Wednesday January 5

Wednesday After Epiphany

Love and Fear

The weekdays of the Christmas-Epiphany season continue day after day to confront us with the person of Jesus. This child and our brother is God, and yet, this Son of God is fully human. This man Jesus manifests his divine power – in today’s gospel, by walking on the waters of the lake, with water a figure of death and the power of evil, which he overcame. His coming among people is God’s work of love; hence, the readings in this season are taken from John’s first letter, the core theme of which is love.

            Both today’s readings bring out another contrast: love and fear. We have nothing to fear, not because we are without sin but because God loves us as we are, on account of Jesus. The apostles are still afraid, because they do not really know yet who Jesus is, the one who overcame evil and death, and therefore all fears.

 

First Reading: 1 John 4:11-18

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

 

Gospel: Mark 6:45-52

As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.

Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits.

Jesus was quick to comfort them: “Courage! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. They didn’t understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts.

 

Prayer

Lord God, loving Father,
fear runs in our blood.
We are often afraid of facing the future,
of committing ourselves to one another,
even of trusting ourselves, our emotions,
and the forces slumbering within us.
Convince us that there is nothing to fear
and that you love us as we are,
for you are our Father
and you have given us your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

The Boat of the Christ cannot be sunk

The Gospel today presents the story of the disciples of Jesus on a boat facing the turbulent sea while Jesus walks towards them on the waters. The easiest explanation we have is of the image of the boat symbolising the Church, and the sea represents the world. Facing the scandals, hatred and persecutions in the world, the Church is worried. At a point of losing hope, they have the consoling presence of Jesus and with his words reassuring them, “It is I, do not be afraid.”

Mark uses a lot of symbolisms while narrating this episode. He was writing this text for the Catechumens of Rome, at a time when the Church was facing persecutions and was threatened of extinction under the hostile Roman emperors. Mark wants to instil hope in to the community of believers by telling them that in spite of the turbulence of the sea in the dark night, the boat of the Church cannot be sunk, because, it is accompanied and protected by Jesus who can walk on the waters. The sea was considered the abode of the evil and the tempests were interpreted as the work of the devil. Hence, Jesus walking on the waters meant his victory over the powers of the evil.

Yesterday the gospel spoke of Jesus feeding the 5000 in a secluded area. Today, he climbs a mountain alone while the disciples are asked to get on the boat, without Jesus. The whole episode of feeding the multitude and then Jesus moving alone up the mountain and the disciples left on the boat in the dark can be explained as the state of the Church after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Through his sacrifice on the Cross, he feeds the multitude with his body and blood.

After his resurrection and ascension, Jesus is no more physically present with the disciples. He climbs up the mountain – mountain in the bible always referred to the abode of God’s presence. The disciples, strengthened with the meal they had with Jesus, are now left alone to cross over the sea, braving the storms and turbulence of life. Yet, he does not leave them alone. He who has defeated the powers of the evil, walks on the turbulence of the sea to reassure his frightened disciples: “Courage, It’s I, Do not be afraid.”
When the scandals, persecutions and pains of daily life choke us up, the voice of the Lord reassures us: Do not be afraid. I am with you.

 

Video available on Youtube: The Boat of the Christ cannot be sunk