Reflection
As we prepare to return to the Church’s Ordinary Time, our Gospels this week show Jesus in His public ministry. Today is Mark’s version of Jesus walking on water and calming the sea.
Jesus speaks and acts in a way that shows that he is not merely human. This is seen in his ability to still the Sea of Galilee and walk on it. The Book of Job holds that “God alone is able to walk upon the waves of the sea as on dry ground” (Job 9:8). Jesus is doing what the Book of Job says only God can do. This episode then, is another epiphany, in this case a theophany, in which Jesus reveals his Divinity by manifesting divine power over creation.
It is noted in the Gospel that “He meant to pass by them.” Yet when the disciples saw Him and were afraid, he didn’t abandon them. Jesus’ disciples responded to Jesus’ walking on the Sea of Galilee with the typical human reaction to a theophany or appearance of God: they were terrified. Jesus assures them that He is not a ghost telling them have courage. Even after witnessing the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus’ walking on water, the disciples do not yet understand that Jesus is God. We are told “their hearts were hardened.” Hardness of heart was attributed to those who did not accept Jesus and plotted his death.
Here the same disposition prevents the disciples from comprehending Jesus’ self-revelation through signs.
How can we relate to the disciples’ reaction in today’s Gospel? The disciples clearly believed that Jesus was special, maybe even the Messiah that their Jewish faith promised. They were willing to follow Him and learn from Him. But they had not reached the point where they equated Jesus with God. They didn’t quite trust Jesus to overcome their troubles and take care of all their needs. Isn’t this also true for us? If we are afraid about anything, if we worry about anything, we are acting as the disciples did in today’s Gospel. We may profess our faith in God, but we don’t live each day fully trusting our lives to His Divine will.
Like the disciples, our time with the Lord, and for the Lord, is a lifelong journey. We continually need to bring Him our fears and worries, asking Him to be with us and guide us. We must never rest or fall back on our limited human abilities. Through prayer, the sacraments, and our service to others, we experience His presence and power in our lives. He will never abandon us.
Today’s Questions for Prayer and Reflection
When unexpected circumstances and trials threaten to overwhelm you, do you respond with trust and hope in God's love and presence with you?