Sunday Music: Bach Motet BWV 228
It is the tenth Sunday after Pentecost. Today’s Bach piece is a motet: “Fürchte dich nicht” (Do not fear):
Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 14:22-33:
Jesus Walks on the Water
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
The text of today’s piece is available here. It contains these words:
Do not fear, I am with you; do not recoil, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, and help you as well, I sustain you with the right hand of my righteousness.
Do not be afraid.
Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.
Once again, apologies for the lateness of the hour. My daughter went back to school today and I had to drive her to the airport.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/9/2020 @ 1:29 pmThanks! I enjoy these posts. Good luck to your daughter.
felipe (023cc9) — 8/9/2020 @ 7:15 pmOmg, this is so timely. It’s not hard these days for fear and worry to distract us from this reminder of who God is, and it is Je that sustains us:
I too wish your daughter well. I know your home just won’t be the same with her gone.
Dana (292df6) — 8/9/2020 @ 8:12 pmMy best wishes for your daughter’s success at school, too, Patterico. We’ll be moving mine into her dorm at the end of the month, and we’re putting her kit and kaboodle together, and I’ve been binge-reading Baby Blues comic strip collections.
nk (1d9030) — 8/9/2020 @ 9:01 pmMy particular heresy is imagining the backstory and filler story around gospel tales. Holy Fan-Fic, if you like.
It seems to me a man called “Rocky” by his brothers didn’t earn his nickname because of his glib tongue and gifts of tale-telling; nor his deft fingers used in weaving fishing nets; nor his buoyant chubby physique allowing him to swim porpoise-like through the waves. Seems to me sometime in his youth the boy called Simon fell overboard, and sank. Like a rock, causing his father and brothers no end of trouble hauling him up and forcing air back into his stiff and stony-cold form. Ever after all around him told the tale and reminded him of his Rock-like qualities; the risk that he’d sink beyond retrieval. But it’s also a reminder that fathers and brothers can retrieve the fallen — with luck. Sometimes. If his earthly father could save a clumsy boy, what can a Heavenly Father do for a clumsy and failing man?
And so the call to the man called Rocky to come out of the boat, and step onto –into — the sea is a particularly fraught call. A Heavenly Father / Savior who will not only haul your stony-cold butt OUT of the water, but keep you from sinking in the first place? And not by keeping you in a safe place, but keeping you safe in the most dangerous — impossibly dangerous — situation. Can you believe it?
Rocky does, until he doesn’t, but then he does again. Which imperfect faith may I find inspiring …
pouncer (b0e023) — 8/10/2020 @ 9:23 amHere in the heat of summer,you have given us a selection that carries the fresh hope of spring. It helps that the hummingbirds at the feeder outside the kitchen appear to be performing a minuet to the soounds of the music.
Thank you.
John B Boddie (042948) — 8/10/2020 @ 12:38 pm