19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 9, 2020

Matthew 14:22-33

The story of Jesus walking on water is a well-known account being shared by three gospels: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45–52 and John 6:15–21. However, unique to Matthew is the part of Peter who also walked on water, but sank after a few steps. Let us focus our attention on this unique moment in the life of Simon Peter.

The sudden and unusual appearance of Jesus startled the disciples who were still battling the strong wind. The disciples’ natural reaction was fear. They thought they saw a ghost. Matthew gives us a little interesting detail: the disciples were afraid not because of the raft sea, but because of Jesus’ presence. We remember that many of them were seasoned fishermen and dealing with unpredictable conditions in the lake of Galilee was their part of their job description.  Yet, to see someone walked on water was just unprecedented. Thus, Jesus took the initiative to calm the storms inside their hearts and assured them that He is the “I AM” who controlled the forces of nature.

Peter, the bold leader and yet impulsive man, wanted to prove what he saw and heard. He then challenged Jesus and himself by saying, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus invited him to come. The miracle took place. Simon Peter was able to walk on water. Yet, his weak human nature once again set in. After a few miraculous steps, he got distracted by the wind, lost his focus on Jesus, and he began to sink. Jesus had to save him and told him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” We notice that Jesus did not say, “You, who have no faith!” but rather, “little faith.” This shows that Peter possessed indeed faith, proven by his several miraculous steps, but it was still small, easily distracted, and doubt-ridden.

Many of us can easily relate to Simon Peter, our first Pope. We believe in Jesus, and we know that we have faith in Him. Yet, we are aware also that our faith is still small. We may go to the Church every Sunday or pray from time to time, believe that Jesus, our God and Savior, and accept the teachings of the Church, but our faith is just tiny part of our life, that can be set aside when other and bigger concerns like work, career, relationship and others. We give God our leftovers, our time and effort. Even in our prayer and worship, we are easily distracted. Rather than focusing ourselves in Jesus, we give our attention to our cellphones and all the excitement they offer. Then, when we face the storms of life, we begin to sink, and when we are drowning, that is that the time, we shout, like Peter, “Lord, save me!”

We are called to set our gaze on Him and to learn to have true eyes of faith. These are eyes to ponder the Eucharist not as mere bread and wine, not as monotonous repetition, but as the real presence of Jesus who has sacrificed His life for us. This is a faith that empowers us to see Jesus’ presence in our daily and ordinary events. Thus, not even the fiercest storms can sink us because we focus our eyes on Jesus.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP