To read the texts click on the texts: Acts6:1-7; Jn 6:16-21
Luke is the only one of the
four evangelists who does not narrate the story of Jesus walking on the water.
In Matthew (14:22 -32), and
Mark (6:45 -51), like in
John, the miracle is narrated immediately after the feeding of the five
thousand. John’s account of the miracle is the shortest of the three.
The story begins by
portraying the disciples in a boat moving towards Capernaum . The statement that “it was now
dark” indicates, on the surface level, the time of the day, but on the deeper
level, the absence of Jesus. It is always “dark” for John when Jesus is absent.
The rough sea and the strong wind make rowing difficult. Suddenly, the
disciples see Jesus walking on the water, coming towards them. In the Old
Testament, only God has the power to walk on the waters (Job 9:8; Isa 43:2),
and so, this act on the part of Jesus, already reveals him as divine. John does
not give us the reason why the disciples were terrified. Matthew (14:26 ) and Mark (6:49 ) explain the fear of the
disciples by saying that they thought they saw a ghost.
As Jesus comes close to the
boat, he identifies himself to the disciples with the divine name, “I Am”. This
is the name that God gave to Moses when Moses asked God for the name that he
must give to the Israelites when asked (Exod 3:14 ). In addition to identifying himself with the divine
name, Jesus says to the disciples, “Do not be afraid”. These are words of
comfort and consolation and, here also, function to allay the fears of the
disciples who are in awe after witnessing a theophany. Even as the disciples
want to take Jesus into the boat, they realize that they have reached their
destination. The presence of Jesus assures them a safe passage through all the
storms.
Thus, the point of the
miracle is not so much to stress the miraculous powers of Jesus, but to reveal
Jesus as God. The glory of God is revealed in Jesus and here, God is portrayed
as a God who is for the disciples and with them in all their struggles and
tribulations. He is a God who comes to the disciples’ aid when they need him
and allays all their fears. He is a God
who will provide a safe passage for them even in the midst of all the storms
they encounter in life.
Life is composed of
ups and downs. It is easy to see God’s hand and his working in our lives when
everything goes as we plan. However, when the going gets tough and the road is
difficult, God seems, to us, to hide himself. It is at times like these when
suddenly, without our knowing how, Jesus comes walking on the water towards us,
allaying our fears and telling us that HE IS.
He is God with us and for us, God who walks with us and ahead of us. He
is God who will never let the storms of our lives overwhelm us. We have only to
open our eyes and see, and get rid of the fear that grips us, because we have a
God who himself has gone through the storms of life. We have a God who, even in
the most difficult moments of his life, continued to believe that the Father
was with him. We have a God who has shown us the meaning of trust, confidence,
and courage.
No comments:
Post a Comment
You may use the "Anonymous" option to leave a comment if you do not possess a Google Account. But please leave your name and URL as www.errolsj.com