I need Jesus - January 31, 2025

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Isa. 50:1-11; Gal. 3:15-22; Mark 6:47-56

As I sit with the gospel appointed for this morning (Mark 6:47-56), I think about the times I have been in deep water – literally and metaphorically. Over my head in a situation that endangered where I was in life. Like the disciples on the lake, I have strained at the oars to get back to safety as the wind blew against every effort. I have continued to tread in that place of peril, seeking something that just wasn’t there and afraid to give up. Maybe I have even jumped from the boat and started swimming further out and into poorer choices, not even considering additional collateral.

Like the lost and exhausted disciples in the dark out on the waters near Bethsaida, I have been that person in need, misdirected in futility and my own humanity. I still get out into that place of danger and isolation, trapped in a mindset of self-sufficiency and unmoored from my foundation. It feels awful.

It is in these moments that I need Jesus. I need Jesus who walks early in the morning upon the shoreline, seeing me silently struggling. I need Jesus who witnesses the tumultuous waves and walks into the wind. I need Jesus who reminds me that I can use my voice to call out for help. I need Jesus to speak words of assurance to me, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” I need Jesus to get into the boat with me, so that even if the winds are still whipping, life feels steadier. I need Jesus to teach me to speak honestly and lovingly, even when it is hard to say. I need Jesus, who brings calm in the tempests, food to the starving, and mercy when I do not deserve it. I need Jesus…not just as my personal savior, but as a reminder that God is truly with us. We need Jesus – the Redeemer and the Reconciler of this world. 

May Jesus meet you where you are today, no matter the depth of the water.

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

 Spend ten minutes reading and reflecting on the gospel for today. Listen for where you feel curious or uncomfortable. What does the scripture call you to do, or be, or change today?