Not having an answer to everything

Not having an answer to everything

23rd catechesis, January 2019

            So that we can penetrate deeper into the mystery of Christmas, the mystery of God’s presence with us, let us take today one passage from Mark’s Gospel, which we read during the Christmas season:

When Jesus had fed the five thousand men, he immediately forced his disciples to board the ship and go to the other bank of Beth said before he dissolved the people. When he dissolved them, he went to the top to pray. And when it was evening, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the earth. He saw them struggling in rowing, for the wind was blowing against them. And in the morning, walking by the sea, he came near to them, and wanted to bypass them. When they saw him walking across the sea, they thought it was a fool and shouted; for they all saw him and were afraid. But he immediately said to them, “Take hold of yourself! It is me, do not be afraid! ”He entered the boat and the wind died. And they were all amazed, for they did not understand how it was with the loaves; their heart was blunted. (Mk 6: 45-52)

The apostles have already experienced everything with Jesus. They saw his miracles. Now they were in a desolate place with him, along with about 5,000 men, not counting women and children. The apostles want to deal with the situation and warn their Master, who has probably forgotten a little, and for a long time to order the release of the people, to buy something to eat. Jesus puts them in a difficult task – let them eat! It’s your problem, solve it! In this challenge they have the opportunity to personally experience the challenge. It is not just a theory, a story they hear about and discuss in the comfort of home. It is a task that touches them and transcends them.

In this way, Jesus wants to make them the center of their actions to make them more aware of their power. The experience of bread multiplication will further enhance their trust in Jesus. Maybe that’s why they have no problem to listen and put on a boat. As fishermen, they had to know the dangers of an evening voyage, when after sunset the chilled air from the mainland began to push over the water. Perhaps they were not even aware of the risk at the moment, but just put on and fully surrender to Master’s instructions.

But the wind came. Difficulties have emerged and they are now struggling for life. What went through their heads? Many of them might have said— “But I knew it was unreasonable, impossible, risky. But when Jesus said, I obeyed. After all, the others went. The Master must always be right in everything! Can’t tell! Yes, he’s right, he’s a wonderful preacher, and he’s beautiful what he says, but he doesn’t know the real life! I should only go to what I know and know! ”This is a typical temptation that occurs every time we decide to go to the Lord when we leave the certainty of our experience and risk. The Lord has one such interesting feature – he will never be satisfied. He always wants more. He always wants to attract us more. When he finally winds us up, he won’t be satisfied, but he wants to take our experience with him to an even higher level. Therefore, it will allow things to be complicated.

The apostles will experience a strong wind. They could have been angry at their Master who had put them in this situation. And suddenly Jesus is passing by. He’s on the water. Rather, in such situations, the presence of God irritates us. When you are here, you solve our problem, why do you go there for the water! Either do something to save me, or go away! Don’t be like a fool! I’ve listened to you once and what do I get out of it ?!

Indeed, in such situations, the Bear Service can give us well-meaning advice: “You can’t think this way, for God is good, he didn’t want you wrong. If you are in such a situation, it is only because you have misunderstood it. ” Such advice will not help. Only all the anger of God will divert against myself – I am incapable of praying more, of trusting, of discerning … If we do not turn anger against ourselves, we will show ourselves as masters of cheap answers to life situations: and this…”

But we never know what the Lord is doing. Often we will learn about this with the passage of time. It is obvious what the Lord wants to achieve. He wants to board the ship of our life and calm her down. He wants to get closer to us, he wants to put on our shoes and walk in them. This is the secret of incarnation and birth. The apostles experienced the multiplication of bread, realizing that they had nothing to fear with Jesus. But they haven’t won it yet. Jesus decided to give them more. He invites them to a new experience. And this is how God leads us to complete union with Him, with His will. So the goal is clear. But we do not have an immediate answer to what it is doing with this particular situation. A material master does not always reveal what he is doing …

Let us now consider this text without immediately interpreting it for our life (what it wants to tell me by my restless children, other children, job loss, disease, marriage conflict, tensions at work …). Let us try to perceive the principle of Jesus’ work without being in.