Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  

 

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1–11 

 

Yesterday we read that, after teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. 

 

  So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee, Gennesaret being the name of a fertile plain and town nearby.  The name may derive from "garden," and mean "prince's garden," attributed to the fertility of both the agricultural land and the fishing in the lake.  

Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  My study Bible reminds us that sitting was the traditional Jewish position for a teacher.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.

 

 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan, who sees the spiritual meaning of this command ("Launch out into the deep") as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  

 

  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  Christ draws people to Himself by things with which they are already familiar.  My study Bible gives the examples of the Magi who were drawn to Him by a star (Matthew 2:2), and the tax collectors drawn to Him by a tax collector appointed as disciple (Luke 5:29), so here He draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus, my study Bible says (contrast Luke 8:37).  Peter is suddenly cast in the light of Christ; he responds in a way common to holy people.  That is, a perception which makes them keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17).  

 

  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. This great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my study Bible tells us.  It also fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  An Orthodox hymn of Pentecost proclaims to Him, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

 

While astonishment in others has led to rejection (see Christ's visit to the town where He was brought up, Nazareth, in this reading), here the sheer astonishment of these fishermen produces an entirely different response.  We can also see the strong comparison between the townspeople of Nazareth, Jesus' former neighbors, and St. Peter.  His neighbors were resentful at His "gracious words" and also that He spoke with authority.  When He reminded His neighbors from Nazareth that Elisha and Elijah were sent to foreigners by God to do miraculous works, they were outraged enough to seek to kill Him.  But here, let us note Peter's seemingly automatic response to holiness:  his recognition that he is a sinful man, and cannot measure up to the divine presence before him.  These are completely different responses, characterized by humility (and the self-awareness that goes with it) in Peter and the lack of it in the townspeople.  Ironically, Jesus was telling the people of Nazareth that He would not produce miracles and signs on demand, implying that faith is the ingredient necessary for such events.  Here we can see the faithful response of the fishermen, the immediate recognition of holiness by Peter.  In some sense, the light of Christ shone in Peter's perception both to illuminate His holiness and also Peter's sinfulness (or perhaps we should say "less than holiness" for this is a statement of comparison to the perfection of Christ).  St. Peter often illustrates for us what it is to be an imperfect human being, but one with a great capacity for faith, and for change in light of the illumination of Christ.  He is the one who initially rebukes Christ after he hears that Jesus will be crucified, but at the same time, he's the one who confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (see Matthew 16:13-23).  But the same humility we experience in St. Peter in today's reading is also present at Christ's rebuke in that passage in Matthew 16, for although he's told in front of the others, "Get behind Me, Satan!" by his Lord, Peter nonetheless continues as a devoted disciple among the Twelve.  Let us consider this great man, whose flaws are on display in the Gospels, and whose greatness comes through nevertheless.  For he is a great example to us all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1–11 

 

Yesterday we read that, after preaching there, Jesus arose from the synagogue in Capernaum and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went to a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  My study Bible explains that the Lake of Gennesaret is also known as the Sea of Galilee.  It is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  

 

 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  My study Bible explains that sitting was the traditional position for a teacher.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  In Matthew 5:1, Jesus is described as "seated" just before He begins to preach the Sermon on the Mount to His disciples.  

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  My study Bible tells us that St. Ambrose sees a spiritual meaning in the command to launch out into the deep, as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  

 

 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  My study Bible comments here that the Lord draws people to Himself by things which are familiar to them.  As He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), as He would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (Luke 5:29), here Christ draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23).  

 

 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  My study Bible says that Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast this to Luke 8:37).  Rather, he suddenly sees himself in the light of Christ.  My study Bible explains that holy people such as Peter become keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17). 

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  My study Bible explains that the great catch of fish is an image of the apostles, who bring mankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  In the Eastern Orthodox festal hymn of Pentecost, it is sung, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

 

