Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid

 

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. 

 

 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

- Mark 6:47–56 

 

Yesterday we read that the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught on their first apostolic journey.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something  to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go  before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  

 

  Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  This is the second time that Christ permits the disciples to be caught in a storm (see this reading).  The first time He was with them, but asleep in the stern of the boat.  Here, He's sent them across the sea, while He went to the mountain to pray (see yesterday's reading, above).  Leaving them alone this time, my study Bible says, is a way of strengthening their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  We note that it was only recently that they have returned from their first apostolic mission (again, see above), and so it is easy to understand that Christ is preparing them for their future.  "It is I" is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58; Exodus 3:14).  According to my study Bible, He is reminding the fearful disciples that He has absolute and divine authority over their lives.  

 

 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. According to my study Bible, knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not simply the intellect.  It says that when our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive God's presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, the heart is known as "the seat of knowledge."

 

  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.  My study Bible comments that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life-giving (see also the story of the woman with the blood flow, Mark 5:25-29).  Consider also that in yesterday's reading, we read of the feeding of the five thousand, prefiguring the Eucharist to come, the gift of Christ's Body and Blood.

 

 Jesus repeatedly teaches in the Gospels that His is the path we need.  He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).  Elsewhere He teaches, "Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:35).  In John 10:9, Jesus declares, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).   Each of these sayings points in the direction of a close following of Christ, a path that is narrow and well-defined by faith in Him.  This is, essentially, discipleship, a close following of Christ, step by step as we advance into a deeper, fuller faith, and more reliance upon Him.  And this is what the disciples experience as they continue with Him.  We've already seen the Twelve chosen to become the first apostles, and them sent out on their first apostolic mission (see Saturday's reading).  In every careful step of the way for these disciples, Jesus has taught them what He wants.  They have learned from Him by living with Him, hearing Him preach, experiencing His ministry, receiving His instructions.  As my study Bible says above, today's reading is not the first time these disciples have been frightened by a storm on the Sea of Galilee, following His instructions to cross over.  Even these experienced fishermen felt frightened for their lives the first time this happened, although He was with them, but sleeping.  But this time, they are on their own, and they're struggling, straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  The text tells us that about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  The "fourth watch of the night" is three o'clock in the morning, and we can just imagine what a frightening time this was under these circumstances!  Walking to them on the water, they imagine Christ to be a ghost!  But all of this is in preparation for something.  For the particular path that Christ "walks" them on is one that is given in order to help them to become something essential to the Kingdom and to the Church to come -- for they will carry the newfound Church on their shoulders into the world, a very hostile world through martyrdom and exile in the future.  We might consider such a dangerous and enormously significant mission to be something fearful or burdensome.  But it is a mission of the highest significance, the greatest bravery, the deepest sacrifice, and we know of no other powerful mission with such an established and far-reaching outcome.  For all of us are on this mission of securing the Kingdom and the Church in the world, but Christ prepares a particular path for each of us on this "road" (or "way") that He has for us.  In the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Christ expresses the understanding of this contribution.  Each worker, without regard for how long or how short the duration of their labor, receives the same reward.  This makes sense if every unique contribution is necessary to the project.  Each of us has a narrow way, a particular mission to follow, depending on how we're meant to serve that Kingdom and our Lord.  When we go through challenges and difficulties, when we're asked to make sacrifices, we don't always know why -- just as these disciples turned apostles in today's reading don't really know at this stage why He's sent them alone across the Sea of Galilee, and into such a frightening storm.  But there He is, our answer to all things:  "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."   Perhaps none of us knows what we're being prepared for, especially in the fullness of time and of the eternity beyond, and the fullness of the knowledge of Christ and who we are in His eyes.  If our hearts are hardened to Christ's activity and work, we might never understand.  But we're all becoming, and He is the One who shows us the way, in His plan of salvation for the entire cosmos, for the life of the world.

 

 

 

 

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. 

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks --- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 

- John 6:16-27 

 

Yesterday the lectionary took us to chapter 6 of John's Gospel, with its focus on the fulfillment of the events of the Exodus and the first Passover.  We read that Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  This is the fifth of seven signs recorded in John's Gospel.  As noted in yesterday's reading and commentary, this entire chapter of John's Gospel is one that has parallels to the story of Exodus, suggesting Christ as fulfillment of the first Passover and those Old Testament events.  My study Bible comments that, in the Exodus, Moses leads the people across the Red Sea, walking on dry ground in the midst of the water (Exodus 14:15-31).  Here Christ sends His disciples across the sea, and then walks on the sea as if it were dry ground.   

 

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks --- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   Once again, these are the same people who sought to take Jesus by force and make Him king against His will in yesterday's reading (above), because they "ate of the loaves and were filled."  Here the emphasis shifts again to spiritual nurturing, what kind of food Christ has to offer, and takes on the hints of eucharistic significance.  

 

 Jesus says, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  The theme of food and of feeding will make its mark throughout this chapter of John's Gospel, just as it began with the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness (see yesterday's reading, above).  Here, Jesus makes it clear that these men seek to make Him king by force not even because of the marvelous signs He's done (signs of God's extraordinary presence among them), but simply because they were were fed ("because you ate of the loaves and were filled").  These are the not the reasons to seek Christ.  In fact, when Jesus tells them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes," this is a command, a direct command from God, a prohibition.  He then goes on to issue a positive command, to labor "for the food which endures to everlasting life."  He's teaching them what is worth making an effort for, what is worth laboring, working for.  And we should take heed that we do the same.  For Jesus has also taught us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  This is what we work for, because this sets us right in the world and with the rest of the world and all the things we need for life.  But then Jesus goes on to teach us something about this food which endures to everlasting life, for it has particular qualities and comes from a particular place for a reason.  Not just anybody can provide us with this food, but only Christ can:  ". . . which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   He is the Son of Man, a mysterious title known from the prophecy of Daniel (see Daniel 7:13), and which Jesus is teaching is Himself, Incarnate.  But there is more; that is, "because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   We modern English speakers think of a seal as that which closes up something, but that definition misses the mark here (metaphorically and literally!).  Because this seal is literally a mark, a signet, the symbol of a person's identity.  It comes from the mark a signet ring or symbol would press into sealing wax, conferring the authority of the person to whom the seal belonged or represented.  This seal from God the Father is the mark of the Father upon the Son, meaning that all the Father's authority is set upon Christ, upon the Son of Man.  Whatever this Son of Man, this Logos, the Word about whom John's Gospel is written to teach us, commands or teaches is therefore a command from God, just as a letter or communication from a king or president confers all the authority of that office upon its contents.  Therefore whatever nurturing substance Christ gives us, whatever is the food which endures to everlasting life, it does so because God the Father has set His seal upon the Son of Man.  His gift is therefore that which conveys life and death, the absolute authority of God the Father, and there is no other person or being who can do this for us.  Christ, the Son of Man, is the One who can give this to us. 

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 

- John 6:16-27 

 

Yesterday we read that, following events at the Feast of Weeks (or the Old Testament Pentecost), Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  

 

  Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  Here is recorded the fifth of seven signs in John's Gospel.  As the entire sixth chapter of John's Gospel is a series of parallels with the events of the Passover and Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, we observe here that in the Exodus, Moses led the people across the Red Sea.  That is, they walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea (Exodus 14:15-31).  Here, Jesus sends the disciples across the sea, and then walks on the sea Himself as if it were dry ground.  

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Here we're given a taste of how badly the people want an earthly Messiah.  They so desire to follow Jesus that they got into boats and came to Capernaum.  But Jesus knows why they seek Him, and reminds them again that they simply seek Him because they were filled with the material bread He gave them in yesterday's reading, above.  Now, He begins to direct their attention away from the material, to another kind of heavenly bread, the food which endures to everlasting life, and to focus on His true Kingdom.

