Manna

In the Gospel reading for this past Sunday from Matthew 14 Jesus walked upon the tumultuous Sea of Galilee and elicited (by His divine action of walking upon water, by His Words of comfort/chiding/invitation, and by His divine action of saving Peter) both the worship (Matt. 14:33a) and the confession (Matt. 14:33b) of the disciples in the boat.  Worship and confession belong together.  Genuine "confessional" pastors are at the same time "liturgical" pastors--they insist that only Lutheran doctrine is pure and that the divine service must reflect and itself confess that doctrine.

The worship spoken of in Matthew 14 is not simply some thought of the mind that might take any shape the thinker might have in mind.  The Greek word translated as "worship" in English is actually, in itself, a bodily word--literally, "to bow the knee."  Worship does not just take any shape, nor is it pure individualism (notice how all of the disciples in the boat "bow the knee" together at the divine manifestation of Jesus in His words and deeds).  The highest worship of God is to believe Him at His Word and to receive good things from Him.  Peter worshipped Jesus by believing His Word ("take heart; it is I, do not be afraid") and so, on the basis of the confidence bestowed upon Peter by that Word, Peter asked Him to bid him come to Him upon the water.  Peter again believed Jesus' word of "come" and so came.  The Word of God and faith in that Word is under constant attack, both from within (Peter's doubt) and without (the wind and waves).  But Peter worships Christ again when he cries out to the Savior, "Lord, save me!"  He addressed Jesus as Lord and he confessed that He is the Savior.  

This last point comes through in the liturgy of the Divine Service Sunday after Sunday.  In the Sanctus we address the One Who comes in the Name of the Lord as "Blessed" and we beg of Him:  "hosanna!"  The word "hosanna" means "save Lord" and is related to the very name of Jesus, which means "the Lord saves."  When we cry out within the communion liturgy "hosanna" we are addressing Jesus in the exact same way that Peter did as he was sinking down (and as the crowds did on Palm Sunday in worship).

One final note on the worship and confession of the disciples in the boat.  They confessed "truly You are the Son of God."  The same confession would be given by Martha when Jesus came to raise her brother Lazarus from the dead (John 11:27).  A third time a matching confession (these are not simply personal statements of a personal faith) was given was by Peter himself in Matthew 16.  It is this occasion that is regarded as the foundational confession of the New Testament.  Notice that on that occasion there was no immediately preceding divine sign (like Jesus walking on the water, or raising the dead); rather, the disciples were simply walking with Jesus along the way (on the road!).  Our confession of Jesus arises too within ordinary circumstances, with opposition constantly present, but with God's Word and Sacraments more truly present to make us humble and bold before God and world.