August 13, 2017
Readings:
First Reading – 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a
Psalm 85
Second Reading – Romans 9:1-5
Gospel reading according to Matthew
(14:22-33)
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Homily
“After
he had fed the people,” Jesus showed his compassion to five thousand plus
men, women and children who followed him and his disciples in the desert. He cured their sickness and taught them many
things about the Kingdom of heaven. When
evening came, he let his disciples to share the food they brought, “There is no need for them to go away; give
them some food yourselves” – five loaves of bread and two fish, to the
crowd. The same with us, Jesus wants us
to share whatever we have to the needy – to the hungry, thirsty, poor naked,
for they are also our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Taking the five
loaves of bread and two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing,
broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples who in turn gave them to the
crowd. They all ate and satisfied (see
Mt.14:13-21), then “he dismissed the
crowds” (Mt. 14:22).
He also dismissed his disciples. “Jesus
made the disciples get into boat and precede him to the other side” (Mt.
14:22), so that he may be left alone.
Nobody will disturb him for that moment of grief due to the death of his
cousin John. He was not able to grieve
of the death of John the Baptist, his cousin, because of the crowd. So now, he has the time to mourn and to
pray. “After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone”
(Mt.14:23). Darkness covers him. He was full of sorrow and regret, not only for
the loss of John but even of the hungry crowds.
They are like sheep without a shepherd, as the saying goes. Nobody takes care of them, not the priests in
the Temple, not the scribes and Pharisees, and Sadducees, not even the elders
and leaders of their communities, the Sanhedrin – they are all busy with the
mundane affairs, they left behind the people of God – the Anawim of Yahweh! Now, Jesus is decided to shepherd the flock
of God with his disciples. That’s why he
is going to test them, how strong their faith in him is. “Meanwhile
the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves,
for the wind was against it” (Mt 14: 24). The boat where the disciples were
was being tossed, stirred and shaken up and down, left and right, front and
back by the big waves. They were being
tested to become established and experienced disciples in the ministry of
Jesus. They were all fishermen; they
knew the depth, width, length and height of the Sea of Galilee, in Capernaum,
etc. But they were all afraid but
without fear of the waves.
As in the old, during the time of
Elijah, he was also tested by God after killing hundreds of false prophets of
Jezebel; he was hiding in a cave, at the mountain of God – Horeb, because he
was afraid for his life, and God said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be
passing by” (1 Kgs 19:9a). God was
calling him to go out from where he was hiding and to show himself with
courage, strength, and confidence. “A strong and heavy wind was rending the
mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord – but the Lord was not in the wind. After
the wind there was an earthquake – but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After
the earthquake there was fire – but the Lord was not in the fire” (1 Kgs
9:11-12). The forces of nature, which
men of old were afraid of because they could not explain what or who caused
them to stir up, became their gods and goddesses. They made gods out of natures, like thunder,
rain, sun, moon and stars, water, fire, wind, stones, trees, oceans and rivers,
earthquakes, etc. They worshipped them
and offered them things even humans as sacrifices. But the almighty and ever living God was not
in the strong wind, or earthquake, or fire.
“After the fire there was a tiny
whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah
hid his face in his clock and went and stood at the entrance of the cave”
(1 Kgs. 9:12-13). God is like gentle
wind. There God is, coming in a tiny
whispering sound, as He is passing by in front of Elijah.
“During
the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea” (Mt
14:25). Jesus has powers even on the
sea. He can walk on it, tame and calm it. “When
the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost,’ they said, and they cried out in fear” (Mt. 14:26). They saw Jesus walking on the sea, meaning
they recognized him, but why they cried out, “It is a ghost?” and in fear.
As if Jesus is something supernatural, something beyond normal. They could not believe that he can walk on
the water, how much more when they see him walking in the clouds? Water, in the Hebrew mind, symbolizes chaos,
disorder, confusion, turmoil, etc. It is
also a force, energy, dynamism, vitality, something to be feared of for its
unknown unfathomable depth, what are in there at the bottom of the sea –
monsters? They also believed that in it
is house of the evil ones. Jesus, as a
true leader who understands the situations and knows the characters of his
disciples, “at once Jesus spoke to them,
‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid’.” (Mt. 14:27). He guaranteed his
disciples that he was not a ghost, or “lamang
dagat,” or sea creature or sea monster.
It is he, their Lord, Master and Teacher. And, he encouraged them not to be afraid,
because he is already with them.
Sometimes, when our lives are in
trouble, in a stormy sea, we become afraid and we do not know what to do, for
we are confused and mixed up. We cannot
think properly; and if we decide, sometimes we made wrong decisions for we
cannot control the situations. But, when
God is in our lives, even we are in turbulence of our lives, everything becomes
easy and light, for God supports us and guarantees us that He is with us and
He’s there to help us. Without God we
are in trouble.
“Peter
said to him in reply, ‘Lord if it is you; command me to come to you on the
water.’ He said, ‘Come’.” (Mt. 14:28-29).
Peter, the leader of the disciples and pope of the church challenged
himself to new venture in the life of the community and of the church. He went down from the boat in the middle of
the stormy sea after asking Jesus to let him come to him. And he was able to walk on the water and
going towards Jesus. He was first
convinced that he can also walk on the water, only when Jesus allowed him. When Peter was at the sight of His Master and
he was with him, he can walk in the wavering sea. There was no problem, everything is alright “But when he saw how strong the wind was he
became frightened; and beginning to sink” (Mt 14:30). . When he looked away from Jesus, he lost
contact with the Lord and he became worried about the strong wind – the many
problems encountered within and outside the Church (the boat). He forgot that Jesus was there, who was
powerful than the strong wind, and that’s why he sink. Without God, the church
leaders are also in trouble. “. . . he
cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and
caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”
(Mt. 14:30-31).
Jesus knew very well that his chosen
disciples were not yet ready in leading the people of God that time, for they
luck courage, strength, and perseverance in times of strong wind in stormy
sea. They needed further
instructions. They needed also more
practices and tests so that when he left them behind, they can continue the
ministry he started. Jesus never lost
faith to his disciples, he continued believing on them. The same with us, despite of our many
failures, and falls, he never abandoned us but rather he continues accompanying
us in this life and even lifting us up to stand again and continue believing
and hoping.
“After
they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, ‘Truly, you are
the Son of God.’” (Mt 14:33). With
Jesus, everything is possible; every unforeseen and foreseen event can be
solved without difficulty or fear. The
forces of natures obey him. There is no
stormy weather that he cannot pacify. Therefore,
let us say, “Lord, let us see your
kindness, and grant us your salvation” (Ps. 85). Amen.
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