In the Boat of Life With Jesus

 

Deacon David Previtali · In the Boat of Life with Jesus

Homily for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, June 20, 2021. Gospel of St. Mark 4:35-41. Theme: In the Boat of Life with Jesus 

You may or may not know this, but not everything Jesus said or did was recorded for us in each one of the four gospels. Matthew includes a lot and gives us the longest version, while Mark takes the short and simple way of story-telling. Luke likes to include left out people and parables, while John looks at Jesus in a way that is completely unlike the other three. The reason I bother to mention all this is because, whenever a story about Jesus ends up being retold in all four gospels, it’s a very good sign that the event and the words of our Lord held a deep meaning and significance to the first Christians. That’s the type of Gospel we have in today’s Story of the Storm at Sea. 

We can imagine the disciples panic as the water level kept rising in the boat. And we can probably understand their bewilderment that Jesus was sound asleep through it all! The backstory to this stormy event is that they had all just seen Jesus that very day free a possessed man from demons and cure the withered hand of another. So, they knew he could make things right and keep them safe, otherwise why would they have awakened him and ask why he didn’t seem to care? I suppose they just had to learn to trust in God even if he seemed silent. And aren’t we the same way in the storm of our lives, especially when God seems silent to us? Don’t we often want to cry out, “God, don’t you care what’s happening to me?” 

It seems to me that this Gospel teaches us that Christ is indeed with us in the storms and turmoil of life and he knows precisely what he will do to rescue us. And maybe like the disciples we will have to wait until the last minute when all seems lost. But the key is for us to keep trusting no matter how things seem because that’s precisely what faith means and it’s what Jesus asks of us when he says, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” 

This story’s universal appeal makes a lot of sense to me because no matter what century in history or what culture we live in, we all find ourselves in stormy turmoil now and then, both from within us and swirling around us. And through this story, Christians have been comforted and encouraged by the truth that Jesus is aware and concerned about us, no matter how bleak the circumstances may look. We are often like those disciples tossed about and made fearful by the various experiences and circumstances of life. And so, like them we too must look intently through the howling wind and splashing waves to see Jesus in the storm. We have to learn from him how to stand firm amidst the turmoil and refuse to give in to our fear. 

All four Gospel writers, by including this story in their writings, want us to know and remember that Jesus is with us, especially during the stormy times in our lives. We can turn to him anywhere and anytime. We can speak with him throughout our day no matter what we are doing, at home or at work. We can find encouragement and strength by reading and repeating to ourselves his words in the Gospels. And we are able to just come before him in peace and quiet to spend some extended time in his Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. He provides us with these - and other ways and means - to cast our cares upon him, to grow in knowing him better and then trusting him more, and in delivering us from whatever is causing our panic or fears. 

Through challenge after challenge, Christ can use these various storms of life to show us his love and provision, if we are open to receiving it.  On our part, we have to learn to hand over the care of our lives to God, acknowledging the reality that only he can restore serenity and sanity to our lives. And the only way we will learn that this is the way to go, is by doing it, by trusting, and then seeing in the outcome how well things turn out. This is how we grow in the practice of handing over the care of our lives to Christ and by so doing, deepening our faith. 

So, in the confidence of hope and the power of love, let’s surrender our lives to him and pray: Lord Jesus, I believe that you care for me, even in the midst of chaos and suffering; even when I cannot see or understand why certain things are happening in me and around me. Help me to hand over my life to you and to trust that you will make everything work out for my good and bring me safely to your Kingdom. Amen.