2nd Passiontide
John
6: 16 - 26
When
evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat
and set off over the sea for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not
yet come to them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When
they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the
boat, walking on the sea; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "I
AM, have no fear" Now when they wanted to take him into the boat,
immediately the boat was at the land, at the place where they wanted to go.
The
next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized
that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his
disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias
landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had
given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were
there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
When
they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when
did you come here?"
Jesus answered, “Amen, amen,
the truth I say to you: You are seeking me not because you saw signs of
spiritual power, but because you ate of the bread and were satisfied.
2nd Passiontide
March 10, 2013
John 6: 16 – 26
We can picture the disciples in the boat. It is night, and
stormy. They begin to fear for their lives. Yet Christ Jesus comes to them. He
shines like a lodestar. He tells them to have no fear, for He is the I AM, the
guide for all mankind. They take Him on board, and are immediately at their
goal.
Today humanity, and especially some of us individually, are
traveling in rough seas, in darkness. And Christ the Star says to us: Have no
fear. I am your guide. I will take you to your true goal. Our difficulty
sometimes is in seeing Him, hearing Him. For the thunder is roaring and we feel
swamped. Yet He is there, a quiet, calm. We have trouble holding on to these
flashes of His presence. The poet says:
 |
| Roland Tiller |
Hope is with you when you believe
The earth is not a dream but living
flesh,
That sight, touch, and hearing do
not lie,
That all things you have ever seen
here
Are like a garden looked at from a
gate.
You cannot enter. But you're sure
it's there.
Some people say we should not trust
our eyes,
That there is nothing, just a
seeming,….
Could we but look more clearly and
wisely
We might discover somewhere in the
garden
A strange new flower and an unnamed
star.[1]
