"Take heart, it is I; have no fear." - March 20
Today’s Readings: Gen. 47:1–26;1 Cor. 9:16–27; Mark 6:47–56
In Mark’s Gospel, it is evening, and the disciples are on the boat making headway painfully and with the wind against them. It almost sounds like they are taking the path of least resistance (sarcasm is intentional). Did they decide to sail at the least opportune time? I wonder why they are out there. Maybe it is to get from one place to another. Maybe they are bored and need to pass the time. They have already given up their careers as fishermen to be disciples and yet they find themselves out on the boat having difficulty. They are probably not fishing (although most times I am fishing I am having difficulty). At this point, Jesus walks on water right towards them. I wonder why Mark says, “he meant to pass them by.” They are scared, and Jesus speaks to them and says, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”
I think there is this idea that when we follow Jesus, everything is just going to fall into place. Life should be easier because we have our priorities in the right place. Well, this certainly wasn’t true for the disciples who find themselves pushing against the wind and scared out of their minds. Do you feel like you are pushing against the current, going uphill both ways, exhausted, maybe scared of where this will all end up? Maybe we are to take comfort that the disciples, even after meeting and following Jesus found themselves in the same predicament and it was in that place where Jesus said, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” It is faith that is the tool to navigate the storm.
- John+
Questions
What are the things that keep you up at night? What are the things that cause you to be afraid?
How might Jesus be calling out to you saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear?”
Challenge
Make a list of the things that scare you. Then divide the list between what you have control over and what you don’t. Make a plan to tackle what you can control and consider that God is there for everything else.