Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Even When Jesus Is In The Boat With Us…

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, June 21, 2015

The storms of life simply speaking are those things that inconvenience us. They are those life’s experiences that bring us to tears. They trouble us and sometimes can lead to a loss of interest in life itself. They keep us sleepless at night. In extreme situation they can lead some people to depression. They are those life’s experiences that make people ask questions like “God, where are you?” “God, why me?” Lord, why must I suffer?” “God, have you abandoned me?” These storms can come in different fashions. Sometimes they come unannounced and when we least expected them. No matter one’s state of life, storms are unavoidable. When one is confronted by the difficulties of life, how he or she handles it will go a long away in determining how long the storm will last. If handled wrongly, it can lead to another storm thereby multiplying the person’s misery. This is the reason why some people go through life carrying all forms of storms without any end in sight.

In today’s Gospel, taken from Mark 4: 35-41, Jesus was “crossing to the other side” with his disciples. As the boat sailed, a violent storm came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. But Jesus was fast asleep. Terribly afraid of the situation, the disciples exclaimed: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus got up and rebuked the wind: “Quiet! Be still!”  Immediately, there was a great calm. Jesus then turned to his disciples and asked, “Why are you terrified? Do you not have faith?” But the disciples looked at each other and wondered: “Who then is this that even the sea and wind obey him?”

This gospel passage teaches us that even when Jesus is in our life, in our relationships, in your marriage, in our job, studies, ministry, families, business, vocation etc. problems could still occur. Even with him accompanying us on our journey, we are still going to experience the storms of life. With Jesus in our life, the wind could still turn violent, and we can still be exposed to danger. We can still be in trouble. With Jesus in our life, the difficulties of life would still come. Your spouse may still hurt you. Your son or daughter may still betray you. Even when we are riding with the Lord it’s still possible to lose a job. A young lady could still find it hard to find a life-partner. The man out there could still suffer from heartbreak. With Jesus in the boat of our life, health can still fail sometimes, business can still be slow at times. You might even lose your retirement and have to begin afresh. Your credit card company can still overcharge you; the money you pay for your health insurance can still double up; you may still experience a foreclosure of your house. Even with Jesus in your life raising your children and having to pay for their tuition and other expenses can still be tough. None of us is immune to the adverse effects of the plundering and exploitation of nature. 

But our attitude to the challenges of life is what is going to distinguish us from non-believers and faint believers. The disciples’ journey to the other side is our journey. Their experience is our experience. They had Jesus with them, yet there was a storm. We have Jesus with us too and there are storms also. If you have never experienced any, wait for your turn. Storms are part of human life. From time to time we will experience them in different fashions and forms. When they come, there are basically two opposite reactions: Fear or Faith. True believers lean on faith; they are not totally destabilized. When the violent winds of life begin to blow, they remain calm because they know they have a very big God who is always standing by their side. As humans, they may experience and express some fear, but due to their faith in God they are able to make a quick transition from fear to faith. Non-believers and faint-believers, on the other hand, are overwhelmed and crippled by fear. Fear is false evidence about reality. Fear makes us doubt the power of God to save us from our situation. Satan loves people of fear. In fear and out of fear, we can easily do something that radically goes against our beliefs and values. But persons of faith remain calm and prayerful. Like the disciples, they go to Jesus in prayer. After their initial experience of shock, or anger or fear at what has happened, they begin to call upon the Lord for rescue. They call in faith, in expectant faith.

Dearest beloved, what is your present situation? Are you sick? Have the doctors written you off? Have they concluded that you are not going to live again? Have they given you the month, date, and year to die? Did you lose your job? Are the storms of life blowing so violently that you are almost being blown away? Is your business going south? I urge you to run to Jesus. Do not run away from him. When the disciples called out to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” he woke up, and rebuked the wind: “Quiet! Be still!” Stop keeping silent. Speak out to the One who was obeyed even by the sea and wind. Run to Jesus and call out to him. Break that silence; stop hiding and crying in the secret corners of your house. Instead of suffering in silent, you can silence the aggressive winds of life. Quiet the storms that threaten to destroy you by going and speaking to Jesus. Don’t suffer alone! 

Arise and shine, for the Lord is here!