 

 Jesus tries to turn the people's focus from one place to another.  Here, they are so enamored of the bread with which He fed them in yesterday's reading, by multiplying the loaves and the fishes, they have already tried to forcefully make Him king, which Jesus eluded.  But that is not enough to shake off their persistence, and they have followed Him in boats now to Capernaum.  What does Jesus do when faced with this determined bunch who have made all this effort, who want Him to be their king?  Jesus does what He does elsewhere when faced with a crowd of people who follow Him, He begins to teach.  Here, He begins to offer them what He truly has for them.  Rather than the food which perishes (like the loaves with which they were filled in yesterday's reading), Jesus has something much better and much more precious to offer them.  They have put in all this effort to find Him, which He calls labor.  He tells them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  If they are going to make such an effort, He's saying, they must do it for what is truly and ultimately worthwhile, for the food which endures to everlasting life.  And He makes it clear that He alone -- the Son of Man -- can give this kind of food, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.  So, if they want to know what is truly special and unique about Him, it's not that He has the capacity to feed whole crowds in the wilderness, to multiply loaves and fishes (after all, He stresses here that they didn't even follow after Him because of the signs He's done, but because they were filled).  No, Christ is special not because He would be a spectacular earthly king who could provide His people with unlimited material goods.  What makes Christ so special is that He can offer them something much better, a food which endures to everlasting life.  And only He has the seal of God the Father; that is, the identity that bears the authority of God the Father, the imprimatur that guarantees He is the unique and authentic Son.  Only the Father can give this authority, and God the Father has given it -- this "seal" -- only to Christ, the Son of Man.  And this is where we begin to understand who Jesus is, and how Jesus is in the world as the Son of Man, in His absolutely unique Incarnation, a one-time event in the history of Creation, and what He is here for.  This is what He is here to give, what He is present and ready to offer to the people who wish to "labor" for it.  In the following reading, Jesus will explain just what that "labor" is.  But for today, He's leading the people in what we might easily call repentance.  He's turning their minds over to something different than that which they apparently had their hearts set on, turning them to face another direction, and something quite different.  He's asking them to turn around and to reconsider, that there is something much better to work so hard for and to desire for themselves -- and only He can offer it to them.  The question then starts here, will they take from Him what He offers? Can they accept it?  And we can also ask ourselves what we do in terms of our own constant purely material focus.  Can we shift and focus on something better, on something that adds to our lives in subtle but unmistakable ways, that adds a kind of substance that is transcendent of what we know?  Are we prepared for this "everlasting" quality, or even to find out what it means?  Let us consider what it is we labor for, and what He has to give which is on offer, and why.

Truly You are the Son of God

 

 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

 

 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. 

 

- Matthew 14:22-36 

 

Yesterday we read that, when Jesus heard that King Herod Antipas now feared Him (Herod believed that Jesus was John the Baptist, raised from the dead), He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.   

 

 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Let us consider that Christ has just instituted a new change in His ministry, the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness -- a "new" mighty work, and one with Eucharistic indications.  He withdraws at this point, up on the mountain by Himself to pray.   He has sent the disciples in a boat by themselves, to travel across the Sea of Galilee.

 

Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  My  study Bible comments that this is the second time Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see this reading).  The first time, He was with them; this time He has sent them across the sea alone.  In this way, my study Bible explains, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them midst the storms of life.  It is I is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58; Exodus 3:14).  This is a reminder to the fearful disciples of the Lord's absolute and divine authority over their lives.  The fourth watch of the night is approximately 3:00 in the morning.

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"   My study Bible says that it is Peter's faith that allows Him to walk on the water.  It asks us to note that Peter does not ask to walk on water per se, but to come to Jesus; Peter's desire is not to perform miracles but rather to be with the Lord.  Let us see that Peter is able to participate in this divine miracle as long as he keeps his focus on Christ.  As soon as he is distracted, my study Bible says, he begins to sink.

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"   My study Bible explains that the Greek term for doubt used here means to waver, vacillate, or hesitate, indicating an uncertainty between two things.  The cause of Peter's sinking, it says, wasn't the storm, but rather his doubt.  So therefore Christ does not rebuke the wind, but Peter.  

 

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."   This is the first time that the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.   My study Bible says that knowing only God can be worshiped, they confess Christ's divinity by worshiping Him (the word translated as worshiped indicates a bow of prostration).   The boat is symbolic of the Church 

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.  They have crossed over to another area of Galilee south of His ministry headquarters of Capernaum, and so the people there have recognized Jesus.  We can see Jesus' fame by now, they've sent out into all that surrounding region, so that all who were sick were brought to Him.  My study Bible comments that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life, and that that contact with His flesh is life-creating (see Matthew 9:20-22).

Perhaps the image of Christ walking on the water is the most iconic one we have of Christ's identity as divine being.  My study Bible comments that only God has dominion over nature; so, therefore, this miracle confirms the divinity of Christ.  Walking on water is the perfect image of the impossible -- the defiance of all known laws of physical life in this world.  But let us also note that Christ not only comes walking on the water to join the disciples (I mean, He could clearly have crossed over at another time by boat), but in order to assure them that -- no matter what -- He is there for them.  And, we might say, it tells them that He will do that even if He has to walk on water to do so.  This is a miracle that is specifically for them, for they are the only ones present.  Let us consider it in the context of yesterday's reading, that Christ has just fed five thousand people in the wilderness from a couple of fish and five loaves of bread.  Now that is an extraordinary miracle, and meant for several thousand people (five thousand men, and yet more women and children).  And yet, we know the time will come when the disciples will reveal that they haven't quite grasped that miracle in their minds (see Matthew 16:5-12).  But this miracle in today's reading -- this walking on the water -- this is something which makes its extraordinary impact.  We can possibly attempt to read St. Peter's mind and what he was thinking when he asked to walk on the water.  The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost (for how can a human being walk on water?), and so Peter demands some kind of proof that it really is the Lord.  Peter asks to be commanded to walk on the water too.  Let us first consider here that Peter by trade was a fisherman, working on the water for his livelihood, so this is quite a thing to ask.  But if it is really a command from the Lord -- the Lord who can walk on the water -- well, then that is a possibility after all, that by the Lord's command Peter could even walk on the water.  And he does, until he apparently takes his eye off of Jesus, focuses on the boisterous wind, and becomes afraid.  And then, Jesus saves him again.  After all of this, and the dying down of the wind, there is nothing more to say.  All the disciples can do -- to the last man of them (those who were in the boat) -- is to bow down before him in the pose of worship.  They tell Him, "Truly You are the Son of God."  Interestingly, these words will be nearly echoed by the centurion at the Cross (Matthew 27:54), after witnessing the earthquake and other things that happened at His human death.  This isn't the first time we've observed Jesus make extraordinary effort to get to those who need Him; in this reading we read of Jesus and disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee to reach men possessed by demons, although the people of the place simply wanted Jesus to leave them.  Here, in what we might think of as the dreams and fears of a rough and stormy windy night, at 3:00 in the morning, Jesus walks as if in a dream to the disciples.  It's a memorable image one can't forget, but it should serve for us to know He will come to us in ways we can't expect.  Let us not lose sight of Him in our fears.   We, too, may find our faith in the same way, and come to know that truly He is the Son of God.

Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water

 

 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

 

- Matthew 14:22–36 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that King Herod feared Him, He departed from by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

 

  Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  We recall that Jesus' plan was to seek to withdraw from the scrutiny of Herod Antipas, for as Herod began to hear of Jesus, he feared that Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead, and that this was the explanation for Christ's miraculous works.  Here, after feeding the multitude, He once again withdraws for solitude to pray.

Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  My study Bible comments that only God has dominion over nature; therefore, this miracle is a confirmation of the divinity of Christ.  It is now the second time that Jesus has permitted His disciples to be caught in a storm (see also Matthew 8:23-27).  The first time, He was with them.  But here he had left them alone.  In this way, my study Bible explains, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.   It is I is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).  My study Bible adds that Christ reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"   My study Bible says that Peter's faith allows him to walk on the water.  It asks us to note that Peter does not ask to walk on water per se, but rather to come to Jesus.  Peter's desire is not to perform miracles but to be with Christ.  Peter is able to participate in this divine miracle as long as he keeps his focus on Christ.  When he becomes distracted, he begins to sink.

 

 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  My study Bible explains that the Greek term for doubt used here means "wavering" or "hesitation."  Peter's sinking was due not to the storm but rather his doubt; so Christ does not rebuke the wind -- but rebukes Peter.

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."  This response bears some resemblance to the words of the centurion who stood at the Cross and witnessed Christ's Passion (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39).  My study Bible comments that this is the first time the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  As they know that only God can be worshiped, they confess His divinity by worshiping Him.  Here, the boat is symbolic of the Church.  

