Walking with Jesus: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19:9, 11-13; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-23

Every day I look around and see that I am surrounded by the awesome wonders and power of God. Do I realize that God has placed me in this place, at this time, for His purpose? In looking at His creative beauty I realize that He is present: Am I absent? Do I make myself a part of God’s world or am I lost and wandering around in my own unimaginative, seemingly boring life without tuning God in? When times get tough do I expect God to prove Himself by providing a miracle for me? God, if you really love me, You’ll do this favor for me. The daily constraints of living make it so hard to keep my focus on the Lord. This happens even at prayer. St. Teresa of Avila said “if you are not distracted in prayer, you are not praying.” That’s all well and good, but how do I keep loving the Lord for all He has done for me? We turn to the readings for some helpful hints and direction.

We remember this well-known, scary part of Elijah’s life: Ahab has become king of Israel. “Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord more than any of his predecessors … he even married Jezebel and went over to the veneration and worship of Baal.” [1 Kings 16:30-31] God sends Elijah to bring Ahab back to Him. Elijah has the king summon 450 Baal prophets and another 400 prophets and arranges a contest to prove that there is only one God. Two young bulls are chosen and prepared for sacrifice. The prophets and Elijah are to “call on your gods, and I will call on the Lord. The God who answers with fire is God.” [I Kings 18:24] Elijah taunts the prophets repeatedly who dance, sing and cut themselves in frenzy, but no fire comes. Elijah has buckets and buckets of water poured on his bull while he calls on the Lord, and fire comes. Then the people acclaim that there is only one God, the Lord, and Elijah has all the prophets’ throats slit. Fearing what could happen when the king tells the cruel Jezebel, he flees. We start today’s reading here. Elijah goes to the desert, then makes a 40-day journey to the Mountain of God. He fears for his own life and is not trusting God. God expects a prophet to intercede for the people with Him and bring them closer. Elijah is just concerned about himself, not with God’s people. God offers a dramatic lesson to change Elijah’s attitude: He tells Elijah that He will be passing by and to watch for Him. Elijah first hears a powerful, driving wind … followed by an earthquake ... then a consuming fire … but God is not in these destructive displays of power. Then the prophet hears a faint whisper and is aware that God is present. God is found in silence, barely perceptible, but nonetheless present. Listen … a tremendous lesson … when I end my prayers do I take time to be quiet and listen in faith, love and trust?

Paul is wondering why so many Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah. God has promised constantly, especially through Moses, that He will send a Messiah. Now that Christ has come, it would seem that something has gone horribly wrong with God’s plan. Not so, says Paul. We are the ones who choose. We can face mounting resistance to our faith by the people in our lives. They say they know God, but they doubt God. They do not live lives of faith, love, trust, forgiveness … they live as they want to, abandoning their God as in Elijah’s days.

A few hours after Jesus has demonstrated His divine powers by the miraculous multiplication of loaves and fishes, He dismisses the people. The apostles get in their boat and face a huge struggle with one of the sudden, notorious storms on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus gives them another sign of His divinity by walking toward them on the water. Fear and terror immediately consume the apostles; they think they are seeing a ghost. Jesus again calms their fears: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” [Matthew 14:27] God is always present. Peter asks for proof and finds it in Jesus’ care and supportive and forgiving love.

The lessons are important for us: Christ never abandons us in our need. He only asks us to believe in Him. We can see that in His longing so deeply for us to trust Him without limits. “Lord, save me …” we say repeatedly.  Peter reached out his hand because he was afraid of drowning, and “… immediately Jesus stretched out His had and caught Peter and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” [Matthew 14:31]  As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to get through his troubled waters. So during my stormy temptations and life challenges in a falling world, how am I focusing my attention on the Lord?

So I reflect on:

• What are some of the storms that now hinder my progress as a follower and believer of Jesus?
• Peter disappointed Jesus by not trusting in Him. Where do I disappoint Jesus by not trusting?
• Where do I try to find the small voice of the Lord? Do I try enough?
• What would hold me from stepping out into the water?
  

Sacred Space 2020 states:

“The apostles, despite living side by side with Jesus and seeing the wonders He worked, were still amazed when He calmed the storm. So many storms batter our lives; sin and temptation, anxiety, fear and despair. And yet Jesus is no farther away from us than He was from the disciples in that small boat.

“When we’re in the storm, we bring our troubles to Jesus. We sit with Him in prayer and let Him know how we are and just allow His calm to come over us. Our prayer gives us the courage and strength to dwell with the weather as it comes.”