There are a few interesting elements in today's reading which we might call poetic.  It is something of the poetry of Scripture, or perhaps we might simply say the poetry of God.  First of all, the text says that they are at the Lake of Gennesaret, where Simon Peter has his boat, and is fishing along with James and John Zebedee.  The etymology of the word Gennesaret is disputed and unclear. But many suggest that the basis for the name is a word for "garden."  Some say it means possibly, "garden of the Prince," or suggestive of Paradise (long associated with a beautiful garden).  The Lake of Gennesaret (also known as the Sea of Galilee) overlooks a very fertile plain called the plain of Gennesaret.  This area was known for its abundance:  abundant fertility and variety of crops, good soil and conditions for growth, as well as the abundance of fish the lake provided here.  So, all of this combines with the poetic imagery of the disciples whom Jesus says will become fishers of men.  They will go out to bring an abundant harvest, an abundant catch, symbolized in the great catch of fish in their nets, and they bear the kingdom of heaven with them, the "Paradise" suggested in the name and the abundant beauty and fertility of this region, evidently great conditions for the sustaining of human life.  Think of the impossibly great multiples of faithful created through this beginning of Christ's ministry and this handful of early disciples.   Finally we come to the end of our reading, in which we're told that these early disciples brought their boats to land, and then forsook all and followed Him.  We know they were already disciples before this point (in yesterday's reading, we read how Jesus came to Peter's house, and healed his mother-in-law of a fever).  But now they are called by Christ to a new life, a new métier, a new way of life and work to do, so they forsake all and follow Him.  When we think of that net full of fish to the point of breaking, the boats full to the point of sinking, we can think of this fertile plain, and the surprising variety of crops that grew together, usually requiring varying conditions, because that is what the future Church would look like.  That abundance of the fish is the abundance of the countless number of people since who have come to know Christ because of the apostles.  These men, too, will give it their "all," for they have been called, and they will respond, nearly all of them holding nothing back, including even the sacrifice of their lives.  Jesus told them to "launch out into the deep," and so they have -- deepening their faith, moving toward the deeper mysteries of God, and expanding their commitment more deeply into their hearts and lives.

 

 

 

Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  

 

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1–11 

 

On Saturday, we read that after preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus arose from there and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.   

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.   The Lake of Gennesaret is also known as the Sea of Galilee, which indeed is truly a very large lake.  Possibly this name is used here in the context of the story as Gennesaret was a name that holds the meaning of a type of garden (possibly meaning "princely gardens").  The entire region was understood as extremely fertile agriculturally, as well as for its abundance of fish, germane to today's reading.  Note that the text tells us that Jesus sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  Sitting was the traditional position for an authoritative  Jewish teacher.  My study Bible remarks that some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  

 

 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  Jesus tells Simon to launch out into the deep.  My study cites St. Ambrose as seeing the spiritual meaning of this command as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  It adds that the Lord draws people to Himself through things that are familiar to them.  It says that as He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), and as He would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (Luke 5:29), here He draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). 

 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"   Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast Luke 8:37), but an astonishing recognition of Christ's holiness.  My study Bible comments that being suddenly cast in the light of Christ, holy people such as Peter become keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17).  

 

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  My study Bible says that the great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Moreover, it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  In the festal hymn of Pentecost, the Orthodox sing, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."  Note that the text says that they forsook all and followed Him.  They respond with full hearts; they are all in.

 

Jesus "brings in" these first disciples through the extraordinary catch of fish in the place He told them to put down their nets.  It is enough for Simon Peter to understand Christ's holiness, and indeed to call Him "Lord."  John's Gospel tells us that these first disciples were earlier introduced to Christ through the preaching of John the Baptist (John 1:35-42).   So we may assume that although this is the first encounter mentioned in Luke's Gospel (after the healing of Peter's mother-in-law in Saturday's reading),  Peter, James, and John already knew who Jesus was and had certainly heard His preaching.  But when this extraordinary catch of fish happens for them, it reveals to Peter a deep truth he was somehow prepared to accept.  It is not some sort of "proof" that compels him to faith, or simply dazzles him with astonishment.  It serves as a sign of truth which prompted something in him that was already seeking, and prepared to be kindled by faith.  We can learn from his response what it is to truly respond to a revelation, a sign of something present, and to recognize that presence through the kindling of honest faith.  His astonished response, so typical of this earnest if not always prudent apostle, gives us the truth of what type of man he is, and what is in his heart.  He feels his whole self revealed to Christ, even as Christ is -- through his capacity for faith -- revealed to him.  This kind of "naked" revelation of his soul in the light of Christ is what prompts his response to Jesus.  It is Peter's own awareness of his sinfulness, his imperfection, that he becomes aware of.   Peter's absolute honesty and recognition of himself in that light becomes a testimony to his capacity for faith, another revelation of what kind of man he is, and why he becomes the apostle we know.  These three -- Peter, James, and John -- will become Christ's closest inner circle, the ones with the faith He most relies upon throughout His ministry.  When Jesus goes up on the Mount of Transfiguration, it is Peter, James, and John whom He takes with Him (Luke 9:28-36).  When He prays before His Passion in the garden of Gethsemane, it is Peter, James, and John upon whom He calls to stay with Him and pray (Matthew 26:35-46).  None of these disciples does everything perfectly when asked by Jesus on these occasions (there is a lot of sleep involved when things are overwhelming for them).  It is during the time in Gethsemane when Jesus tells Simon (Peter), "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).  But it is from encounters such as the one in today's reading that we understand Jesus calls those whose spirit is willing, and knows who they are, for they respond with something deep inside of themselves that is the root of faith.  Let us keep in mind that He will give Simon the name Peter ("Rock"), for the rock of faith upon which the Church will be built, expressed in Peter's confession (Matthew 16:13-20).  For now, let us understand that the recognition with which Simon responds to Christ in today's reading is a sign of that capacity for faith, a deep response that grasps at the true meaning in the abundance of faith.  For He calls those upon whom He seeks to rely for the growth of that faith, and discipleship, and we may well also become fishers of men like they do.

