Thomas J Parlette
“When You Pass Through the Waters”
Isaiah 43: 1-7
1/12/25
I wonder if anyone else has noticed that there seem to be a lot of commercials for cruises gracing the airways lately. Seems like every time I tune in to the Vikings game, or better yet, the Steelers game, there’s another ad for a Disney cruise vacation, or Carnival Cruise lines, or even Royal Caribbean. I guess it’s because we live in Minnesota and a tropical cruise sounds pretty good after the hustle and bustle of Christmas now that the temperatures are plunging below zero.
In the constant race for bigger and better, Royal Caribbean has launched a new vessel called “Icon of the Seas.” It has 20 decks, 6 water slides, and 7 swimming pools. At more than 250,000 gross tone, it’s the biggest cruise ship ever built – until next year, I suppose.
The “Icon of the Seas” can accommodate 7,600 guests. That’s like inviting the entire town of Pine Island, Oronoco and Hayfield to take a cruise together – and you’d still have room for another 600 guests. Wow, sounds like fun doesn’t it!
Gary Shtenyngart was a passenger on the ship’s inaugural voyage and wrote about his experience in the May, 2024 issue of The Atlantic. He says that the ship “looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies that make it look like a nightmarish version of Istanbul…” Clearly, not a fan.
Maybe the food can save the day – how were the buffets? Gary reports, “The buffet was groaning under the weight of what sounds like exotic and sophisticated dishes – marinated octopus, boiled egg with anchovy, chorizo, lobster claws – but every sea creature tasted tragically the same.” OK – Gary was less than impressed. Still, if you want a drink, you can visit the “Swim and Tonic.” Billed as the biggest swim-up bar on any cruise ship in the world. At the very least, I think I might want my picture taken under that sign.
How about entertainment – cruise ships are known for their entertainment. Well, you can see an ice show, acrobatics in the AquaDome or a comedy show in the Manhattan Comedy Club. Or, stick to the water parks and ride something called “Storm Chasers,” that our friend Gary says “flops you down headfirst into a trough of water, a Royal Caribbean baptism.” (1)
Not quite the sort of baptism we’re talking about today – but a baptism non-the-less.
Our passage from Isaiah today has a nautical sort of feeling as well, as he reminds us that “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,” says God through the prophet, “and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.”
If you’re a passenger on the “Icon of the Seas,” you are passing through the waters in luxury – but passing through the waters was a dangerous trip for the people of Israel. They remembered how Noah had been saved from the flood by his journey on the ark, and how tier ancestors had been delivered from captivity in Egypt by the parting of the Red Sea. For the Israelites, passage through water was no pleasure cruise. It was an escape from death and enslavement.
Fortunately, the Israelites were delivered – not by the “Icon of the Seas”, but by the God of the Seas. The people of Israel were saved by the Lord, the one who created and formed them. The first seven verses of chapter 43 contain “the promise of Salvation,” writes Old Testament professor Brevard Childs. “God not only created Israel but redeemed her.” God called her by name and said, “you are mine. Israel is promised God’s special protection by the Holy One of Israel,” says Childs. God made promises to the people: “I will be with you,” said God; the waters “shall not overwhelm you.” (2)
The God of the Seas doesn’t have 20 decks, swim-up bars, ice shows, stand-up comedians or water slides. But there is salvation, redemption and God’s protection. As we pass through the seas, we are promised that God will be with us, and that the waters of life will not overwhelm us.
“I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” God is holy, more awe-inspiring than anything humans can create. God is our Savior, the one who delivers us from sin and death. God redeems us by paying a ransom for us, and says to us “you are precious in my sight and honored and I love you.”
Now I know it might seem ridiculous to compare God to an enormous cruise ship – in the end even the “Icon of the Seas,” the biggest cruise ship afloat, is no match for God. But the Royal Cruise Line does have a feature to consider called the “Sea Pass Card.” This card, held by each guest, gives access to a cashless system used for all onboard purchases and services. A person with a SeaPass card can be connected to everything that the “Icon of the Seas” can offer.
Interesting – God has a similar kind of offer. In this passage God says, “To everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” – to all of God’s people is given a precious access card. God’s version of the SeaPass doesn’t give you access to drinks at the “Swim and Tonic” or poker chips at the onboard casino – but it does the carry the promise, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” With this access card, the Lord will always be with us, and the waters will never overwhelm us.
Now, don’t get me wrong - when we are traveling with God’s version of the SeaPass, we are not promised a luxurious cruising experience through life. But we are given something more valuable and long-lasting – salvation and divine help. We receive these gifts when we trust the Lord God of Israel, and when we put our faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
For remember, Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy – “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.” When Mary was pregnant, an angel said to Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. The angel also said, “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.”
Isaiah is the prophet that Jesus quoted the most often – eight times in all. And Jesus began his ministry by reading from the scroll of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.”
Salvation and Divine help. Both come from God, as promised by Isaiah. Both are found in Jesus. In fact, I’m sure you remember, Jesus’ name means “salvation.” In Matthew, the angel hints at this when he says that Joseph is to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The Hebrew word for “salvation” is “yeshuah”, a noun derived from the verbal root that means “relief”, in the sense of being rescued from an enemy, trouble or illness. The name “Joshua” comes from this word, and it evolved over time into the name “Jesus.” Throughout its long history, the word “yeshua” has carried the sense of victory over danger, defeat or distress.
Yes – Jesus means salvation. When we put our faith in Jesus, we are rescued from anything that can destroy us: Sin, enemies, troubles or illnesses. Jesus is our Redeemer, which means that he pays our debt and delivers us from destruction and death. As God says through Isaiah, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you… I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
Jesus is also given the name Immanuel – “God with us.” This is the gift of divine companionship and help, in the face of any threats or dangers. In Isaiah, God promises that “when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
The Rev. James Lawson Jr. was a leader in the civil rights movement, committed to nonviolence. At one point, he was confronted by a white man in a black leather motorcycle jacket. The man spit on Rev. Lawson, who calmly asked the man for a handkerchief. The man was stunned by the request – but he handed over a handkerchief just the same. Rev. Lawson calmly cleaned himself off, and then started asking the man about his motorcycle. When the man replied that he had customized his chopper himself, Rev. Lawson opened the door to a conversation, instead of a confrontation. (3)
Rev. Lawson was walking through fire, he was passing through the dangerous waters, but God was with him. And since he was committed to the non-violent path of Jesus, he found a way to communicate with a man who had shown hatred toward him. In that moment of confrontation, Rev. Lawson defused the tension and established a human connection.
The prophet Isaiah introduces us to God’s version of the SeaPass, which connects us to salvation and divine help, in the roughest of seas. This all-access pass is seen most clearly in Jesus, whose name reminds us that “God is with us.”
And with God with us in Jesus Christ, we will not be overwhelmed, no matter what storms we face. We are given salvation, redemption and protection by the God of the Seas.
And for that – may God be praised. Amen.
1. Gary Shteyngart, “A Meatball at Sea: Seven nights aboard the biggest cruise ship that ever sailed.” The Atlantic, May 2024, 52-65.
2. Brevard Childs, Isaiah (Louisville, Ky, Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 334.
3. Paul W. Valentine, “James Lawson, an architect of civil rights nonviolence, dies at 95.” The Washington Post, June 10, 2024.
