The constant call of Jesus

This week's Gospel account records an event that happened right after Jesus miraculously provided enough food for over 5,000 people. Jesus sent the disciples away in a boat while He went by Himself to pray. The disciples' boat got caught in the wind, and in the midst of their struggle Jesus came to them walking on the water. Peter boldly shouted, "Lord, if it's You, tell me to come." Jesus invites Peter to come to Him, and Peter gets out of the boat and begins to walk on the water. But then the reality of the wind and the waves hit him and he begins to sink. At that point he cries out, "Lord, save me."

"________, save me." How would you fill in the blank? Some utter, "Oh God!" or "Jesus!" when confronted with bad things. But if the Lord would personally answer them with a voice coming from the heavens, they would be in shock, not expecting an answer to their cry. Increasingly, AI (artificial intelligence) is the "go to god," with its ability to quickly scan through all the available information and give answers, or, through chatbots, being able to hold what seems like a normal conversation with another human. In fact, more and more futurists are proposing that people are becoming more "spiritual" but are turning to AI as their "god" and that AI will eventually replace current "gods." Even committed Christians are currently using AI to craft prayers, design personal Bible reading plans, and answer questions about the faith. As a result, some have noticed the loss of a sense of personal investment in the relationship.

The constant call of Jesus throughout the Gospel accounts, even to Peter in the boat, is: "Come." That's the invitation of a loving, living personal God who wants to be involved in every area of your life. That's the invitation the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament would open your ears to hear, accept, and rely on so that in every situation of life you come to the only Savior: Jesus. Pastor Schmidt