"Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?" (Matthew 8:23-27)
Like the Apostles in that boat on that stormy night, I daresay many of us have asked ourselves the same question from time to time that they did; “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?" “Who is Jesus?”
We know that Jesus is the Son of God. We know that He is the Savior. We know that He’s present to us in the Eucharist and in the Word. We know a lot about Him, but what we think we know is utterly insufficient. We must become like the apostles.
We must learn to know Jesus as friend, companion, teacher, guide, brother, Lord and God. We come to this by slow steps, but St. Teresa of Avila taught that to know Jesus as man and God was to enter into God's embrace. To learn who God really is we must embrace the humanity of Jesus Christ. That's a powerful and hard teaching. Most of us look to Jesus as God and forget that He was also human. We don't deny it, but we seem to overlook it. Sometimes in a homily or in a book we’re reminded that there were times when even He was frightened, sad, angry, joyous; there were times when He experienced every facet of the human existence.
The apostles were in a boat when a storm kicked up on the lake. They were terrified. They woke up Jesus and He calmed the storm. The apostles were at peace.
If we think about it a little deeper, Jesus actually calmed two storms. There was the outer storm in nature, and the inner storm of fear and anxiety in the apostles.
There’s no doubt that we’re living in stormy times. One of those storms is the outer storm of brutality against others because of the color of their skin. Another storm is the inner storm of anxiety of those who fear they will be the next victim of a virus or the scourge of racism. And there’s a third storm, the inner storm that is the raging prejudice in some human hearts.
As for the first storm, we feel helpless. It has been raging since the beginning of time. It will take a major miracle to put it to rest. Maybe the Last Judgment.
As for the second storm we can do something. We can make laws and enforce laws that call for equality and justice. Some progress (so little, though!) has been made here. This will help calm the storm of anxiety in some of those who fear for their lives.
As for the third storm, we need to make sure there is no prejudice in our hearts.
Prejudice is the result of ignorance. Ignorance is dispelled by listening, listening that involves walking a mile in another’s shoes. Listening leads to understanding. Understanding leads to compassion. And compassion leads to peace.
So, to come to answer the question "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?" we must be able to embrace both the divinity and the humanity. We need to learn to love Jesus in all that He is before we can begin to fully love Him for all that He’s done for us. Who then is this? He is the only One, true man and true God, the eternal before all things. And He is the One who loves us.
Inner peace comes to us when Christ is the center of our lives. When our boat starts rocking, let’s cling to Him, trust Him, and love Him.
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