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.  Again, the miracles of healing are prominent in Christ's ministry.  My study Bible comments that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life, and that contact with His flesh is life-creating (see Matthew 9:20-22).  

Stories of the miraculous give us a particular feel in Scripture, a sense of something extraordinarily present that grips our imagination and asks it to go beyond our everyday boundaries and expectations.  There are many who read Scripture and automatically discount the miracles they encounter there.  But Scripture is a kind of literature that asks us to read what it contains with a perspective that everything in it is necessary for us to grasp something, to receive what there is to give.  I also cannot immediately dismiss all possibility of the miraculous, if only because what might be considered miraculous seems to happen and surprise people all the time.  This is particularly true of things that seem to be coincidental, or dreams that give us a hint of things that are happening elsewhere, a sense that pervades prayer, an intuition that supplies an answer we'd been grasping for but couldn't find in some normal "rational" sense.  But let us consider for a moment the miracles of Christ, for they are all, importantly and essentially for us, connected to faith.  My study Bible points out that St. Peter is able to walk on the water toward Christ so long as he keeps his focus on Christ, a key to understanding the miraculous sense here.  The people who bring their sick to be healed have the sort of faith that resembles that of the woman with the twelve year blood flow: we're told that they begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.  This connection of faith is clearly the thread -- or perhaps we should say rope -- by which we make contact with potentials that are far beyond the daily grasp of the worldly.  It's also quite essential that we know Peter requested Jesus to command him to walk toward Him, so Peter knows he's responding to a command from Christ.  Moreover, it's the fourth watch of the night, which begins at three o'clock in the morning, and so there is only whatever light might be found on the sea from the stars and moon.  Just as Peter begins to sink once he takes his eyes of the Jesus, so when we lose that thread (or rather, that sturdy rope to hang onto) we also risk sinking into the daily grind of limited expectations and colorless perspective.  Faith, on the other hand, can inspire from depths we didn't know we had.  Indeed, faith can open up depths within us to explore -- to be healed of painful trauma we conceal from ourselves, and to open to creative energies we hadn't understood were there.  Faith gives us confidence just as it gave St. Peter, but we have to remember that it is that we look to Christ that is the key.  It's one thing to place one's faith in something inanimate, or something worldly and material, and another to place one's faith in Christ, the One came to the world in order to bring us life, and to bring life more abundantly (John 10:10).  That becomes a faith -- a key to union -- with something that offers us much more than we can give it.  That faith opens up to the work of the apostles, with whom Christ was able to share His power and authority.  That kind of faith opens up the fruit of the Spirit we read about in Galatians 5:22-23, allowing us to participate in those virtues we otherwise do not have the resources to muster.  These examples are just the bare minimum of gifts and inspiration that we can attribute to faith.  Faith confers the capacity to keep going when otherwise things simply look hopeless when we take God out of the picture.  Faith confers the ability to keep trying when recovery from illness seems impossible.  Faith teaches us that where there is life there is hope, and so on -- we could continue this list far beyond the limits of a blog post.  But what is of true importance, once again, is Whom it is that we put our faith into, for Christ has a gospel message, a Kingdom characterized by certain realities He teaches, and the power of love and life.  His is not the gospel of rage or vengeance or material power.  He offers us that special thing we see on display in today's reading, and if we can look around, we'll find it all around us in the world of the faithful of today, yesterday, and those to come.  In that light, I'd like to share an inspirational blog post regarding a young man called "Superman," written by his Dad (found at this Substack link, which can be read free of charge).  Through faith, a boy with serious struggles became Superman, and continues to inspire.  Let us consider the power of our faith today, in such a world of devastating spectacle, but so much potential that is hidden without that faith.  Let us consider the miraculous, and how it may appear to us when we are least expecting it, without the eyes of faith to see it.

 

 

 

 

But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid"

 

Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

- Mark 6:47–56 

 

Yesterday we read that the apostles gathered to Jesus, having returned from their first apostolic mission, and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

 

Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  My study Bible comments that only God has dominion over nature; therefore this miraculous even confirms the divinity of Christ.  We recall the previous time the disciples were allowed to be caught in a storm (see this reading).  On that occasion Christ was with them, but here He had left them alone.  In this way, my study Bible notes, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  It is I can be literally translated from the Greek "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58).  My study Bible says that in this way, Christ reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  

 

And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  My study Bible teaches here that to know Christ is a matter of the heart, and not simply the intellect.  When our hearts are illumined by faith in God, it says, they are open to receive God's presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, the heart is understood as "the seat of knowledge."

