Don't Be Afraid

Mark 6: 45-52

Jesus Walks on the Water

⁴⁵ Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

⁴⁷ Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. ⁴⁸ He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, ⁵⁰ because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ⁵¹ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, ⁵² for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." (Mk 6: 50).  We should have a tape of these works running non-stop to shoo away the fears that plague us at every turn, it seems.  What makes our faith so fragile after having lived a life-time of "near falls" and dramatic rescues?  Must be something connected with Original Sin; we never feel secure enough when the waves rise or something unexpected appears before us. It's worse, when something ordinary, someone we know, something we've done over and over, begins to frighten us. Perhaps we seem overwhelmed because we've begun to think that we have "to do it all", and forget that Jesus is by our side to help us. I wonder how many times these words of Jesus came to mind after his Ascension to heaven and the Apostles were out there "one their own" preaching and being hauled before the magistrates, and yes, even put to death? We might try today to alleviate our unfounded fears by hearing Jesus speak these words to us. Again, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Bro. Rene