12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Job 38:1,8-11; Ps. 106:23-31; 2Cor. 5:14-17; Mk. 4:35-41
Master, Do You Not Care?
May the Lord give you His peace!
The immediate context of today’s Gospel is the teaching of the crowds in series of parables on the eastern part of the lake of Galilee. It was after this seemingly all-day encounter with the throng of people that the Lord Jesus instructed the disciples that they should cross over from the Jewish side of the lake to the western side of the lake (Gentile territory) when He realized that it was getting late. Let us keep in mind that it was the Lord Jesus who commanded that they go to the other side of the lake, and not by the sheer choice of the disciples (cf. Mk. 4:35).
The irony behind the instruction given to the disciples is the well-known fact that voyaging across the lake of Galilee was considered to be a dangerous one, because of its violent storms. If that was the case, why would the Lord call for such a risky adventure in the first place, and worst of all, in the evening time? Was the Lord Jesus really sleeping comfortably when the disciples were having a battle of life and death? Were the disciples not justified at the question they posed to Him? “They woke Him up and said to Him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are lost!’” (NJB, Mk. 4:39a). What was the Lord Jesus up to? What lessons did the most loving and caring Lord Jesus wanted to give to His disciples in this dangerous voyage?
The first lesson is that, the Lord leads His disciples to where He wants them to be as the Good Shepherd. By using the imagery in Psalm 23 to expatiate this point, it is important to note that, it is not only to the green pastures or the still waters that He leads the sheep, but also, to the valley of the shadow of death; and even sets a table for them in the presence of their fearful enemies! The duty of a good disciple is, therefore, to follow the lead of the Master; a role tantamount to that of an obedient soldier – Yes sir, master! In fact, it was from the heart of the tempest that Job received the answers he was waiting for from the Lord; and the response to the quandary of Job was for him to rather answer more difficult questions from Lord (cf. 1st Reading of the day). Beloved, we can never fully understand the ways of God, but the good news is that He can never abandon His own; He always leads the way; and is always in the boat with them. Remember, according to the evangelist Mark, the Lord Jesus invited the disciples to principally be His companions and later to be sent (cf. Mk. 3:14). Therefore, the Lord could not lead His disciples into danger and flee!
He was actually in control in that disheartening situation: “Then he said to them, why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” (NAB, Mk. 4:40). Beloved, in the tempestuous storm of life in which you currently find yourself, does the Lord not care? This recent mindboggling news from the medical doctor concerning your health status, does the Lord not care? The current happenings in your vocation; in your family life; and in your finances, where is the Lord? One of the commonest expressions that we hear always at the Holy Mass is, “The Lord be with you”. Beloved, the eternal truth is that, the Lord is always with us in every storm of life. Let us, therefore, learn to be still and always remember that His love endures forever!
The paradox behind the crossing over to the other side, again teaches something about human helplessness. In spite of the experiences of some of the disciples in fishing expedition, their accumulated human intelligence and skill could not help them to overcome the threat of the lake. Oftentimes, when some people find themselves at the aside of the lake, they tend to mock others who have not yet gotten to where they are; acting as if the world is theirs; and think that their success is solely by the sweat of their own labour. Beloved, without the lead of the Lord, human effort will remain a mere sinking sand. Without the breath of God, manmade oxygen cannot save you; and the many degrees and titles you have cannot resist the turbulent gale and waves in our world. We should, therefore, remember with a childlike humility, to give thanks to the Lord daily, for it is singularly by His grace that we have been able to cross over to the other side.
It is curious to note that the Lord Jesus rebuked the storm with similar commanding words He used to exorcise the demoniac in the synagogue: “Quiet! Come out of him!” (NAB, Mk. 1:225). This means that the problem the disciples were confronted with was not just physical but also spiritual: Just as the man was disturbed by an evil spirit, so was the challenge the disciples faced in their bid to cross over to the other side. This implies that we should be slow as Christians to trivialize the spiritual ramification associated with our challenges. The Lord Jesus knows how to calm every storm, and deliver His companions.
In a nutshell, it is an undeniable fact that some of us like the disciples are going through turbulent moments of life which make us wonder if the Lord cares; and even worthwhile to continue praying! The essential lesson from today’s Gospel is that, although we may have legitimate right to ask question in times of crisis, we should not lose faith in the Lord to the extent of doubting His presence in the boat. We should always remember that the Lord is our companion for life, and that it is only He who can dispel our fears and grant us peace and joy even in the roughest storms of life. May the Lord give you His peace!