 

 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.   Christ permits miracles through touch; we understand from this -- and also the healing of the woman with the blood flow in this reading --  that Christ's very body is life-giving.  

 

 If we take the first part of our reading for today, the story begins like a dream unfolding; or, we could say that in some sense it is reminiscent of a dream in the night.  It begins with a setting in which Jesus has stayed behind to go pray upon the mountain, while He has sent the disciples ahead of Him -- across the sea in a boat (see yesterday's reading, above).  Listen to the language of the text:  the disciples are in the boat in the middle of the sea, while Jesus is alone on the land.  Both are images of aloneness in some sense, and of being far away, even unconnected with one another.  We think of all of their activities from the previous day (again, see yesterday's reading, above), and all of the things they do always together, and now they are far apart and isolated from one another.  But Jesus, no matter where He is or how separated from them, sees what is happening with them:  He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  And here is the dream-like quality:  it's three o'clock in the morning.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  Isolated, in the deep dark of very early morning, in the middle of the Sea of Galilee with the wind against them.  This isn't a modern power boat, but an ancient which they must row across the sea.  Can we possibly imagine how frightening such a sight would appear to be?    So it is in this context we hear Jesus' words to them:  "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."   The Greek that is translated as "be of good cheer" means to take heart, to be emboldened, take courage, be confident.  It is the right response to the cold feeling of aloneness in the midst of the sea and dark and wind.  The "I Am" has already been remarked upon in the note from my study Bible.  Christ's presence is the presence of the Lord, even the Lord of the Old Testament, and that presence is meant to banish fear.  In Greek the command is a plural imperative addressing them all:  "μὴ φοβεῖσθε," "don't fear," the word for fear the same root that shapes the English word "phobia."  The lesson they (and we) are to take seems to be that Christ is always watching, even when He seems to have abandoned us and is far away, even when we are separated by a great distance and by great differences of environment -- even as Christ is at the right hand of the Father while we here in the world are lost at sea in our own ways and in our own dark nights.  He is watching and His presence is with us nevertheless, just as the Lord was with Israel in the stories of the Old Testament.  We see that the text is careful to emphasize that the disciples really hadn't understood Him yet and His divine nature, for it tells us they were astonished as "their heart was hardened."  They hadn't yet understood the things of the Lord, their faith was such that is would become, and this episode is likely, of course, to have informed their future missions into the world for the Kingdom.  They've just returned from their first missionary journey, but they still have a lot to learn, as do we throughout our lives and in terms of our faith.  We don't know how the Lord is with us, and how our faith works to call the One who comes to our side (the literal meaning of the Greek word Paraclete/Παράκλητος, also translated as Advocate (1 John 2:1).  In this case, they haven't even called Him as far as we know, but His eye is on them and He comes to them to banish their fears, and to still the wind.  It's important that we understand Christ as the God who sees (Genesis 16:13) even when we feel we're alone and isolated, and that we know we must call on the Lord.  Jesus says this also of Himself in His humanity, "I am not alone, because the Father is with Me" (John 16:32).  Even in our own aloneness, let us consider the God who sees, for He is always with us to dispel our fear so we may seek His presence and His way forward for us.  I have recently listened to some statistics that stated that today's generation of younger people seem to be suffering from a greater loneliness than ever before.  Let us consider the importance of Christ's presence as an answer to today's problems for many.

 

 

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  

On the following day, when the people were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 

- John 6:16–27 

 

Yesterday we read that, after disputes with the religious leaders (see John 5), Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

  Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.   This is the fifth of seven signs given to us in John's Gospel.  We recall that chapter 6 of this Gospel reads as a parallel to the story of the Exodus.  In the Exodus, Moses led the people across the Red Sea, walking on dry ground in the midst of the water (Exodus 14:15-31).  Here, Jesus has sent the disciples over the sea, and Himself walks on the sea as if it were dry land.  We note how, as with Israel in the Exodus, Christ allows the disciples to be alone in the storm on the sea.  It is a type of pattern in which faith is tested and strengthened.  My study Bible comments that Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the storms of life.  It is I is literally translated "I Am" (ego eimi/εγω ειμι), the divine Name of God which so enrages the religious leaders when Christ uses it in chapter 8 (see Saturday's reading). 

