Sunday, 23 June 2024. Readings: Job 38:1,8-1, Ps. 107:23-26,28-32, Mark 4:35-41
“Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)
Last Sunday, we learned that ordinary time is a season of growth. In today’s readings, we learn more about how we are to overcome challenges and obstacles to achieving spiritual growth. Let us now consider the lessons contained in today’s readings:
1. “On that day, when EVENING had come . . .”
Why do fishermen prefer to go and catch fish at night? It is a moment of calmness and peace. In the same way, Satan tempts us the most when things are calm; when you have just passed an exam, when you have just received an answer to your prayer, when you suddenly hit the jackpot in business, etc.; these are evening moments in the life of Christians, moments when the desire to pray is no longer there, moments when we crave relaxation. Evening moments are times when we sleep spiritually.
Watch out for evening moments in your life. Last Sunday, Jesus told the parable of the mustard seed that was the smallest of all the seeds but became the biggest of all the shrubs, and when it had grown large branches, the birds of the air (that were not there during its moments of struggle) came to rest under its large branches. In your evening moment, you will have many friends who will come to take refuge in your success. Be on guard, lest you fall asleep spiritually and suffer defeat.
2. Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us GO ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE…”
As much as evening is a time for relaxation (temptations), it is also the time that God prefers to lift a soul to a higher spiritual level. No wonder Jesus often spent whole nights in prayer. (Cf. Luke 6:12). What do you do in the evening when the atmosphere is calm and quiet? Do you enter the boat with Jesus to cross to the other side? Do you spare some time to say your prayers? Don’t be like the disciples of Jesus who dozed off when He wanted them to watch and pray. (Cf. Matthew 26:40-46)
Jesus knew it was evening already, and there would be a serious storm that night, yet He insisted on crossing to the other side. Why? God allows calamity in our lives because we grow spiritually through trials (difficult moments). As someone once said: “I asked for strength, and God gave me difficulties to strengthen me. I asked for wisdom, and God gave me problems to solve. I asked for courage, and God gave me dangers to overcome. I asked for love, and God gave me troubled people to help.” Jesus wanted his disciples to cross the sea that night to teach them they could completely rely on God regardless of their troubles.
Beyond being a geographical location, “the other side” is a metaphor for a life of deeper trust and commitment to God. When God wants you to advance in your faith, He allows you to embark on a difficult journey where you will encounter a storm. For instance, when God was ready for Saul, he allowed him to embark on that journey to Damascus. Saul left Jerusalem as a Jew determined to suppress Christianity, but he entered Damascus as a s Christian determined to spread the faith. The other side is the new version of yourself after a storm. In today’s Second Reading, St. Paul explains: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come.”
3. “And A GREAT STORM OF WIND AROSE, and the waves beat into the boat…”
A great storm emerged as the disciples sailed quietly and peacefully to the other side. They would never have agreed to enter the boat if they had known that such a storm would come. The beauty of life is that God does not allow us to know what will happen tomorrow. If you knew tomorrow, you would never have enjoyed today. Out of the blue, we encounter storms that evoke feelings of helplessness, confusion, and panic.
Today’s First Reading reminds us of Job. Nothing prepared him for the storm he faced. In one day, he lost everything he owned, including his children, and before you knew it, he was afflicted with sickness in his skin. Storms are inevitable; they are like promotional exams we must pass to move to a higher class. Whether our storms are physical or spiritual, trust that God will never permit storms we cannot handle. What you fear most eventually becomes what you are most grateful for. Storms are not funny when they come but prove that God truly loves us. As St. Paul says: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
4. “But Jesus was ASLEEP on the cushion…”
The army of Israel looked at Goliath and thought he was too big to be defeated, but David looked at God and concluded that Goliath was too small for God. When we focus on our storms, God appears small in our eyes; we begin to think that our prayers are not working or that God is asleep. While the disciples panicked, they assumed Jesus was asleep. They didn’t know that Jesus was testing them. God never sleeps. The problem is our lack of faith. Regardless of the storms you face, stay calm – do not run from Church to Church or from prophet to prophet like Jesus’ disciples.
Amid the commotion and panic, one of Jesus’ disciples remembered that Jesus was with them in the boat. Amid your storms, never forget Jesus is with you in your boat. In other words, when you suffer, Jesus suffers with you. Jesus is not a bad shepherd who runs when the sheep are in danger; He is a good shepherd who lays down His life for His Sheep. As the Psalmist says: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4).
When I think of all the problems facing us in Nigeria today, I am tempted to expect the worst, but then, I become relaxed when I remember that Jesus is with us. To those who have lost faith, Jesus is sleeping and should not be disturbed. I know that Jesus is not asleep. I know that going to Him is not a waste of time. Even if we cannot see it, Jesus is doing something for this country. My faith helps me to expect a better country. See how God responded to Job in today’s First Reading: “Who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth from the womb” (Job 38:8). What made you think I was asleep?
5. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? HAVE YOU NO FAITH?”
This question that Jesus asked his disciples is one that we must sincerely ask ourselves today. “Why am I afraid?” “Where is my faith?” Storms are moments of learning for us. They teach us more about our faith than any catechism or Bible study class. If you have never been through a storm, you will not understand when someone says God is all-powerful. That day, Jesus’ disciples learnt that:
_One: Jesus is God; all power belongs to Him (Cf. Matthew 28:18)._ By speaking to the storm, Jesus reminded them of God the Father, who spoke the world into creation, and it obeyed. Jesus used this experience to open the eyes of his disciples to His Divinity as He did with Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration. The disciples got the message when they asked themselves: “Who is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him?”
_Two: We should not be afraid when Jesus is in the same boat with us._ Fear is something natural to us. It is an impulse built into our psyche. Nevertheless, in moments of fear, we should ask ourselves: “Is Jesus in the same boat with me?” That is, “am I walking in the light of Christ?” The disciples should have known there was no way the boat would sink since Jesus was there. Where Jesus is present, nothing spoils, but when we are not on the same boat as Jesus (when we are walking in sin and disobeying His commands), we are on our own! The couple at Cana needed not to be afraid because they were wise enough to invite Jesus and his mother to their wedding. (Cf. John 2:1-11). There can be no disgrace for you when Jesus is riding with you.
Finally, our psalmist this morning says: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercies endure forever.” Brothers and sisters, let us learn always to give thanks to God. Even when things are not working, God’s mercies never cease. God never sleeps.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, increase our trust in you, strengthen our faith when storms come our way, and help us to get through our dark moments. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (12th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: Job 38:1,8-1, Ps. 107:23-26,28-32, 2nd Corinthians 5:14-17, Mark 4:35-41).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu