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Signposts On The Way
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August 14, 2023Reflection Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A – August 13, 2023
I am sure we’ve all heard this past weekend’s Gospel of Matthew story when Jesus is walking on the water and He invites Peter out of the boat to join him. What does that have to do with us today? What can we learn from Peter walking on water? A few thoughts as I reflected…
Peace is not found in the absence of the storm, but in the presence of Jesus. When Jesus told Peter to join Him by stepping out of the boat, He did not calm the storm and raging waters for Peter. Peter did okay at first. Peter’s lack of faith occurred when he took his eyes off Jesus, focused on the storm. Perhaps Peter thought he could persevere on his own. We often think peace is when the waters of our lives are calm. Jesus never promised us smooth sailing, instead He promised to be with us on the journey through calm and stormy seas. In the middle of storms, we can have peace when we keep our eyes on Jesus. We might be afraid, but Jesus calms the scariest storms, often the raging ones that are within us.
Faith calls us to step out of the boat at times. Many of us will agree that we like comfort, safety, calm; this is not a bad thing. We are human. At times Jesus will ask us to trust in Him, step out of the boat. When we take that step we may be fearful, but Jesus is there with us and for us as He promised. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ in me. The more steps of faith we take, the more comfortable we become. What leaps of faith am I holding back on? What excuses am I holding tight to? Is it time to step out of my comfort zone to be the face of God for others?
Peter learned a valuable lesson that day, one that we could learn from. When we take our eyes off Jesus, the storms of life will quickly overcome us like the waves. Life is filled with storms of many different kinds. With Jesus we cannot only endure, we can walk on water above the storm.