 

 On the following day, when the people were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Let us note that these people who so assiduously seek Jesus were the same ones who had been fed in the wilderness with Him (see yesterday's reading, above).  They are the same people who had wanted to forcefully make Him king, and whom He avoided by going to the mountain alone (also in yesterday's reading).  Jesus knows and understands their motivation, but turns that into an opportunity for teaching.  As so often happens in John's Gospel, His teaching turns us from an "earthly" understanding of earthly things, to the spiritual understanding illustrated by them.  Here Christ turns their thoughts, and ours, to the food which endures to everlasting life.  Just as "giving thanks" and distributing the bread in yesterday's reading gave us an image of the Eucharist, this understanding is given more clearly in Christ's final teaching here.

Jesus takes note of all the effort that these people have put into following Him.  They're the ones He fed in yesterday's reading (above), and they've followed Him on foot by anticipating where He would go after watching the disciples sail away without Him, and discovering He's not in this area after all.  They've gone to Capernaum in search of Him.  After all of their "work" Jesus continues to teach these people -- whom Matthew and Mark write were like sheep without a shepherd -- what exactly they should be "working" for.  They have made all this effort, followed Him all this way, "not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled."  After He fed them with the multiplication of loaves and fishes, they wanted to take Him and make Him king by force, but Jesus eluded them.  But now is another opportunity for teaching, and as the Good Shepherd, He says to them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  This is another order of magnitude of meaning beyond anything they have even considered.  Even the miraculous signs aren't what got them this far, but the desire for a king who can feed them at will, and provide everything for their physical needs.  He shifts their attention not only to the signs He's done (rather than the fact that their appetites were so filled), but beyond them.  What is the real substance of the food He offers?  It is the food which endures to everlasting life, the stuff that makes for salvation, for a substance beyond what the world the can give.  And this is what comes uniquely from the Son of Man, and only because God the Father has set His seal on Him.  Here they are presented with several orders of meaning:  the authority and blessing that comes only from God the Father (God's seal), that Christ is the Son of Man whose has come into the world to offer this food to us, and that the kind of food He wants them to work (labor) for is the food which endures to everlasting life.  What Jesus offers them, in addition to these valuable things, is a teaching that turns all of their thinking around -- and He will go further in our subsequent readings also.  So, we learn all kinds of things from today's reading, and Christ's teaching.  First, it is important to work.  God does not just want us to sit back and receive everything without working for it.  The disciples go through a test, one in which they are extremely challenged and threatened with a storm on the sea that even has seasoned fishermen (whose territory is this sea) afraid.  And yet, He is with them.  This period of fear and perceived risk is as important to their discipleship as to the period when Israel fled Phaaroah and came to the Red Sea.  The people chase after Christ, because of the physical food He was able to give them in the wilderness.  But they, too, must learn to work for something, and for the proper thing.  The good God is not just about making us into beings who simply wait to be cared for, but God's children, formed and shaped in the image and likeness of God with which we've been endowed.  We, also, must learn to labor, and what to labor for.  We need to learn the values we can serve with full hearts and ready souls.  We need to understand that it is God the Father who sets that true seal upon what is truly good for us, upon the One whom God has sent to us.  This is the place of real value, of true teaching, and the true Shepherd, because it is the One upon whom God has set His seal.  And finally, the kind of food Christ has been sent to offer us is the food that endures to everlasting life.  They're not merely to labor for the food they can put on the table as the ultimate goal in life, but something of a substance much greater, which can give fuel for an eternal life, and the value of which  is far beyond anything this world can offer, more rare than what most seek.  Let us consider all these ways in which Jesus teaches us what is good, what God wants for us, what we are to seek, and for what we are to labor -- because the One who loves us and calls us back to an eternal life has willed it, has sent Him, and He will sacrifice His life just so the sheep can receive what He is here to give.

 

And as many as touched Him were made well

 

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well. 

