When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading.
Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.The storm is raging, the boat is being tossed, but these men were fishermen, and they were comfortable in a storm. The reading said that they only began to be afraid, when they saw Jesus walking on the water, and that is indeed a pretty disturbing thing to see, and it is at that moment that Jesus recognizes their fear and says “do not be afraid.” And indeed, from Jesus’ perspective, the almighty and all-powerful god, there is nothing to be afraid of.
So why are they afraid? And where does that fear come from? The disciples know Jesus as a person and a friend, and should not be afraid of Him, because they know Him. Further, they know that He is the messiah, and the son of the living god, and have seen Him do many miracles. They should not be afraid, because walking on water is a small feat for the Lord of the universe. So where does this fear come from…? It is doubt that Jesus is who they think He is, and lack of faith that with God all things are possible. Jesus is telling them here, that if they trusted Him completely, and His Father in the same way, that they would know that He would never let them be harmed.
Jesus is always telling us to not be afraid. He says it 366 times in the bible (that is once for every day of the year, plus leap year). He says this more than anything else in the bible. He made us, he knows our nature, he knows that we cannot help but be afraid, almost always. He also knows that we cannot just turn it off like a light switch. But He is asking us to try. And trying requires trust in Him, in all things, despite our difficulty’s.
At the end of everything, if you trust completely in God, faithfully believe that He will love, protect, and save you…, what is the worst thing that can happen? It is not death. The promise of a good and holy death is eternity with God. That is not something to fear, but to look forward to. No the real fear is to die separated from God, to die not in friendship with Him. The promise of that kind of death is an eternity of pain, suffering, and torment. So we really only have one choice, and that is to ACTUALLY not be afraid, to trust in God completely, and to love Him with all our heart, and know that He will protect us in this life and the next. So be a saint, what else is there.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh Lord give me today the courage and wisdom to not be so afraid, to embrace this wonderful life you have given me, and to relish and enjoy the gifts or your grace.