We Would Never Struggle Alone

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard’s Catholic Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

August 10, 2014

After the feeding of the crowd, Jesus asked his disciples to start boarding a boat, while he dismissed the crowds. The disciples boarded and began to go home ahead of him. The crowds too started leaving, for it was getting late. As soon as the last person had left, Jesus went up to a mountain to pray. Now, Jesus didn't necessarily need to pray. He is God. He did not need to pray to get anything done. But he still prayed. Why? Because prayer is not only about asking and making demands from God. It’s a place of finding God, talking and listening to him. Prayer deepens our relationship with God.

As Jesus was praying, his disciples were sailing across the lake. They were going home after a day of hard work and weary. But suddenly, a big storm came down on them, and they started struggling with and against the winds and the waves. As they struggled, little progress was being made to overcome the dangerous storm. As night wore on, Jesus started walking on the sea towards them. But the sight of him walking on the sea worsened the situation for them. They were already battling with a dangerous storm, and as if that wasn't enough, a “ghost” was seen walking on the sea towards them. The gospel says, “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 that moment, Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” On hearing those words, Peter reacted with a request “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” His request was immediately granted, “Come!” Peter stepped out of the boat walking steadily and unwaveringly on the sea. He did not sink for two reasons: one, he acted on the words of the Lord. Two, he kept his eyes on Jesus. Then he got distracted. Instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus, he looked away. He stared on the storm and became frightened. The storm, in his eyes, became larger than the Lord. Fear overtook him, and he started sinking. That’s what fear does to us. FEAR is False Evidence Against Reality. Fear magnifies a problem and makes it bigger than God. It distracts us and makes us loose focus. As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus, he was walking on the sea which has become a problem for him and his fellow disciples. He was marching and trampling on his problem by foot. That’s what happens to any believer who keeps his or her eyes on Jesus. Problems will come, but problems will not crush us as long as we keep our eyes fixed on our Redeemer.

Peter took his eyes away from Jesus and started  to sink. If we turn away from the Lord, we too can begin to sink. If we take our eyes away from Jesus, life will become a sinking sand. No matter what difficulty we face, no matter the storm that comes our way, no matter how dangerous the wind of life may be, as long as we act on the words of the Lord and keep our eyes fixed on him, those problems and storms will pass us by. We will pass through them, but they will never sink us, instead, we will trample upon them. Peter looked away, and almost got drowned. In desperation he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out to him, grabbed him by his hand and saved him. But Jesus did not let him go free without rebuke: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus said to him. When in trouble, remember the words of Psalm 50:15  “Call upon me in the day of your trouble, and I will delver you and you will honor me.”

The disciples were Jesus’ closest, trusted and most reliable friends. Still, being close to him did not exempt them from the storm which suddenly came down on them. But guess what? In the hour of their need, Jesus came to them and saved them from an impending danger. When the wind was contrary and life was a struggle, he was there to rescue. When the need arose, the Best Friend, Jesus was there to help and to save. No wonder Isaiah 35:4 says, “Say to those who are fearful and broken hearted, be strong, and do not fear or loose your faith, your God will surely come, he will come with might to destroy your enemies. He will come to save you.”

In life, the wind is often contrary. In life, the storm is always painful. In life, we will always experience the storms of life. The storms of life are those times when we are up against the wind of life. Now, those times when life is a desperate struggle with ourselves, with our situations and circumstances, with our temptations, with our sorrows, and with our decisions, we don’t need to struggle alone. In such moments, remember to say the words of St. Peter: "Lord, save me." Jesus will come with his hand stretched out to save, and with his gentle and soothing voice bidding us to take heart and fear not.