 

- Mark 6:47-56 

 

Yesterday we read that the apostles, having returned from their first apostolic mission, gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

 

  Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. My study Bible notes that this is the second time Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see also this reading from chapter 4, for the storm that occurred on their way to the country of the Gadarenes).  That first time, He was with them, asleep in the stern of the boat.  This time, Jesus has remained behind, and was praying on the mountain (see yesterday's reading, above), while He sent the disciples back across the Sea of Galilee, alone.  My study Bible comments that in this way, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  It is I is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58, Exodus 3:14).  In this statement, my study Bible asserts, Christ is reminding His fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  The fourth watch of the night is approximately three o'clock in the morning.

And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  My study Bible comments that knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not simply of the intellect.  When our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive His presence and grace.  Let us think carefully about the word "faith."  In the Greek of the New Testament, it is a word that means "trust."  We therefore trust in Christ with our hearts, and this is akin to love, a loving relationship with one who has our best interest in heart.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, my study Bible reminds us, the heart is known as "the seat of knowledge."

 

 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well. My study Bible comments here that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life-giving.  See also the woman with the years-long flow of blood, who touched His garment in faith in Mark 5:25-29.

If we take a look at this term, the land of Gennesaret, the name significantly tells us something which can relate to the text.  In Christ's time, this was an exceptionally fertile plain, producing a great variety of crops for consumption and also wild trees and flowers.  According to the Encyclopedia of the Bible, rabbinical tradition spoke of this plain as "the garden of God: and a "paradise."  Moreover, the first syllable of Gennesaret likely comes from a word that means "gardens," with a name attached.  Some suggest its Hebrew roots may mean "princely gardens."  Whatever the correct etymology of this word, it seems likely that this tremendous flowering of Christ's ministry that happens here gives us a picture of the "garden" of Christ, our Lord.  Because of the great power of His work to heal that is on display, especially because of the faith of those who run to Him, we view the fullness of what His salvation is and means.  Earlier, Jesus spoke of Himself to the Pharisees as a Physician (see this reading from chapter 2).  When confronted by them as to why He sat at table with sinners and tax collectors, He simply replied, ""Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."   Therefore we are to understand that Christ's identity and Physician, and this work of healing -- on all levels -- is central to the understanding of salvation, of the very meaning and purpose of the Incarnation.  If all of this healing takes place in this "princely garden" of God, a sort of paradise on earth, then we are to think of our faith and the work of Christ -- indeed the work of grace through the Holy Spirit -- as that which is healing.  Repentance also is central to this work, because repentance is necessary for change and forward movement in the direction of God.  The New Testament Greek word translated as "repentance" literally means "change of mind," and this change of mind that happens through the help of grace and the work of God, and needs our assent and faith, is a healing work.  It is a healing that affects the soul and all the part of who we are in turn, on all levels.  We read the quotation Jesus gives from Isaiah, when He explains to the disciples why He speaks in parables, and it tells us, "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed" (Isaiah 6:10, referenced in Matthew 13:14-16).  Our growth in faith, our deepening reconciliation to God through this work of transformation and grace, is indeed the work of healing.  Ultimately it is our souls and spirits which are healed, but this in turn affects body, mind, emotions, and the fullness of life.  For if we are healed in faith, we rest in a kind of love and security that feeds everything else, and we receive the kind of internal healing that knits us together where we are broken, surpassing what a normal physician can do for us.  There is no doubt, in terms of scientific and medical literature, what the effects of stresses are in our lives, and faith goes directly to this level of the heart, the center of our being.  For, as my study Bible points out and the ancient tradition of the Church tells us, the heart is a matter of much more than simply an intellectual decision.  It is a place of noetic discernment and understanding, a deep center within us that links us to the grace of God.  Let us consider the importance of trust and of all of its implications.  When we read about this place of "paradise" and "princely gardens" we should remember in whose garden we wish to be, the great Physician who has what we need for our deepest ailments.   In yesterday's reading, foretelling of the Eucharist, Jesus fed five thousand men -- and more women and children -- in a deserted place, multiplying meager resources.  Let us consider that He us in ways He deems necessary for ongoing healing and growth, nurturing all that we are -- especially the way we experience and see ourselves in this world.  In times which document growing rates of anxiety and depression, the way we find healing is most important, and can have the greatest impact on our lives.