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 feared 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.  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 points out that only God has dominion over nature.  Therefore, this miracle confirms the divinity of Christ.  It notes that this is the second time Christ permits the disciples to be caught in a storm (see also this reading).  The first time He was with them; here He had left them alone.  In this way, Jesus 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 (John 8:58; Exodus 3:14).  Thus He reminds the fearful disciples that He has 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 St. Peter's faith allows him to walk on the water.  It asks us to note that St. Peter does not  ask to walk on water per se, but rather to come to Jesus.  That is, his desire is not to perform miracles but to be with Christ.  St. Peter can participate in this divine miracle so long as he keeps his focus on Christ.  As soon as he's distracted he begin 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?"  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  According to my study Bible, the Greek term for doubt here means "wavering" or "hesitation."  In other words a kind of vacillating between one position and another.  The cause of St. Peter's sinking, it says, was not the storm but the doubt; therefore Christ doesn't rebuke the storm, but He rebukes St. Peter.  

 

Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."  This is the first time the disciples confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  Knowing that only God can be worshiped, my study Bible says, they confess Christ's divinity by worshiping Him.  The boat, as in the previous reading in which the disciples encountered a storm, 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 comments that Christ permits miracles through touch to show that His very body is life; contact with His flesh is life-creating (see Matthew 9:20-22).   

 

St. John Chrysostom has an interesting take on the story in today's reading.  He notes that the text first tells us that when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they cried out for fear, thinking they saw a ghost.  They were already struggling with the storm, the wind being contrary and the waves shaking the boat.  Christ's appearance, bringing another fear, works in a particular way.  He comments that Jesus "does not hesitate to bring on worse things, even more alarming than those before.  They were troubled here not only by the storm but also by the distance from the land. Note that he did not too easily remove the darkness. He did not come quickly to their rescue. He was training them, as I said, by the continuance of these fears and instructing them to be ready to endure."  Additionally, Jesus did not come to them until the fourth watch of the night (three o'clock in the morning).  According to St. Chrysostom, in this way also "He was instructing them not too hastily to seek for deliverance from their pressing dangers but to bear all challenges courageously.   In any case, just when they looked to be delivered, their fear was again heightened" [by what they presumed was a ghost].  It seems that this mirrors patterns that I, for one, have observed in my life.  Something stressful, frightful, and difficult comes along out of the blue, and as a surprise; cope with the first hurdle and it's not over.  Then there is a second one, another challenge, calling you toward greater courage and greater faith at the same time.  Often there will be yet another to meet in succession.  In fact, in this way, one finds greater and greater strength through reliance upon Christ, upon faith and prayer.  In this case in today's reading, there is first of all the stormy wind, there is the darkness, and then there is the ghost-like appearance of Christ.  All of these compound and add to the fears of the disciples.  But it is Christ who in the end is there, even with them on the water, and Christ to whom St. Peter is drawn -- and when his faith wavers, he begins to sink.  It seems to be an astute assessment by St. Chrysostom of this situation, and one that echoes and measures the challenges we will go through in life, be they frightening, threatening, or all of the above.  But St. Chrysostom has the right idea when he comments that Jesus teaches us to bear all challenges courageously.  Indeed, we look to the examples of the saints who did the same, and in particular, to Christ Himself.  Our faith teaches us strength, and a way to uphold life even in the worst and most exigent of circumstances.  But Christ gives us this strength, and grace works through prayer to help us to find the strength we didn't think we could have.  In the Book of Nehemiah we read, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).  Most indeed, today's full reading, and the assurance of the apostles at Jesus' word, could be summed up in that phrase.  Let us remember this in times when we grieve, when we fear, when we face challenges we're not sure we know how to cope and to deal with.  For He is with us always.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?

 

 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

- Mark 4:35–41 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has begun to teach in parables.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  for there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable he did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. 

 

  On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"  This story gives us an example of Christ's identity as both divine (Lord) and human.  Only God could give commands to the sea and the wind (note that He has the power to rebuke these natural forces); see Job 38:8-11; Psalm 66:5-6, 107:29.  On the other hand, Jesus was asleep on a pill showing His purely human need for rest.  In Christ's Incarnation, according to my study Bible, Jesus assumed all the natural actions of the flesh, of which sleep is one.  This image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is one traditionally used to illustrate the Church.  It adds that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see God's protection more clearly.  This rebuke of the storm by Christ is also an image of His calming the tempests of the human soul.  

 

Jesus and the disciples venture off across the Sea of Galilee.  All of this, of course, happens at the urging of Jesus, at His command, "Let us cross over to the other side."  The Lord, who can even command the wind and the sea, must have been aware of where He was asking to go.  Indeed, we'll find quite an unusual mission awaiting Jesus and the disciples on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  We should always keep in mind, when we read about such storms at sea in the Gospels, that several of Christ's key disciples are in fact, fishermen, and it is the Sea of Galilee which is their home territory.  Granted their work is usually in familiar waters close to home.  But when these men become terrified to the point where they fear that they are perishing, we should take quite seriously the level of the threats to their safety.  This section (and the following story we will read in the next lectionary reading) remind me of the ancient seafaring myths, particularly of the Greeks in the stories of Odysseus or Jason.  It is quite an adventure, indeed, and will turn into an even stranger one.  They brave these frightening and wild elements of the sea.  Perhaps we should consider the ancient threat of sea-creatures such as Leviathan, a monster representing chaos and destruction (see Job 3:8, 41:1; Psalm 74:14; Isaiah 27:1), a demonic god worshiped in various forms around the ancient Middle and Near East.  Here, Christ in His role as Lord, commands the winds and the sea, and asserts His authority even over such chaos and threatening destruction.  There is no doubt that it is true, as my study Bible notes, that Christ deliberately brings the disciples through this threatening and frightening time, impossible even for these fishermen not to fear their own destruction.  But all of it is a lesson that will serve them well in their future apostolic missions, and in the time to come when Jesus is no longer present with them in the flesh as incarnate human being.  For we all go through frightening storms in our lives, do we not?  There is one thing and another that feels like a threat, and still more things we need to let go of in our lives.  We die small deaths in imitation of Christ on the Cross, when we bear our own crosses and deal with our own difficulties and seeming threats to our well-being.  But there is one powerful message in this story to add to Christ's leadership and His power, and that is in His sleeping in the boat.  There are times when God seems not to care at all, not to be aware of what we're going through.  Certainly Jesus asleep in the stern can in some sense be likened to the time He will spend in the cave that will be His tomb, and the time after His Ascension.  But we, like the disciples, need to call on Him, and we need to have our faith.  For this seems to be the lesson He wishes to impress upon them, that regardless of the threats that seem to present themselves, faith remains the one thing necessary.  

 

 

 

 

 

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit

 

 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. 

 

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from  God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  

 

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  

 

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?   No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

 

- John 2:23—3:15 

 

On Saturday we read that the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

 

  Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.   St. John's Gospel gives us three Passover feasts between the Lord's baptism and His Passion (see also John 6:4; 11:55). This teaches us that Christ's earthly ministry lasted three years.  

 

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from  God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."   My study Bible comments that Nicodemus believed Jesus was from God, but his faith is still weak at this point, as he is afraid of his peers and so came to Jesus by night.   After this conversation, Nicodemus' faith will grow to the point of defending Jesus before the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-51) and finally making the bold public expression of faith of preparing and entombing Christs body (John 19:39-42).  Nicodemus' memory is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on the third Sunday of Pascha (Easter) together with the Myrrhbearing Women and Joseph of Arimathea.  My study Bible reports that according to some early sources, Nicodemus was baptized by St. Peter and was consequently removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to flee Jerusalem. 

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   In the Greek, the word translated again can also be understood as meaning "from above."  It therefore clearly refers to the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ (John 1:12-13).  This heavenly birth, my study Bible explains, is baptism, and our adoption by God as our Father (Galatians 4:4-7).  It is simply the beginning of our spiritual life, with its goal being entrance into the kingdom of God.  

 

 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Nicodemus misunderstands, and questions the possibility of a second physical birth.  This is frequently a pattern in St. John's Gospel (see John 2:19-21; 4:10-14, 30-34; 6:27; 7:37-39; 11:11-15).  Jesus uses such opportunities to elevate an idea from a superficial or worldly meaning to a heavenly and eternal one. 

 

 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  The birth of water and the Spirit is a direct reference to Christian baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit which is given at chrismation, my study Bible comments.  To be born of the Spirit is to participate in adoption as a child of God.  It is not a matter of ethnic descent, nor natural birth, nor by our own decision.  To become a child of God is a spiritual birth by grace, my study Bible says, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  It's accomplished and manifested in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (see also Titus 3:4-7).  Jesus' teaching includes a play on words. The Greek word pneuma/πνευμα means both wind and Spirit.  The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth, my study Bible explains, is as mysterious as the source and destination of the blowing wind.  So also, the Spirit moves where He wills and cannot be contained by human ideas or agendas. 

 

 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?   No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."  According to my study Bible, St. John Chrysostom comments that earthly things refer to grace and baptism given to human beings.  These are "earthly" in the sense that they occur on earth and are given to creatures, not that they are not spiritual.  The heavenly things involve the ungraspable mysteries of the eternal generation of the Son from the Father, my study Bible says. They relate to His eternal existence before all time (with the Father and the Spirit) and to God's divine plan of salvation for the world.  It notes that a person must first grasp the ways in which God works among human beings before one can even begin to understand things that pertain directly to God Himself.  

 

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  Moses lifted up an image of a serpent in order to cure the Israelites from the deadly bites of poisonous snakes (Numbers 21:4-9).  This miracle-working image prefigured Christ being lifted up on the Cross, my study Bible says.  It notes that as believers behold the crucified Christ in faith, the power of sin and death is overthrown in them.  Just as the image of a serpent was the weapon that destroyed the power of the serpents, so the instrument of Christ's death becomes the weapon that overthrows death itself. 

 

 John's Gospel dives more deeply into the mystical reality which Christ brings into the world in today's Gospel reading.  We have gone from the beginning of Christ's public ministry with the baptism of John the Baptist, to here, in which Christ begins to explain what it is to be "born again" or rather, "born from above," meaning to be born of the Spirit in Christian Holy Baptism.  Just as Jesus must use "earthly" language to describe spiritual realities, so we know that the Incarnation is the powerful plan of salvation in which God the Logos comes to us in human form, and gives us gifts which enable us to participate in the kingdom of heaven even as human beings in our world.  Once again, we observe the reality of Christ that He brings into the world as something which is "hidden in plain sight," even as He seeks to explain to Nicodemus the Pharisee, who comes to Him by night to learn from Him.  Here is one more gem hidden in this Gospel, that of the story of Nicodemus himself.  For we do not expect, those of us who have perhaps becomes a little too used to the stories we hear in Church, that there is at least one among the Pharisees, and perhaps many more, who were actually believers in Christ.  We're told that besides Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea also figures prominently in the story of Jesus, and both of these significant men among the Sanhedrin, the ruling Council.  Notably, it is St. John's Gospel which tells us the fullness of this story, despite the fact that the term "the Jews," so often used in this particular Gospel to indicate the religious leaders, has been misconstrued throughout history.  It is also St. John's Gospel that will tell us, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  Let us endeavor to read carefully as we continue, for there is so much hidden in plain sight.  It's all too easy to miss, and to generalize.  Just like the mysterious wind that blows where it wishes, the Scripture gives us glimmers of light and reveals things we don't expect.  But let us praise the Gospel in the truth and light it brings to us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?

