Jesus Calms a Storm

Published June 18, 2020 | By David

Morning Gospel: Today, Jesus calms a storm that has His disciples terrified.

“23 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘œ π‘Ž π‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘, β„Žπ‘–π‘  𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 π‘“π‘œπ‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘š. 24 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘π‘’β„Žπ‘œπ‘™π‘‘, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘Ž π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘šπ‘π‘’π‘ π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘Ž, π‘–π‘›π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘£π‘’π‘ : 𝑏𝑒𝑑 β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘Žπ‘ π‘™π‘’π‘’π‘. 25 𝐴𝑛𝑑 β„Žπ‘–π‘  𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ β„Žπ‘–π‘š, π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘€π‘œπ‘˜π‘’ β„Žπ‘–π‘š, π‘ π‘Žπ‘¦π‘–π‘›π‘”, πΏπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘, π‘ π‘Žπ‘£π‘’ 𝑒𝑠: 𝑀𝑒 π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘ β„Ž. 26 𝐴𝑛𝑑 β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘š, π‘Šβ„Žπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑦𝑒 π‘“π‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘“π‘’π‘™, 𝑂 𝑦𝑒 π‘œπ‘“ 𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 π‘“π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘β„Ž? π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘› β„Žπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘ π‘’, π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘’π‘˜π‘’π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘Ž; π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘š. 27 𝐡𝑒𝑑 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘šπ‘’π‘› π‘šπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘£π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘’π‘‘, π‘ π‘Žπ‘¦π‘–π‘›π‘”, π‘Šβ„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘“ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘› 𝑖𝑠 π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘ , π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘Ž π‘œπ‘π‘’π‘¦ β„Žπ‘–π‘š?” (Matthew 8:23-27, KJV)

This passage reveals to us both the human and divine natures of the Son of Man who is also the Son of God. Jesus was asleep because, as man, He needed rest. But Jesus also commands “π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘Ž” which, for the Jewish disciples who knew their Bible, only Yahweh can do (cf. (Job 38:8–11; Ps 65:5, 6; 106:29)* By displaying the authority to command the elements of Nature, particularly those chaos-elements which God tamed at the creation in Genesis 1, there is an implicit revelation that Jesus is, in fact, Yahweh Incarnate.

The boat, filled with Christ and the Twelve, also is an icon of the Church. Why do we as Christians go through so many storms in our life? All that happens is permitted by God, even the evils which occur in the world.

Yet, as St. Basil the Great taught in his famous homily “π‘‡β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ πΊπ‘œπ‘‘ 𝑖𝑠 π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π΄π‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘“ 𝐸𝑣𝑖𝑙”+, we hold as a firm principle that evil does not originate with God, and that whenever an evil is allowed, it is ingredient to those greater goods which will be made. In our finitude, we will not usually see how this is to be accomplished, but we trust the Wisdom and Goodness of an All-Knowing and All-Loving Father by faith.

We trust that, even though God allows storms in our life, at the right time He will arise and still those storms. Looking back on the experience, we will be more aware of His presence, and we will find that not only are the storms outside of us calmed, but so will our inner tempests be calmed.

*π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘ƒπ‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘š π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘“π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘›π‘π‘’π‘  π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘†π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘”π‘–π‘›π‘‘, π‘Žπ‘‘π‘‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘‘ π‘π‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘š 𝑖𝑛 π‘Šπ‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘› πΆβ„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘› 𝐡𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠.

+π‘‡β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘€π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘“π‘’π‘™, π‘€π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘“π‘’π‘™ β„Žπ‘œπ‘šπ‘–π‘™π‘¦ π‘π‘Žπ‘› 𝑏𝑒 π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π‘Žπ‘› 𝑒π‘₯𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑑 π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘›π‘ π‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝑑. π‘‰π‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘–π‘Ÿ π‘†π‘’π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘ƒπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘ ’ π‘ƒπ‘œπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘Žπ‘Ÿ π‘ƒπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘  π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘ , π‘£π‘œπ‘™π‘’π‘šπ‘’ 30, 𝑂𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π»π‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘› πΆπ‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› 𝑏𝑦 𝑆𝑑. π΅π‘Žπ‘ π‘–π‘™ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ πΊπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘.

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