Coffee With God

Reflection: Mt 14:22-36

Matthew is describing, with the biblical language, the situation of the Christian communities of his time. They were “tormented” by many trials. He literally used the term “tortured”, or “tormented”. He had used the same word previously, where the men possessed by the evil spirits asked Jesus: Have you come here before the time torture us? [Matthew 8:29]; in other Jewish writings, this term has been used to refer to political torture and oppression). Matthew had in mind the tortures, confronting believers in his community. Pope Francis had described this passage as a beautiful icon of the faith of Apostle Peter. In the voice of Jesus who tells him: “Come!”, he recognizes the echo of the first encounter on the shore of that very lake, and right away, once again, he leaves the boat and goes toward the Teacher. And this time around, he walks on the waters! A faithful and ready response to the Lord’s call always enables one to achieve extraordinary things. Remember, Jesus himself had told us that we are capable of performing miracles with faith in Him, faith in his word, faith in his voice. Peter however begins to sink when he allows himself to be overwhelmed by the hardships around him. The character of Peter, with his passion and his weaknesses, can describe our own faith: ever fragile and impoverished, anxious and frightened and yet victorious amid the storms and dangers of the world, the Christian community walks in faith to meet the Risen Lord. Jesus had let them battle alone on the boat in the dark. Only when it was early in the morning did he approach them. Matthew is giving clear references to the liberating presence and action of Yahweh. The fourth watch of the night had been the time when God had liberated the fleeing Israelites from their oppression under Pharaoh, going before them and leading them across the water. When Jesus got into the boat, the wind ceased. A boat which braves the storms and sometimes seems on the point of sinking is an image of the Church. What saves her is not the skill and courage of her crew members, but the faith that the Lord would walk through the storms to take his place in the boat. Faith gives us the certainty of Jesus’ presence always beside us, of his hand which grasps us to pull us back from danger.