They Saw Jesus Walking On The Sea And Coming Near Their Boat
by Deacon Bob Schnell
Jesus works this great miracle of multiplying loaves and fishes and what happens next? Evening comes and the disciples set out across the Sea of Galilee without Him. Why do they leave without Him? John's Gospel doesn't tell us (today's reading is Jn 6: 16-21). But they leave without Him, and things don't seem to go too well. The sea is turbulent; there are big waves and a strong wind; it is dark. Out of nowhere, three or four miles from shore, Jesus appears, walking on the water. What's He doing out there? Again, we don't know, but it makes sense to think that He is looking for them. After all, He walks up toward the boat, and tells them not to be afraid. He also says, in our translation, "It is I." But the literal language is the wording "I am." Jesus uses the same language to identify Himself that the Jews used to refer to God. In a very real sense, Jesus is God, searching for His disciples at sea amid wind and waves after the disciples have left without Him. And that's us, pretty-much every day, heading out into the world, the sea with all its wind and waves, without a thought of Jesus-- leaving Him behind. The same thing happens next-- Jesus searches for us, wants to find us, wants to bring us safely to shore (as He does the disciples). We might keep that in mind amid the storms of life-- Jesus wants to find and save us. He calls to us, and identifies Himself to us. Are we like the disciples? Do we invite Him into the boat?