 

 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

- Mark 4:35-41 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, after beginning to preach in parables, then asked, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.   

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"  My study Bible explains that the Lord's mastery over creation is another sign that He is the Messiah and is divine.  Commands to the sea can only be given by God (Job 38:8-11; Psalm 65:5-6, 107:29).  It notes that Jesus was asleep because, as a man, he needed rest.  In Christ's Incarnation, He assumed all the natural actions of the flesh, including sleep.  Additionally, this image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is a traditional one used to illustrate the Church.  My study Bible remarks that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see God's protection more clearly.  Jesus' rebuke of the storm is also an illustration of Christ's calming the tempests in the human soul.  

My study Bible comments that Christ's  rebuke of the storm is also an illustration of His calming the tempests in our souls.  Such a commentary makes it clear that "tempests" are the stuff of life within all of our collective experiences, and thus we should think about how we bring them to the Church, to Christ.  If we all experience these upheavals, times when we're afraid, when we don't know what is going to happen next or what the outcome will be, then we all have times when our faith is tested and our trust in Christ becomes, at least in some sense, challenged.  The disciples ask Jesus (who is asleep on a pillow), "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  This is clearly a time of the testing of their faith, as their challenge to Jesus expresses.  Doesn't He care?  Doesn't our Lord care if we perish?   But this question phrased in this way in the Gospel indicates something much deeper than human physical death, for this word is quite often used for a deeper, eternal death, a spiritual death.  It's also translated as to destroy or to annihilate, a certain death.  So, if we hear this question posed to Christ on those terms, we can most certainly say with confidence that Christ cares indeed about whether or not we will perish in an eternal or spiritual sense, because it is for this reason that He has come into the world, to save us all in this sense.  And perhaps, this is what we should think about when we think of perishing, and the tempests of life.  For the times of the testing of our faith don't really rest so much upon the outcome to our physical life conditions in this world, but the spiritual ones.  Do we come out of harrowing times with resentment toward God, or a detachment, or with a lack of faith?  These are the questions that seem more pertinent than whether or not we suffer in some sense that is physical, for all of us have expectations that we one day will die in the human, mortal sense.  While life in this world is indeed precious, and is given to us and created by God for us to cherish and cultivate, there's a deeper death implied in the word to "perish," and that's particularly true of the Greek word from which it's translated (ἀπόλλυμι/apollymi).  It's also the root word used to name "the Destroyer" or the angel of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:11.   So, we may ask, does Christ care if we are perishing?  And most certainly and emphatically the answer to that question is "yes."  He will die on the Cross to save us from that permanent, eternal spiritual death.  But in the reading, Jesus asks the disciples, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  In some sense, we can also understand that there are times in life we're given this experience of some sort of "storm" so that we strengthen our faith through it.  Relying on Christ, on prayer, on help from other faithful in the Church, becomes a way of learning and growing in dependence upon Christ through our fear, teaching us more about resilience and endurance, and even how our faith works through difficult circumstances.  So, in this context, the disciples will learn about facing the tempests which are yet to come to them, when they will go out into the world and preach the gospel, and brave persecutions of all kinds.  Oftentimes we may find that it is through difficult circumstances that our faith becomes deeper, teaching us not only about resiliency under duress, but even the creative potentials hidden to us that become revealed through persistent faith, to see a light in the tunnel, a path forward, a way to resolve something which remains a blessed sense of life and its continuity.  Frequently, outcomes may not be what we hoped for or expected, but faith leads to a different path that turns out to be one filled with light, one we had not expected nor understood before the storm and testing.  A persistent faith in facing a difficult situation may frequently produce unforeseen solutions and new ways of thinking to learn.  So Christ's faith works in us, and His powerful care remains active, even when He seems to be asleep or missing to us.  As human beings, these form our common experiences, for we are so often weak and at the mercy of forces beyond our personal control.  We can either put faith in the power of control, or faith in Christ who teaches us what is possible for us.  So often our choices seem to come down to that, a basic dichotomy that poses to us the very question of the reality of our existence and what foundation life is based on.  Where will you put your trust?

