facing our fears - and moving through them in community. To put it more succinctly, the Way of Jesus is about learning to live brave. This theme of bravery is woven throughout the stories of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. Mary was afraid when the angel came to her and told her she would give birth to the Messiah. She bravely said yes. Jesus' disciples were certainly afraid as they followed him from town to town, knowing they were putting themselves at risk. They didn’t always act with bravery, sometimes allowing their fears to get the best of them, but they kept trying. Jesus himself was afraid when he realized his arrest and execution was imminent. He prayed to God for a different ending. And then he found the bravery to face the scariest thing imaginable with courage and grace. And the stories of what happened after Jesus’ death were filled with fear and bravery - the women going to the tomb while it was still dark, the disciples lost and afraid in the upper room. But we know bravery must have won out over fear because they did not stay silent. The stories were passed down to us.
Today’s story from the Gospel of Matthew is, at its heart, a story about being brave. Which, it’s important to note, is not the same as being unafraid. In fact, you have to be afraid to be brave. Otherwise, it’s not bravery at all, right? Bravery is about moving forward with intention even though you’re afraid.
And the disciples were almost certainly afraid out on that boat. And exhausted. Just the day before, they had received the horrific news that King Herod had murdered Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist. A brutal and horrific execution. And a reminder of just how at risk they were, themselves. But before they even had a chance to process their grief and fear, they were thrown into the whirlwind of caring for needy people once again. Jesus had tried to escape the crowds to find a moment’s peace, but they followed him and the disciples were there to witness the whole thing as Jesus cured the sick despite his own grief. As the day came to a close, Jesus’ friends begged him to send the crowds away, but he insisted that they do the impossible - feeding a crowd of over 5,000 people with nothing but five loaves of bread and two fish.
Exhausted, grieving, and fearful, the disciples clamored into the refuge of their small fishing boat, relieved to lose the crowds (and perhaps Jesus, too, let’s be honest) at sea. And Jesus retreated to the mountain to pray. But far from finding peace that night, they found more trouble. A big storm kicked up at sea and the disciples were tossed this way and that on the water. By daybreak, they were spent. Jesus walks out to the boat on the water, seeking to offer comfort, but instead makes them more afraid because they think he’s a ghost.
Somewhat oddly, Peter reacts with a challenge. “Lord, if it’s you, command me to come out onto the water.” It’s not clear why Peter feels the need to be brave, but that’s what he seems to be seeking. A chance to do something hard - a chance to step out in faith despite his fear.
Jesus meets Peter where he is, staying with him every step of the way - even when Peter’s fear almost overcomes his desire for bravery. In the end, both men end up back in the boat. And something about this odd display of bravery in the midst of fear and exhaustion inspires the other disciples. They fall down on their knees before Jesus saying, “Truly, you are the son of God.”
Fear is such a basic human emotion. Not one of us is immune from it, you know. We are born with the innate capacity for fear and, if we’re lucky, we fine tune it throughout our lives, using it as a tool. If we’re not so lucky, we end up stuck in anxiety loops that are less-than-helpful or even debilitating. But none of us escapes the basic human emotion of fear.
Fear and anxiety are two sides of the same coin, but they aren’t quite the same thing. Fear is a primal physiological response to a stimulus. You see a lion, your pulse races, your breath quickens, your stomach drops - and your body responds to the stimulus: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. You don’t even have a chance to think about it: your body knows what to do to keep you safe.
Anxiety is more diffuse. It’s future-oriented and dwells in the realm of possibilities. The lion is not standing right there in front of you….but he might be lurking around the corner in the dark. Your imagination creates “what if” scenarios that lead to many of the same physiological sensations as fear. And if we replay these anxieties enough times, they become ingrained. They become automatic. And we find ourselves stuck in anxiety loops where we feel all the sensations of anxiety but we’re not even sure where they’re coming from. Or we trap ourselves in rumination, constantly play the “what if” game and creating plans A, B, C, D, and E.
Interestingly enough, many people who live with chronic anxiety are some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet. Those who have found a way to live their lives in spite of the never-ending anxiety loop have a lot to teach us about how to live brave. Because, despite their fears, they’re showing up in the world every day scared to death.
Neither fear nor anxiety are, in and of themselves, inherently good or bad. Both can be useful. If you ever run into a lion in real life, you’ll be awfully grateful for your body’s fear response. It’s what will keep you safe! And even anxiety can be helpful - imagining what could happen if you stick your hand in the lion’s enclosure at the zoo is what keeps you from doing it!
Psychologist Padraic Gibson, explains how anxiety can be useful:
Anxiety can be a source of strength and can, for example, lead to better job performance. Worriers are more likely to be more goal oriented, more organized, and self-disciplined. They plan effectively for unforeseen events and consequences that others may ignore. They are better at taking care of their health. In short, anxiety is productive when it is not excessive. [1]
And fears can essentially be broken down into useful and not-useful categories. “Appropriate fears” are the ones that keep you safe. Like heading the other direction if you run into a lion in a dark alley. “Neurotic fears” are the ones that engage the body’s fight/flight/freeze/fawn response…even though they don’t need to. So, for example, if you go to a high school whose mascot is a lion and even the statue of the lion outside the school makes your body freeze up and you can’t walk into the school? That’s a neurotic fear. The lion statue can’t hurt you but your body is confused and thinks it can. [2]
Appropriate fears are useful. Neurotic fears are not.
Appropriate fears help us stay safe. Neurotic fears can make us feel trapped.
Anxiety of fear - Appropriate or neurotic - Helpful or unhelpful - the beauty of our faith is that it can help us find bravery in the midst of it all. By the time Jesus came to the disciples that morning on the lake, the storm had already passed. There was no active threat. If they were afraid, it had moved into the neurotic territory because the risk to them was in the past. And Jesus came to them in the midst of that kind of fear and provided comfort.
Peter’s fear was different. When he was out there walking on the water, his fear was wholly appropriate. Storm or no, a person could die if they sink into the sea. So there’s no ridiculing Peter’s fear when the wind kicked back up. He was in a vulnerable place. The lion was real. And Jesus met him in the midst of that kind of fear and helped him be brave.
If Jesus was able to rise early in the morning and walk on water to the fearful disciples to help them find their bravery, then surely he can meet us in the midst of our fears, too. And help us to be brave.
Let us pray:
God, thank you for sending Jesus to show us the way to bravery when we are afraid. And thank you for these ancient stories of faith that help us remember it’s okay to cry out to Jesus when we’re bogged down in fear and anxiety. Help us to be brave even in the midst of our fears. Help us to bravely stand up for love in a world that too-often seems fixated on hate. Help us to watch out for each other when we are trapped in our worry and fear. In those moments, may we, like Jesus, show up and offer words of comfort and hope - encouraging others to seek the path of bravery, the path of love, the path of joy - even in the midst of fear. Amen.
NOTES:
[2] With gratitude to David Richo for the concepts of appropriate and neurotic fears. From his book How to be an Adult: A Handbook for Psychological and Spiritual Integration.
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