During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the surface of the lake. Seeing Him walking on the lake, the disciples were frightened and, thinking it was a ghost, began to cry out in fear. Jesus immediately spoke to them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!”
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Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come!” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind was strong, he became afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”
(From the Gospel according to Matthew 14:22–33)
God is near us
At the beginning of this Sunday’s Gospel reading, it is said that Jesus, having miraculously fed the gathered people, “immediately made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd.” Having done this, Jesus went up on the mountain alone to pray and spent much of the night there.
Why did Jesus need to hurry the disciples to get into the boat and sail to the other side of the lake, if He Himself stayed alone on the mountain for a long time, focused on prayer? Perhaps He rightly desired to be alone with His Father, but it was not necessary to force the disciples to leave quickly, especially since, as the evangelist tells, bad weather was approaching, and going onto the lake against the wind was not very wise. Peter and his friends were experienced fishermen and knew the lake well, so it is understandable why Jesus had to urge them to embark on a journey they probably would not have chosen themselves.
Jesus knew well that the miracle He performed—the feeding of the crowd of five thousand—could have turned into a moment of triumph when the crowd would want to proclaim Him king. Perhaps that is why He forced the disciples to leave quickly and withdrew to the mountain to pray? Moreover, on the other side of the lake lived pagan peoples, meaning a new mission awaited Jesus and His disciples there. To begin it, they had to cross the stormy lake…
On the other hand, it is understandable how the disciples felt being forced by Jesus to embark on the journey. Who would dare to give up the security felt near Jesus and step into the unknown and uncertainty?! God, who instantly solves life’s problems, tempts almost everyone: you are hungry—I give you food, you are sick—I heal you immediately, you lost your job—I will take care of you, just follow me!…
But it is not so, because God is not a charity vending machine. In Jesus Christ, God became human and asks to share everything that is human. With Him, five loaves and two fish are shared when more than five thousand people need to be fed, but at the same time, courage is needed to share the stormy night in the boat, traveling “to the other side,” into the unknown.
Of course, it would be beautiful and pleasant to always sail through life on sunlit, full, and calm waters, but that does not happen. Much more often, in the sea of life, one has to sail in darkness and storm. Moreover, just when God is most needed, it seems He is not there: He is withdrawn alone, secluded from everything and everyone. Perhaps we cry out to Him in fear, but instead, we face the “ghosts” of our life—fearful thoughts and situations because we do not know how to handle them.
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Even God can become a nightmare of life if we cry out to Him and look for Him as the solver of all our problems, but see Him as seemingly distant and at the same time astonishingly close—like us, a human, just like ourselves.
But this does not mean helplessness before life’s dramas, storms, and strong winds that toss our small boat from one shore of the lake to the other. God, having become human, shares our entire being and yet remains Almighty. To recognize Him, to feel the certainty that it is He who comes to us through the stormy waters of life and to accept His outstretched hand, faith is needed.
If we look for a God who would solve all our problems with His power, noise, and frightening force, like an earthquake, hurricane, or destructive fire, we can be sure—we will not find Him.
God comes in the simplicity of the one who is near every day.
God comes in the simplicity of the one who is near every day, in the gentleness of the one who stands beside, in the quiet breeze, as happened to the prophet Elijah, about whom the first Mass reading tells.
Of course, we need to trust Him. We need to believe in God’s power and not provoke Him by wanting to test Him. We do not address God as Peter did: “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
That “if it is You” sounds almost like a temptation. These are the same words Satan said to Jesus in the desert. And also “command me”… Since when can a human command God?
God is not commanded. God cannot be provoked—we must trust Him. That’s all…
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