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.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

 

 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  

 

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  

 

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

 

"Do not marvel that I said you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  

 

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  

 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  

 

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

- John 3:1–21 

 

On Saturday, we read that the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.   

 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."   Today the Gospel gives us a faithful man of the Pharisees.  As the text tells us, this means he was a ruler of the Jews, part of the religious leadership in the temple.  My study Bible comments on these first verses that Nicodemus believed that Jesus was from God, but at this point, his faith is still weak, as he is afraid of his peers, and so therefore came to Jesus by night.  After this conversation, Nicodemus' faith will grow to the point of defending Jesus before the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-51) and finally he will make a bold public expression of faith by preparing and entombing Christ's body (John 19:39-42).  In the Orthodox Church, his memory is celebrated on the third Sunday of Pascha (Easter) together with the Myrrhbearing Women and Joseph of Arimathea (who was also a prominent member of the Council and a wealthy man).  According to some early sources, my study Bible says, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter and consequently removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to flee Jerusalem.

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Regarding the term born again, the word translated as "again" from the Greek literally means "from above."  It clearly refers to the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ (John 1:12-13).  This heavenly birth is baptism and our adoption by God as our Father, my study Bible says (Galatians 4:4-7).  This new birth is just the beginning of our spiritual life; the ultimate goal is entrance into the kingdom of God.  

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"   Nicodemus misunderstands, and so asks about being physically born a second time.  These types of misunderstandings are frequent in John's Gospel (John 2:19-21; 4:10-14, 30:34; 6:27; 7:37-39; 11:11-15).  These become opportunities for Christ to elevate an idea from a superficial or earthly meaning to a heavenly and eternal meaning.  

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."  The birth of water and the Spirit is a direct reference to Christian baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit which is given at chrismation.  This is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit, and thus adoption as a child of God (see Titus 3:4-7). 

 

"Do not marvel that I said you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Here there is a play on words.  In the Greek of the Gospel, the Greek word πνευμα/pneuma means both wind and Spirit.  The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth, my study Bible comments, is as mysterious as the source and destination of the blowing wind.  Similarly, the Spirit moves where the Spirit wills, and cannot be contained by human ideas or agendas.  

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, according to whom earthly things is a reference to grace and baptism given to human beings.  These things are "earthly" in the sense that they occur on earth and are given to creatures, although they are spiritual in nature.  The heavenly things referred to here are the ungraspable mysteries of the eternal generation of the Son from the Father, and they relate to the Son's eternal existence before all time and to God's divine plan of salvation for the world.  My study Bible comments that a person must first grasp the ways in which God works among human beings before one can even begin to understand the things that pertain exclusively to God in God's identity.

 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  In Numbers 21:4-9, we read that Moses lifted up an image of a serpent in order to cure the Israelites from deadly bites of poisonous snakes.  This was a miracle-working image, which, as Jesus indicates here, prefigured Christ being lifted up on the Cross.  As believers behold the crucified Christ in faith, my study Bible says, the power of sin and death is overthrown in them.  Just as the image of a serpent became the weapon that destroyed the power of the serpents, so the instrument of Christ's death becomes the weapon that overthrows death itself.  

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  My study Bible comments that to show the reason the Son must be crucified (or "lifted up" as He refers to it in the preceding passage),  Jesus here declares God's great love not only for Israel but for the world.  This single verse, cited quite often, expresses the whole of the message of John's Gospel, and, my study Bible adds, of salvation history.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  My study Bible says of this passage that, while Christ came to save and not to condemn, human beings have free will.  So, this gift can be rejected; and a person effectively be condemned through one's own rejection.  

What is salvation?  One must consider all the ways in which we come to understand how salvation works.  There is first of all Holy Baptism, of which today's passage speaks.  This is baptism with both water and the Holy Spirit.  We recall that John the Baptist baptized with water, but not with the Holy Spirit, and his was a baptism of repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah (the Christ).  Baptism with water is a type of symbolic burial and rebirth; to be submerged is to take off the old life, and rise up out of the waters of sin, to repent and to seek another way.  But to remit sin, to "put away" sin, is the property of God in the person of Jesus Christ.  Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we are given the capacity to become children of God, and to be transformed into those who may enter the kingdom of God.  So to be reborn in the Spirit is a process of faith, a transformation throughout our lives so that we may be saved in that sense -- to enter into this quality of eternal life.  These are indeed mysteries of God, but they are "earthly" in the sense that they have been given to us, and through the life of the Church and its saints, through the experience of countless faithful, grace has played a role that we know and can experience and see.  Again, we revisit the words of Christ, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).  To be baptized in Holy Baptism is therefore a tremendous gift, made possible through the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ, and the grace freely given to us all.  But we remain free to reject this salvation, and to lose it.  Let us remember, everything is given to us from God's love, which Christ lives and enacts throughout His ministry.  Let us receive His way to the life He offers to us. 

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.

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, returning from their first 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 comments that this is the second time that Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see also this reading from a week ago).  The first time, He was with them.  But this time, He had sent them across the sea alone, while He stayed behind on the mountain for solitary prayer.  In this way, my study Bible says, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life. "It is I" translates literally to "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).  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.   To know Christ is a matter of the heart and not simply the intellect.  When our hearts are illumined by faith in God, my study Bible says, they are open to receive Christ's presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, it adds, the heart is known as "the seat of knowledge."  Interestingly, When Christ tells the disciples to "be of good cheer" in the previous verses, this is a word that means to "take courage" or "be emboldened."   It might be rendered by the common expression to "take heart."  But it means to be warmed from within.  So, in this sense, Christ's call to "be of good cheer" is also a matter of the heart.

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 states that Christ permits miracles though touch in order to show that His very body is life-giving (see also Mark 5:25-29).  

Jesus shows up to the disciples, walking across the water, on the sea, and tells them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  We must always note that it is about the fourth watch of the night, meaning this takes place at approximately three o'clock in the morning.  If we think about our own times of panic and fear, we can associate the time of "about" three o'clock in the morning with the stuff of nightmares, bad dreams, sudden fears, panic attacks.  F. Scott Fitzgerald has famously written, "In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day" (The Crack Up, 1936).  It's a time when we're seen to be vulnerable, and our sleep can be disturbed.  Sometimes these fears are attributable to influences that steer us away from Christ, from our faith.  After all, as we have read so often across our recent readings from the lectionary, Christ is constantly contrasting faith with fear.  He has repeatedly reminded those in His care to substitute faith for fear.  He told Jairus who sought help for his daughter, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  The previous time the disciples were desperately afraid crossing the sea while Jesus slept, He told them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  The woman with the twelve year blood flow "took heart" and courage, facing all of her fears in her deep need for help, because of her faith in Christ, and touched His hem and was healed (in the same reading as the story of Jairus and his daughter).  Repeatedly we observe this call from Christ, and as He calls to us today, we must observe the same dichotomy and contrast between fear and faith.  When He makes His appearance before the apostles in today's reading, even walking across the water, there is another sort of "spooky" element to the story; they fear that they are seeing a ghost.  Even this adds to the contrast of fear and faith.  For ghosts were then and remain a part of the lore of fearfulness, of things that make us afraid, and it is once again Christ who banishes the tyranny of fear.  His command, to "be of good cheer!" is rooted in a verb that means to "warm."  It's a call to be warmed up and thus emboldened from the inside, from the heart.  So even this is in contrast to the fearful time in the dark on the sea at 3:00 A.M., in what was no doubt a cold wind blowing against them as they strained at rowing.  Christ the true Light is the One who brings the lamp of His fire to us, so that we might see in the dark, but maybe more importantly, so that we are warmed up, emboldened, and take good cheer from within.  We take heart in His light, we can trust in Him, and He can show us the way.  He is the one who banishes the ghosts of our fears and guides us forward, but we must take heart in Him and trust.  Perhaps it is for this reason that the Church teaches historically that we need to guard our hearts, banishing fear, but also being willing to pray into our pain and uncertainty, to reach for Him and His words of eternal life.  Our deepest fears may be confronted in Him, if we but have the courage to meet them His way.  And this is the journey for us of faith through Lent when we are reminded that we are to place all things in His hands and cast off the things we're to leave behind.  Let us not allow our hearts to be hardened.  The ghosts of the past cannot haunt us if we allow ourselves to be led by the light of His lamp.

