Scripture Reflections

Our gospel passage this past Sunday was a familiar one. So familiar, in fact, that it’s found its way into everyday speech. When someone can do no wrong, or seems successful at everything he does, we might say he “walks on water.” If someone were to show up tomorrow and claim to be Jesus returned, I’d take him to a pool to see what he could do! We know who walks on water. We’d recognize him instantly.

But the disciples don’t recognize him at first. They’ve been fighting strong headwinds all night, and when they see a figure coming to them on the water their immediate response is fear. Mark’s explanation is simple: Jesus had just fed 5,000 with a few loaves and fish, but the disciples’ hearts were still hard.

This story is particularly striking, because when they arrive at the shore the people of Gennesaret recognize Jesus immediately! The disciples had hoped to evade the unknown figure who terrified them, but these people respond by bringing their sick to be healed.

This contrast sets up an important question for us: when the winds are against us, or even when we’re in the middle of a storm, can we recognize Jesus? The people on the shore did not recognize Jesus because of their advanced holiness. They were simply blessed to see him by the clear light of day. The disciples, however, knew his character and his power. They should have known him, but on the dark, blustery water the hardness of their hearts clouded their eyes.

If you struggle to recognize Jesus in the dark, when the winds are against you, ask the Lord to soften your heart. A hard heart is not something to hide or be ashamed of. Hardness of heart can mean a lot of things. It can mean a willful opposition to God, or purposeful disobedience to his word. But a heart can be hardened against its will. A heart can be hardened by prolonged grief, unmet longings, loss, hardship, or suffering. Sometimes a heart hardens because we want to protect ourself from pain, or danger. A hard heart can feel like a wall of safety, especially in those too frequent times when the heart itself is the source of our biggest storms.

The fact is that hardness of heart is something we all face. That often hidden reality comes to the surface so easily when life feels stormy. It can blind us to the presence of the only one who can calm those winds with a word. It’s even truer when the storms are on the inside, not just the outside. Ask the Lord to soften your heart, and to bring peace to the storm. Know that even when you don’t see him, he is there: “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50).

Justin