Painting by Gustave Brion, c. 1863.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus makes His disciples get into a boat and leaves for the other side of the sea, having performed a miracle just hours before—the multiplication of loaves and fish. After He dismisses the crowds, He goes up to the mountain and prays.
Meanwhile, the disciples are struggling. Not because they have been ambushed or threatened, but because a storm has come, and their boat, already a few miles offshore, “was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.” We can only imagine how scared they must have been! The sea is a dangerous place, and though most of the Apostles were former fishermen, they must have panicked anyway.
St. Matthew notes their terror, which peaks when Christ comes to them, walking on the sea. “It is a ghost!” They cry out in fear, oblivious to the fact it is their beloved Rabbi.
But Jesus soon reassures them. “Take courage, it is I!” He says. “Do not be afraid.”
Do not be afraid.
How many times have we been afraid? Of life? Of the future? Of heights? Of clowns? The number is probably far too great to count. But Jesus is a constant. He will always be there for us; He merely asks us to believe in Him.
So, Peter joins Him and starts walking on water. But because of how strong the current is, he becomes frightened, looks away, and quickly starts to sink.
We can’t help but see ourselves in Peter here. After all, when things get bleak and hopelessness and fear take hold, we start to have our doubts and concerns. We look away from Christ. As in: “Will I ever get that job? What about that deadline?” Or even: “My car just broke down, there’s no way I’ll make it to Mass in time… and what about that exam? Oh, no, did I flunk it? I’m sure I flunked it…”
In the end, though, we cry out, just like Peter did once: “Lord, save me!”
And He does. He catches Peter. He catches us.
It is Christ’s next few words, though, that are the most heartbreaking. “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
We glimpse His longing here. His love. He wants us to trust Him! He wants us to be His, wholly and eternally! And when we let Him in, when He finally steps into our boat, the storm dies away, and the world quiets down.
At the end of the day, all Jesus wants is to be our peace and our strength. He wants us to be safe. So, we must find Him through the downpours and typhoons of life, for that is the only way to keep ourselves afloat!
Take courage, everyone.