God Is an Imminent God, an Approachable God, a Caring God

In today's gospel, Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus asked the the disciples to precede him to the other side of the sea, while he stayed behind to dismiss the crowd of over 5000 people that had just been fed with a miraculous multiplication of five loaves and two fish.  Several miles out on the sea a treacherous storm hits the boat with waves powerful enough to sink it.  Struggling to stay upright, the disciples notice someone walking on the waters and coming toward the boat. They are terrified.  Could it get worse than it is, they must have wondered. Then, Jesus says to them: "Fear not, it is I". Peter immediately says to Jesus: "If it is you, Lord, bid me come to you on the waters".  And Jesus says: "Come." Peter bravely gets out of the boat and walks on the water toward Jesus. The winds are strong and Peter, overcome with fear, takes his eyes off Jesus. Focusing on his fear, Peter begins to sink and cries out: "Lord, save me". Jesus stretches forth his hand and pulls Peter up, saving him from drowning.

You and I are like Peter at times. It is so easy to focus on our fears, to take our eyes off of Jesus. We can then get tangled up in our problems and, as our frenzy increases, we sink further and further into the "churning waters."  Waters are certainly churning in our world today and the storms are predicted to intensify: the storms of the coronavirus, the political storms, the protests against wearing masks, the stormy debates about returning to person-to-person learning, opening more and more businesses, the  avoiding large crowds and on and on! Storms may be raging in our families, our communities, our churches around any one of these issues or others causing fear among us.

I believe that whatever is happening in our world is a means of learning. What lessons do I need to learn from the chaos around me and within me? What steps do I need to take to regain a sense of balance in my life, to deepen my faith, to strengthen my trust in an imminent God, a caring God, an approachable God, a God who draws near to me on the stormy seas of my life this day?

"Fear not," Jesus says to me. "It is I; come to me!"

Jesus Is In Our Boats

In today's Gospel, Matthew 14: 22-36, the disciples were asked to "get into a boat and precede [Jesus] to the other side of the sea, while [Jesus] dismissed the crowds."  A violent storm plummeted the boat  in the early morning hours and the disciples feared drowning. Jesus, aware of what was happening, approached the boat, walking toward it on the waters! Seeing Jesus, but not recognizing him, they cry out in fear: 
"It is a ghost...At once Jesus spoke to them, 'Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.' Peter said to  him in reply, 'Lord, if it is you command me to come to you on the water.' He said, 'Come.' Peter go t out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him."

Peter is you, is me!  At times it feels as if our "boat" is being tossed about by violent storms, winds too strong for our weak faith and shallow trust!  Jesus notices and approaches us upon the stormy sea of our lives but we do not recognize Him.  Jesus is not deterred but continues to approach us. He says to us: "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."  "Really," we say in our hearts.  "Could Jesus really be in the events of our lives: in the disasters of the covid-19 virus? in the terror of death? in the loss of our jobs? in the hurricanes and fires ravaging our country?"  Or, we ask: "Where is Jesus? Is He a ghost?" Or, we may complain: "I don't see God in any of this chaos. He's abandoned us. He lets evil thrive in our midst. Every day there is more violence, more lies, more corruption, more injustice. Every day more and more of our poor are left to suffer, are denied benefits needed to take care of their families, their loved ones, their children!"

Drowning by the huge waves of turmoil around us, we become frightened, as did Peter, and begin to sink. Like Peter, may we cry out: "Lord, save me. Save us, Lord."  As with Peter, Jesus immediately stretches out his hand and catches us. As with the disciples in the sinking boat who cry out "It is a ghost," Jesus at once says: "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.  I am in this boat with you!"

Jesus' Attentiveness to the Disciples of Old and to Us Now

In today's gospel, Mark 6:45-52,  Jesus sent the disciples out on the sea to precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida."  He stayed behind to dismiss the crowd of 5000 people whom he had fed with five loaves and two fish. After dismissing the crowd, Jesus went up the mountain to pray. At evening time, he noticed that the disciples were in danger, as a storm was plummeting the boat.  "About the fourth watch of the night (around 3 a.m.), he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, 'Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!' He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. ..."

As attentive as Jesus was to his disciples when he walked here on earth, so, too, is he attentive of us today.  He knows when we are hungry and wandering around "shepherdless" and feeds us with whatever food we need--spiritual or physical. He knows when the "boat" of our lives are being tossed around by life's turbulent storms and we are in danger, spiritually or physically or emotionally.  And He makes Himself present to us. If we do not call upon Him, He will, as He intended to do with His disciples on the stormy sea, pass us by.  Do we not recognize Him, as the disciples did not, thinking He was a ghost?  For what reasons do we dismiss Jesus?  Or, does Jesus' presence frighten us, as He did the disciples on the turbulent sea?  Jesus knows when we are scared out of our wits, so to speak, and He whispers: "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!"  When He gets into the "boat" of our lives, the storms die down. A calm comes over us when we allow Jesus to address stormy situations with us.

Do you, do I, invite Jesus into our "boats"? Do you, do I, discuss stormy situations with Jesus and seek His advice, rely upon His help to see us through the storm, and to protect us from danger?  Jesus is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow!