Homily - XII Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - Sunday 23 June 2024 –Rev. Dr. Patrick Mathias SDB
Jesus Stills a Storm
Mass Readings: Job
38:1.8-11 Ps106 2 Cor 5:14-17 Mk 4:35-41
Key
Verse to Meditate: He woke up and rebuked
the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind
ceased, and there was a dead calm (Mk 4:39).
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
The twelfth Sunday in
Ordinary Time brings us the event of Jesus calming a storm, as also described
by the other Synoptic writers (Mt 8:23-27; Lk 8:22-25). The miracle of calming
the sea shows that Jesus has the power to save us. Just as He rescued the
apostles, He can rescue you and me. However, the hard fact of life is that Jesus'
rescue not only keeps us from the storms but also keeps us from perishing. The
various storms of life, much like those Job encountered, are tests and
opportunities to demonstrate our faith and trust in God.
The First Reading: In the
first reading from the Book of Job, we hear the words of the Lord coming to Job
from the whirlwind. Man’s knowledge is limited, and it is no way comparable to
the Lord's, who has made heaven and earth. When the three men stopped answering
Job because he maintained his integrity before God, they accused him of hidden
sin due to the misfortunes that befell him, including the loss of all his ten
children and his wealth. His wife told him to curse God and die. Finally, Elihu
became angry with Job and his three friends because they could not find a
satisfying answer and because Job justified himself before God. Elihu rebuked
Job, condemned his self-righteousness, and exalted God’s goodness and majesty.
However, Elihu, though speaking about God, was not accurate and brought more
depression to Job.
In today’s reading, God
directly interrupts and clarifies all misguided counsels. The Lord knew exactly
who Job was, but His question was more like, "Who do you think you are,
acting as a counsellor for God?" Job seemed to believe he had more answers
than God did. So, God asked him profound questions for which Job had no
answers. In response to Elihu's accusations, God told Job that he is only mortal,
and that God's creation, power, and sustenance belong to God. Therefore, Job
should not be worried about others' accusations. Only when the Lord intervened
did Job become humbled before His presence. God did not punish Elihu and the
two other friends but restored Job's fortunes. May this reflection help us
to trust in God's power and goodness, knowing that He is in control of all
life's storms. Amen.
The Second Reading: Christ’s Love compels us:
In today's second reading, St.
Paul records that it is Christ’s love that motivates him to pursue his calling.
In verses 14-15, Paul illustrates that the love of Jesus on the cross is the
ultimate demonstration of love. This unfathomable love of Christ controls and
dominates Paul’s life, compelling him to preach. Paul’s conviction is that one
died for all. This belief leads him to declare elsewhere that “Christ died for
us” (Rom 5:8; 1 Thess 5:10) and “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor 15:3).
Consequently, Paul invites Christians to live not for themselves but for Him
who died for them and was raised again (2 Cor 5:15).
This conviction also leads Paul to proclaim that
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and
behold, the new has come (2 Cor 5:17). This echoes the theme of the first
reading, where St. Paul exhorts us not to regard anyone from a human point of
view. Judging others from a human perspective may lead us astray because only
those in Christ are renewed in mind and heart, enabling them to forgive and
evaluate others from Christ's perspective.
Inspired by this understanding, the old mentality
of judgment passes away, and a new perspective is created: "From now on,
therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once
knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So,
if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed
away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Cor 5:14-17). As Christians, let
us embrace this transformation, allowing Christ’s love to renew our minds and
hearts, so we may see and love others as He does.
The
Gospel Reading: In the fourth chapter of
Mark, the chapter begins with parables about seeds, namely, the Parable of the
Sower and its explanation, and the Parable of the Growing Seed and the Mustard
Seed. After these parables, Mark concludes the chapter and transitions to the
fifth chapter with the miracle of Jesus calming the sea (Mk 4:35-41). This
miracle is followed by others in the fifth chapter, demonstrating His divine
power and establishing that He was truly the Son of God: Jesus’ power over nature
(Mk 4:35-41); Jesus’ power over demons (the Gerasene demoniac) (Mk 5:1-20); Jesus’
power over disease and sickness (Mk 5:21-34); Jesus’ power over death (Mk
5:35-43).
And
on that day, when evening had come (Mk 4:35):
After teaching the parables, Mark describes the incident of the windstorm at
sea in the ‘evening.’ In biblical terms, ‘evening’ signifies a time of fear,
doubt, and uncertainty. Despite this, Jesus is traveling with the apostles in
the boat as they head to the other side of the sea. While many things can
happen in between, we need not be afraid because Jesus is with us.
To
"Pass" to the Other Side of the Shore:
The passage from one side to the other side of the sea carries significant
biblical connotations. We need to journey with Jesus, venturing into the deep
sea of life with faith and trust to "pass" to the other shore. This
journey from sin to new life in Christ is what is known as the Easter life. The
love of Christ urges us forward in our lives and missionary activities. As St.
Paul says in today’s second reading: "For the love of Christ urges us on,
because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore, all have
died" (2 Cor 5:14). The word "passage" reminds us of the
crossing of the Red Sea by the chosen people, freed from slavery and led to
freedom (Ex 14:21ff). It also refers to the passage from death to the glorious
resurrection, symbolizing how the Son of Man freed humanity from sin and led
them to glory (Rom 6:23; 8:11-13). The other shore is God's shore, unseen and
revealed by Jesus (Jn 14:4).
The
Boat = The Church: The boat that crosses
the lake with the disciples and Jesus can be seen as the Church. Like Noah's
Ark, it was built specifically to "pass." However, storms can often
arise in our lives and in the life of the Church. The forces of evil are unleashed
against it, and a boat filled with water symbolizes death. The water of sin,
death, and life's temptations can overwhelm people and create great fear. The
powers of evil will always struggle against the Spirit, with negative forces
waging war against the positive powers of grace. Yet, Jesus is in the boat,
even if He appears to be asleep.
Asleep on the Cushion: In their
fear, they did not see Jesus sleeping but were overcome with fear and
trembling. They were afraid and even thought they would never be able to make
the crossing and should never have set sail in that boat. Amidst the storm,
Mark paints a beautiful picture combining the humanity and deity of Jesus:
"And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion" (Mk 4:38).
In chapter three, we see how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees, disciples, and
family members from morning until evening and taught numerous parables in
chapter four. Exhausted from morning until evening, the humanity of Jesus
required a sound sleep, so even the storm could not wake Him.
"Teacher, do You not care that we are
perishing?" The desperate cry of the perishing disciples woke
Jesus, the 'Master.' Although the disciples did not use this term, instead
addressing Him as 'Teacher.' They went and woke Him, saying, "Teacher, do
you not care that we are perishing?" (Mk 4:38). This was not a calm
request but rather a display of their significant lack of faith in Jesus, in
His power, and in His divine providence to care for them. Overcome by the fear
of death and for their lives, their faith was overshadowed by the imminent
danger. However, Jesus heard their cry and came to their aid. He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the
wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mk 4:39). In this act of rebuking the
wind and sea lies the divinity of Christ. Mark emphasizes the contrast between
the great storm and the subsequent great calm (Mk 4:39).
Jesus displayed perfect power and control over
the powers of nature. It must have been a theophanic experience for the poor
disciples. That’s why the disciples, becoming exceedingly fearful, said to one
another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
(Mk 4:41). When Jesus woke up, the first thing He did was to calm the sea and
calm their fears. That’s why Jesus did not reproach the disciples at first but
instead blamed them for their lack of faith: He said to them, "Why are you
afraid? Have you still no faith?" (Mk 4:40). Some lessons can only be
learned in the middle of the storm.
Jesus saves His Church from all the storms that
threaten to make it sink. But we need to answer Jesus' question: Where is your
faith? It looks odd, but it compels me to think about where I have placed my
faith: in myself or in God, who travels with me in the boat? We must pray to
Him and pray to Him with faith. The fear of dying, which is negative, is then
replaced by the fear of God, which is the obedience of the faithful to their
Savior. This is our situation: the weakness of our boat must draw its strength
from the powerful presence of Christ. He lets us pass, calming the powerful
storms of life. Jesus always travels with us in the boat of our lives, assuring
us of His presence and protection: "And remember, I am with you always, to
the end of the age" (Mt 28:20).
Points for Personal Reflection
Storm Theology: Is there
something called storm theology? Yes. A storm is a word connected to the sea;
it can arise at any time and can be dangerous. St. Mark describes the storm in
today’s Gospel in the following manner: "And there arose a great storm of
wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was
already filling up" (Mk 4:37). Dramatically, Matthew in his Gospel
describes the event, saying, "Behold, there arose a violent wind on the
sea" (Mt 8:24). The word "violent" comes from the Greek word
"seismos," which also refers to an "earthquake."
Thus, in Matthew's context, it was like the sea was shaking!
Storms Test Our Faith in
God: We are all traveling on the sea of life in a boat. As in the Gospel,
traveling on the sea is not always the same. Just as it happens on the sea, we
as believers face various types of storms in our lives. Storm theology is what
we believe or the attitudes we have about God when storms come into our lives
of grace and our human lives. Storm theology reflects what you believe and what
you believe about God when things in our human lives seem to be going horribly
wrong. Just like storms at sea can change the life situation of those who
travel, so too the storms in human life can bring to the surface what’s really
inside of us. Storms will reveal whether we live by fear or by faith. Storms
will also reveal if our hearts are full of trust or doubt. The way we react to
God during a storm reveals the truth about ourselves in our lives of faith.
To Go Across to the Other Side: Mark
begins this episode by noting that, in the evening of that day, Jesus tells His
disciples to go across to the other side in the same boat He had used earlier
to preach the parable of the Sower (Mk 4:1). This invitation suggests a moment
of rest after a hectic day of preaching (Mk 6:31). Jesus’ frequent crossings to
the other side of the lake were often efforts to seek less populated areas,
thereby avoiding the crowds and His enemies. Mark also mentions that other
boats were with them, indicating that other faithful disciples frequently
accompanied Him on His journeys.
We need to distinguish now,
"this side" and the "other side." We see the day starting
at Mk 3:20 after the prayer and election of the twelve apostles, the
confrontation with the scribes who attributed the mighty acts of Jesus to Beelzebul,
and finally Jesus’ mother and brothers coming to see Him and trying to take Him
away because they thought He had lost His mind. Then Jesus spent the rest of
the day teaching.
Life of Faith - “the Other
Side”: On this side of the lake, Jesus had performed miracles, confronted the
Pharisees, and taught about the Kingdom of God to the crowds. On this side, the
disciples had witnessed Jesus in His teaching and miracles. But on the “other
side,” they would be tested about their faith when unexpected storms come. On
the “other side” of life, we have tests that come our way. All of us have to go
across to the “other side” of our faith life. If things go very well on this
side, be sure that “the other side” storms await us, storms that can test our
faith. The “other side” of good health is illness. How will you respond? The
“other side” of the honeymoon is a broken relationship. How will you respond?
The “other side” of a good family is sometimes the betrayal of children. How
will you respond?
Do I trust God in the
storms of life? Do I pray to Jesus and wake Him up with confident prayer and
faith? Do I take for granted the uncompromising and eternal presence of Jesus
in my life?
Is Jesus present in my
boat? Do I recognize His presence?
When a crisis comes into
your life, do you see God as good or bad for allowing it to happen?
When you pray during the
storm, do you see God as caring or uncaring based on how He answers?
How will you respond to the
storms of life where your faith is tested on the ‘other side’? What do you
think is the other side of your life of faith?
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