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock

 

 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall."  And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

 

- Matthew 7:22–29 

 

We have been reading through the Sermon on the Mount in our recent lectionary readings.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught,  "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.  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

 

  "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"  This statement should be taken in conjunction with the final verse from yesterday's reading (above):  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."   My study Bible comments that this is a threefold testimony to the deity of Jesus Christ:  He calls Himself Lord (referring to the divine name of "Yahweh" in the Old Testament); He speaks of the will of My Father, which He fully knows and shares; and finally, as judge, He's revealed as God, for only God can execute true judgment.  In that day is a reference to the final judgment.  We should also note that here, He's addressing religious leaders who have done works in His name, as those would be ones who prophesied, cast out demons, and performed many wonders.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall."  And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  My study Bible comments that hearing the gospel alone is not enough.  Salvation is not based on hearing alone, nor even on faith alone, but also on doing these sayings of Mine, the things spoken by Christ.   See James 2:24.

Jesus' analogy about building one's house on the rock is an apt one.  It gives us a vivid metaphor to keep in mind about how we structure our lives, and what is important for our own sense of security in life, our choices that we make.  These images of the rain descending and floods coming are those of forces of chaos and upheaval sweeping through our lives.  Winds blowing and beating on the house suggest the tempests that sweep through the world, giving rise to all kinds of movements and turns of history, changes such as both personal and political upheavals.  But the house built upon the rock is the house founded and situated upon Christ's teachings for us, which save us from chaos and upheavel, changes that shake up our lives, and keep us rooted and firmly on the solid ground where we need to place our faith.  The rain and flood imagery suggests to us tribulation and persecution, the things that uproot the good seed in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23).  The winds that sweep in and beat on the house can be doubts that shake us, the particular sway of ideologies in the world, or even the forces that urge us toward "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches" (see again the parable of the Sower) that drive our lives, our concerns and care.  Life will always be offering to us ways to persuade us to abandon our faith, the sweep us off of our solid ground, to distract us from the path that Christ gives.  But Jesus teaches us about remaining in a firm place, finding ourselves where we need to be -- no matter how much external matters may threaten our peace of mind.  It's important to consider Christ's teachings as those which give us firm steps to take in life, and precautions against the things that cause chaos or lead us down a bad path.  Security comes from an internal sense of remaining within guidelines that give us truth, and not risky behaviors that look like shortcuts, but rather take us into a circuitous route from which we'll need to find our way back again to a road we can trust.  The life we want has to be one in which we take the perspective of the long haul, and not a temporary vision.   The only way to do this is by placing our faith in what is trustworthy and has stood the test of time, in the wisdom that Christ offers to us.  For unlike the winds that blow through our lives and beat on our houses occasionally, or the rains that come and threaten us with floods, Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  In the Revelation we read, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8).  When Jesus prophesies about the end times to the disciples, He declares, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away" (Matthew 24:35).  These everlasting words, that outlive everything else -- even heaven and earth -- are the rock upon which to build one's house, our lives.