“The flood waters may reach high, but you they shall not overcome” (Psalm 69).

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Gospel: Matthew 14: 22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
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.
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.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
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 him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
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.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is the first time the disciples are without Jesus since he has called them by name. And what happens?

Disaster strikes!

The Lord sends them off in a boat by themselves so that he can spend the night in prayer. Meanwhile, a massive storm strikes – one so strong that these professional fishermen fear they are drowning.

Jesus, alone in prayer, isn’t ignorant of the storm; nor is he unaware of his disciples’ fears. Yet he allows them to drift alone in the night.

Finally, when he approaches them by walking on the water, he strikes up a conversation. “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

That command – “Do not be afraid” – would’ve been a lot easier to accept had the Lord calmed the storm first. Yet he lets the wind continue to scream as the waves rise and fall.

Only after he tests Peter, inviting him to walk on the water, too, does the test end.

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Sometimes don’t we all feel like the disciples did?

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A storm strikes – perhaps not a literal hurricane – but something that scares or unnerves us. We cry out to Jesus for help, but it feels like he’s nowhere in sight – off praying by himself, as it were.

Then, when he finally appears to us, he strikes up a conversation, saying something to us like he did to the disciples, “Do not be afraid.”

Meanwhile, the waves rise and fall.

Only after we feel like we’re on the brink of drowning, as Peter did, does the Lord calm the storm.

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Learning how to trust that the storms of life shall not overcome us is, perhaps, one of the most difficult lessons in the spiritual life. But, as the Psalmist reminds us, “The flood waters may reach high, but you they shall not overcome” (Psalm 69).

Wherever we may be on our journey across the “Sea of Galilee,” the Lord is there – somewhere – inviting us to trust. What does that look like for me today?

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Image credits: (1) Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt (2) Ibid. (3) The Tomahawk