 

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

 

 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 Herod now suspected He was John the Baptist risen 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 give 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.  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 that Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see this reading; verses 23-27).  The first time it happened 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," the divine Name of God (see John 8:58, Exodus 3:14).  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 the Lord.  Peter can participate in this divine miracle so long as he keeps his focus on Christ.  But as soon as he is 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 asks us to note that the Greek term for doubt here means "wavering" or "hesitation."  The cause of Peter's sinking, it notes, is not the storm but rather Peter's doubt; therefore Christ doesn't rebuke the wind, but He 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."   My study Bible comments that this is the first time the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  It says that they know that only God can be worshiped, and confess Christ's divinity by worshiping Him.  (The word for worshiped in the text means to bow down prostrate in reverence to, the act of worship.)  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.  My study Bible says that Christ permits miracles through touch in order to show that His very body is life, and that contact with His flesh is life-creating (see Matthew 9:20-22).  

In accordance with the traditional understanding that the boat with Christ and the disciples is an image of the Church, my study Bible comments that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see God's protection more clearly.  Such storms also serve as images of the tempests within us that stir the soul, and cause frustration, dismay, anxiety, and a host of other feelings to come into ourselves and overwhelm us.  In that sense, the surging waters in the midst of a storm also symbolize such internal tempests that rock us.  We're reminded of the story of Genesis, in which "the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).  To be without form and void is an image of chaos, the deep waters a sense of being overwhelmed, and all the darkness gives us a picture of a time when we can't see our way through, can't think how we'll get through.  To use another metaphor, a time when we "can't see the forest for the trees."  But the next thing that happens in the Genesis story is that creative power that tells us that as long as the Spirit of God is hovering over, whatever we think we see and experience is not the whole picture, but God is also present, and so is the power of God.  Suddenly God the Word is present in the command, "Let there be light," and there was light.  And the Word in today's reading walks on the stormy dark waters to the disciples, the Word announces His presence, saying literally, "I am," the name of the Lord from the Old Testament.  And He also tells them "Be of good cheer!" and "do not be afraid."  In today's reading, it is Christ who brings with Him the light that changes everything, so that they can see what is truly what -- that they are not alone, and not abandoned, and that He is with them, wherever they are -- even in the dark stormy waters about the fourth watch of the night.  That is, midst the dark and unknown chaos of three o'clock in the morning.  If we can know in the midst of our own stormy and chaotic times in the darkness of 3 A.M. that Christ is present there in the darkness, how much is that worth to us?  If we know that the Spirit of God hovers over our times when we can't see the billows and waves coming at us, how much is that worth?  If we know the light is present to guide us, how much is that worth to us?  It means we aren't alone, that there is a force to guide us and help us, and that in even the darkest moments there is someone who knows us, who sees us, who hovers over and comes to us, that there is a source of the light we need to see our way through when the wind seems to blow against us no matter how hard we try.  When we're overwhelmed, it is hard to take refuge in hope, but nevertheless it is to prayer we must turn and know that this is what we can do and must not forget.  For although we might feel alone, oftentimes such storms are meant to help us to realize what is possible, and the strength and courage and endurance of which we're capable, the guidance and faith in which we need to put our trust even in times we can feel no trust.  For this is the way the disciples have gone before us and the countless faithful throughout the generations who've gone before.  It is the world in which we live, the life He knows we live, and the only way through it.