Gospel reading: Matthew 8.18,23-27
Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’
Reflections
Many of the disciples were seasoned fishermen, so it must have been some storm that caused them to lose their dignity in this way. Imagine them pawing at Jesus’ clothing to awaken him, yelling and screaming in fear.
Psalm 107 includes the nugget salvation story of “some [who go] down to the sea in ships”, which parallels the Gospel closely.
There is a graphic description of the conditions:
A stormy wind arose, which tossed high the waves of the sea
Psalm 107.25 (ACC)
A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves
Matthew 8.24 (NRSV)
…so that “[the sailors’] hearts melted because of their peril. They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.” (Psalm 107.26b-27; ACC). Literally, they were at the end of their wisdom. Then and only then…
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble
Psalm 107.28a (ACC)
[The disciples woke Jesus up, saying,] ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’
Matthew 8.25b
And the Lord heard. There is no report in the psalm of the Lord being asleep, or asking the sailors why they were afraid, as Jesus asks the disciples ‘of little faith’. But the Lord delivered the sailors from their distress, as Jesus saved the disciples:
You stilled the storm to a whisper and quieted the waves of the sea. Then were they glad because of the calm
Psalm 107.29-30a (ACC)
Then [Jesus] got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm.
Matthew 8.26b
The Lord “brought [the sailors] to the harbour” and the psalm advocates a proper response: “Let them give thanks to you, O Lord, for your mercy and the wonders you do for your children.” (Psalm 107.31). The Gospel includes no thanksgiving, but reports how the disciples were amazed (thaumazó again) at Jesus. In his command of the winds and sea, he is displaying the same powers as the Lord of the Old Testament.
What next? After necessary repairs the ships will put out to sea again. Jesus and the disciples will cross the Sea of Galilee again. The disciples and others will continue to fish. Paul will journey around much of the Mediterranean on his missionary journeys.
It is an old chestnut, but true for all that. Boats are not made and intended to stay in harbour. Nor are we made for staying with the known, for safety and stagnation.
So just as the disciples followed Jesus into the boat (Matthew 8.23), let us follow Jesus into the boat. There will be gales and there will be calm, and there will be steady winds. And let us have faith that Jesus will always be there, and always available to be called on in extremis… in however undignified and terrified a manner.
-oOo-
Since April 2020, I have been jointly hosting a shared Lectio Divina group on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. These are my reflections only, during the prayer session and as I wrote them up. Please see my separate commentary and leaflet for more information about shared Lectio.
