Christ the Cornerstone

Jesus calms the storms, calls us to be courageous

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. (Mt 14: 22-23).

The Gospel reading for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time tells the familiar story of Jesus walking on water.

After feeding an immense crowd of people, Jesus sends his disciples by boat to the opposite shore of the Sea of Galilee. This allowed him to spend some quiet time alone with his Father in prayer. All of the miracles that Jesus performed—including healing the sick, feeding the hungry, casting out demons, and calming violent storms—were powered by prayer, by the intimate relationship that Jesus had with his Father in heaven and with the Holy Spirit.

Prayer is powerful. As an expression of faith, it is a bridge that connects us with the world beyond what we can see and touch and experience in our daily lives.

Through prayer, our minds are enlightened and our hearts are expanded, making it possible for us to overcome our physical, intellectual and emotional limitations.

Through prayer, we are able to join with the communion of saints in beholding (at least briefly) the beauty, truth and goodness of God. What our eyes cannot see by themselves, and what our minds cannot comprehend unaided, is revealed to us in moments of genuine prayer. If only our faith were strong enough to sustain these rare, grace-filled experiences of oneness with our Creator!

The disciples encountered one of the violent storms that are common on the Sea of Galilee. St. Matthew tells us that:

Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Mt 14:24-27)

The image of Jesus walking on the water has become so familiar to us that we are in danger of missing its significance.

For seasoned fisherman whose whole lives were spent on the water, the sight of a strange figure walking toward them must truly have been ghost-like. How could any man “walk on the sea” without being engulfed by its raging waters?

At least initially, Peter sees with eyes of faith. He recognizes Jesus and he passionately exclaims, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Mt 14:28). The Lord says simply: “Come!” (Mt 14:29) And for a few amazing moments, the man Peter is able to transcend the laws of nature and “walk on the water toward Jesus” (Mt 14:29). Imagine how this hardened man of the sea must have felt. For the first time in his life, he was able to defy the powerful forces of the natural world and to walk with confidence through the turbulent waters that surrounded him.

Unfortunately, the reality of his fallen humanity overcame Peter’s confidence and caused him to doubt:

But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14:30-31)

Peter’s faith was not strong enough to sustain him in the face of his uncertainty. He believed in Jesus and trusted in him as best he could, but at this stage in his life Peter did not yet have the courage to surrender himself completely to the Lord’s saving power. That will not come until after Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. Initially, Peter will fail the crucial test by denying Jesus three times, but he will repent and be forgiven by his Lord after promising—once again three times—to “feed my sheep” and serve Christ’s newly established Church as its Chief Pastor.

Like the rest of the disciples, and all of us, Peter will have to endure many storms as he seeks to serve as a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, Jesus will calm every storm, and Peter’s faith will allow him to do things that would otherwise be impossible—to carry on the work of Jesus in service to our sisters and brothers everywhere.

Let us pray for the kind of faith that allows us to be courageous and to do impossible things, including walking on water (at least figuratively) in response to our Lord’s commands. †