Walking with Jesus
Palm Sunday 2010
An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him so he just invited a skeptical friend to hunt with him and his new dog.
As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. They fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet.
The friend saw everything but did not say a single word.
On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, "Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?"
"I sure did," responded his friend. "He can't swim."
Isn’t that the way some people are? They only see what they expect to see? They only see what they want to see.
This is the last of the sermons in the series, “If You Want To Walk On Water You Have To Get Out Of Your Boat.” We have talked about a lot of different things. (slide) The final lesson is that there is only one way to walk on water: Jesus’ way.
The problem with the friend in the hunting dog story is that he thought there was only one way for a dog to retrieve a duck: swimming, in other words HIS WAY.
The problem with the leaders in Jesus day was they thought there was only one way for the messiah to come into their lives: riding high on a mighty war horse to drive out the Romans. In other words THEIR WAY.
The truth is that a dog that can walk on the water is a pretty remarkable thing in itself. A messiah who comes in a sneak attack on the values and philosophies of the day is a pretty powerful thing in itself. And a savior that keeps surprising us, calling us to see things differently challenging us to do things we would not and could not do by ourselves, inviting us to step out of our boats, our fears our doubts and walk across the water with him is a savior worth following.
But we have to get out of the boat of our own expectations, our own preconceived ideas, our own plans and our own lives in order to follow him.
Those who would follow Jesus had to set aside their own plans from the very beginning.
· Conceived out of wed lock to a poor young mother? That is certainly outside the boat.
· Born in a stable rather than a palace? That’s outside the boat.
· Being baptized by his cousin, going to synagogue like any Jewish boy, squabbling with his brothers and sisters and being misunderstood by even his family? That is outside the boat of normal expectation for the son of God.
· Calling fishermen, eating with tax collectors, healing the children of the occupying soldiers, breaking the Sabbath law; touching lepers, hemorrhaging women, and Samaritans. That is a messiah that is way outside the boat of normal expectations.
· Riding into town on a donkey covered with a common cloak surrounded by an adoring crowd when the leaders expected a messiah on a beautiful stallion, with a real saddle, surrounded by soldiers to overturn the military occupation.
That is the Jesus we follow; the one who turned the boat upside-down. (SLIDE) The one who shattered expectations, the one who surprised the powerful, the one who lifted up the weak, the one who healed the untouchable, the one who whose victory parade was on a humble colt, and the one who calls ordinary people like you and me to do extraordinary things like walk on water—that the Jesus we follow.
You notice the boat is gone this morning. That is intentional. The events of the coming week are so extraordinary that there is only one symbol that speaks to both the horror and the hope. That is the cross. (SLIDE) Today we begin a journey with Jesus that is way beyond water walking.
· Today Jesus asks us not just to leave our boats behind, but to leave our selves behind.
· Today Jesus calls us not to just leave our lifejackets behind, but to leave our doubt behind.
· Today Jesus asks us not to just leave our doubts and fears behind, but to leave our lives behind to walk the way of the cross with him.
· Jesus Calls us not just to be water walkers, but cross walkers.
Are you ready to walk that road with Jesus?
· The road of the palms that leads into Jerusalem.
· The road of the last supper.
· The road of betrayal.
· The road of rejection.
· The road of suffering.
· The road of death.
· The road of love.
· Are you ready to be a cross-walker?
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