Lord, Save Me!
A reflection on the Gospel Reading of 9-8-2026:Matthew 14 : 22-33 By Jeff Minge
I’ve been around water most of my life.
Early memories of the two separate channels which ran alongside our driveway in
Renmark, one for irrigation water and a shallower one to take the salt water pumped out
of the ground to the big evaporation basins outside the town.
My little sister, probably around two years old or younger at that time was playing in the
front yard while mum was hanging clothes. Mum looked for her, but she was not where
she had been just moments before and couldn’t see her. She noticed the top of a
blonde head bobbing up and down in the channel and assumed it was the neighbours’
child having a swim, but decided to check. There was my sister Gwen, with water just
under her bottom lip, paddling to keep her head out of the water. Mum grabbed her and
held her upside down. She had swallowed some water – but life saved. Lesson learned.
Thank God.
Early memory of a fishing trip to the Murray River down from 27th Street. Cord lines,
shrimps for bait, picnic basket a very young me, (only child at the time, two brothers and
2 sisters came later.)
The river-bank was steepish and the picnic basket, probably 2-3 metres from the edge of
the bank – tipped over and cups and containers tumbled down into the river. My
memory is of a valiant mum picking up a stick and flicking cups and other items back
onto the bank. Why not jump in and toss them out?
Yep. Couldn’t swim a stroke!
Very few people from the farming communities near Eudunda, where my parents met
and married before moving to Renmark – could swim and the dams on the properties
were always strictly a no play area.
So, yes, Mum and Dad would cool off, sitting in the irrigation channel from time to time,
resplendent in their hand knitted togs.
Plush’s Bend swimming. Below the Paringa Bridge with its lifting span to let boats boats
and the paddle steamer pass beneath the bridge, was upstream of a favoured
swimming beach Even had white sand.
Never clear water, especially in times of flood. Down there with my brother Ken when
some of the swimmers brought along a coke bottle filled with water and started tossing
it around in a game of catch As I watched, I saw a throw go wrong and the bottle landed
on the top of Ken’s head. He went down and I raced towards him but he came up
laughing. Thank God. The bottle was removed to the bin.
Swimming across the river in flood. Dirty, dangerous, fast- moving flood water – had to
pick a landing spot between old snags. Have a little rest and then swim 100 metres back
to the beach. What could possibly go wrong?
I was a pall bearer for a boy who stepped into a hole in the river-bed at that beach – and
drowned.
Fishing 5 kilometres offshore from the Bluff on a dead calm day with a flat sea. Janne
and children on board – and Fur the dog as well. A few fish caught. The breeze came up
and quickly developed into a squall. All retreated to the cabin except me, and I was
quickly soaked from driving rain as I punched into the short, sharp waves. Short trip out
to the reef, but slow and long trip back. I was very happy to slip in under the lee of the
bluff and quite relieved when the wind died out and we moved toward the ramp to winch
the boat onto the trailer for the trip home. Then Fur vomited in the cabin. Everybody out!
Things will go wrong in our lives.
As I read through today’s Gospel Reading, I could understand the significance of the
conversation Peter had with Jesus. He sees Jesus walking on the water. He asks Jesus to
tell him to come. Jesus asks him, ‘Come.’
Peter starts out, but in the face of the rising wind and waves, he becomes fearful and
starts to sink into the water. He cries out, ‘Lord save me!’ Jesus reaches out His hand
and catches Peter – and says,’ You of little faith. Why did you doubt?’ Jesus and Paul
climb into the boat. The wind dies down.
Then those who were in the boat worshipped Jesus, saying,’ Truly, you are the Son of
God.’
This is the first time the disciples use the full title in addressing Jesus.
There will be times in our lives when we, like Peter, will call out, ‘Lord, please save me,’
and feel the presence of Jesus saying, “I’ve got you.”
Reflection on Matt 14:22-33 Lord Save Me By Jeff Minge
By Helen Teece
Matt 14:22-33
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
