Life Just Keeps Coming

JMJ
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The Readings for the 19th Sunday, Tempus per Annum

• 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a
• Responsorial from Psalm 85 (Response: Lord, let us see your kindness and grant us your salvation.)
• Romans 9:1-5
• Alleluia from Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for his word.
• Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side.

Matthew 14:22

BY WAY OF DISCUSSING THIS GOSPEL, let me link back to the story we heard on Wednesday in the first reading from the Book of Numbers: sending the spies into the Promised Land. In that story, you’ll remember (even if you were not at Mass on Wednesday), the Hebrews had made it from Egypt to the Promised Land. As they were camped in the wilderness on the far side of the water, God told Moses to send 12 spies ahead. So they crossed the waters of the Jordan and entered the unknown of the Land of Israel. There they found things that terrified them – huge things, monsters, giants – and they said, “the land we explored is a country that consumes its inhabitants.” Then the people of Israel get scared and refuse to go any further – even though Joshua and Caleb say that God’s on their side and they should do it…

So in the Gospel today, Jesus (who is God) sends the Twelve Disciples across the water to the other side. And as they are crossing the water, they see giant waves and wind tossing their boat around. They are frightened. Jesus shows up, walking on the waves, and they are scared of him… but Peter says, “If that’s really you, tell me to come to you on the water…” and Jesus says, “Come on out…”

Now, see the difference: the disciples are afraid, but God is there. And when Peter gets out of the Boat, the disciples watch in awe until he gets a bit scared too. But he does not chicken out and swim back to the boat. I admit I would. Instead he does what the Israelites did not do. And cries out to the Lord, “Save me!”

Life Keeps Coming At You.

You can be like the Israelites in the Wilderness. Get scared. Say this is too hard. And fall behind.

Or you can be courageous and do something amazing and – even failing – cry out to God to save you.

Remember, God told the Israelites to send the spies. This was not a setup: this was a test. There are so many places where God’s got Israel’s back. When the spies came back and the people chickened out… the issue was not their fear – it’s their despair. They did not ask for help. They just walked away like a child who is having trouble hitting the baseball (I’ve been that child). Read 2 Chronicles 20 for a time when things were tough and they cried out for help. Psalm 107 is filled with examples.

Peter had, perhaps, bit off more than he could chew. But he knew what to do.

Save me!