Reflection on Matthew 15:21–28 from “First Impressions”

Today’s gospel is strange, don’t you think? It is embarrassing too, since it seems to depict Jesus in an unflattering light. A desperate woman has come seeking help for her tormented daughter. Since she is a Canaanite, an outsider to the Jewish faith, Jesus treats her abruptly. First, he ignores her then, in the parlance of the day, refers to non-Jews, as “dogs.”

If the story does anything, it certainly gets us on the side of the “under dog” -- we want to cheer the woman on, “Don’t give up! He’ll give in!” How strange, to side with a petitioner, hoping Jesus’ heart will soften towards the mother.

It is not the usual stance we take when we hear a person in need invoke Jesus’ help. Usually he is the compassionate one, eager to help those who exhibit need and faith in him. But not in today’s story. Is Jesus really as indifferent as he first seems? What’s going on here?

What will help us enter today’s story is to begin by reflecting on our basic faith in Jesus. What do we believe about his humanity? Most of us, I dare say, were raised with a strong affirmation of Jesus’ divinity. He is, we believe, the eternal Word of God made flesh. Less emphasized in our formation was an equally true doctrine of our faith: Jesus was truly human. We have to keep these two truths in balance. But we often tend to emphasize one side of the truth of Jesus’ identity; we favor his divinity. What has been neglected, at least in my upbringing, is the equally important truth that Jesus was fully human.

So ask yourself: If someone knocked on his door, would Jesus know who was there before he opened it? Traditionally we would not hesitate in answering, “Yes, he was God and knew everything.” Taking that perspective, we would approach Jesus’ rough treatment of the woman in today’s text by claiming that he knew all along what he intended to do and was testing the woman’s faith. And the woman does have faith!

Her faith has pushed her beyond her usual boundaries. She is a Canaanite and so has left her homeland to go out to Jesus. Remember that the Canaanites were the original inhabitants of the Promise Land and had been pushed out by the Israelites. The conflicts between the Jews and the Canaanites were ancient and the woman had taken a risk when she entered enemy territory. She had the courage to leave the security of the familiar to venture into a place of tension in order to get help from Jesus. It’s possible that, in making the journey, the woman was acknowledging the priority of the Jews and their faith as a place to find a gracious God willing to help her. Her desperation and courage are shown in her going to Jesus unaccompanied by a male guardian – something unusual for women of that time.

The woman’s faith is also shown in her persistence with Jesus. She is not easily dissuaded, even when Jesus refers to throwing the “children’s” (the Jews) food to the “dogs” (the Gentiles). (In the original language the word Jesus used is “puppies,” not the harsher sounding “dogs.” We sense Jesus is open to the woman and has pulled back from the way his Jewish contemporaries would have referred to her, as one of the “dogs.”) The woman insists she has some rights, even though she belongs to the “dogs” who eat the scraps from the table. She seems to be implying her belief that God will feed the “children” and the “dogs” -- both Gentiles and Jews.

Jesus has just been criticized by the Pharisees for his disciples (and by extension, Jesus) not observing dietary and ritual cleansing rules (15: 1-20).

He called the religious leaders hypocrites who only pay lip service to God. In contrast, Jesus praised the Canaanite woman for having great faith. One of the very people the religious leaders would have despised for their religious and ethical practices receives the highest praise from Jesus. So, who are the truly pious and observant in Jesus’ eyes? Those who see in him God’s gracious desire to heal, forgive and welcome to the table. At that table, as at our eucharistic table today, God serves the best bread.

The disciples were all too ready to dismiss the woman. But as it turns out she exhibits more faith than even they have, for she sees that the God Jesus proclaims includes all people, even those believed unworthy by the pious and observant. God doesn’t count class or ethnic standing as an entitlement to God’s favor. All people of faith receive and find a receptive ear in God.

Back to our earlier question: If someone knocked at the door would Jesus know who it was before opening it?” With a strong emphasis on his divinity and a lesser one on his humanity, the answer would be, “Yes, of course.” However, in recent years we have come to a renewed appreciation of Jesus’ humanity through our reinvigorated studies of scripture. For example, Paul says that Christ emptied himself, “taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, one like us in all things but sin (Phil. 2: 6-7). In Hebrews we are told Jesus was “tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned” (4: 15). Again in Hebrews, Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered.” After his parents found the boy Jesus in the temple Luke tells us he returned with them to his home, “was obedient to them” and “progressed in wisdom and age and grace before God and humans” (2: 51-52). From this biblical perspective we observe that Jesus, like all humans, did not come into this world fully developed and all-knowing, but like us he grew, “in wisdom and age and grace before God and humans.” From this second perspective we might say that when Jesus encountered the woman and heard her request, he was expressing his first intention: to preach his message to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But when he saw the woman’s strong faith in him, especially after just being rejected by those who should have known better, the religious leaders, he then modified his mission plan.

The woman was a clear sign to Jesus that God’s salvation was meant for all people and all nations – not just for the Jews. Today’s encounter with the Canaanite woman shows a change in Jesus’ human consciousness and his human understanding of God’s plan for humanity. How does this change take place? By the woman’s persistence and unwillingness to accept a narrow and restrictive view of God. She realized birth and religious origins cannot hold back the outpouring of God’s love on all people. If we make God too small and puny in love we have not heard the gospel.

Thus, we have two general paths of entry into this story. One, with stress on Jesus’ divinity, seeing his behavior as the all-knowing Lord who draws out of a Gentile the faith that will be preached “to the ends of the earth.” The other approach views the human Jesus in an exchange that helps him grow in his mission towards all nations.

The early church, an even our present one, would struggle with the message of inclusivity being affirmed in today’s gospel. Even after the resurrection some in the church thought Jesus’ message should be restricted to Israel, even though Matthew’s gospel ends with the risen Jesus’ mandate to go into the whole world and preach the gospel (28: 18-20).

God has included us in Jesus’ message of forgiveness and reconciliation. We didn’t do anything to earn that inclusion, it was handed to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and we have accepted the invitation to the table where the food of God’s reign is given us. Gathered at this table we hear the risen Jesus’ mandate to proclaim the message to all.

Are there any people or groups who are automatically included in our circle of friends and church members? Are any overlooked or ignored? Whom do we consider superior?... Inferior and not worth our time? In other words, who are the Canaanites in our lives who are ignored or quickly brushed aside? Jesus heard the woman’s voice and accepted her. Am I also open to the voices who call out to me for help daily? We are tying to respond to the gospel we have received by doing to others what has been done for us. Just as our God has listened and responded to us, so we offer a willing ear and respond to those who express their needs to us.

—by Jude Siciliano, O.P.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 13, 2023

Trust in Jesus who tells us He is always with us.

Matthew 14:22–33

Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.

During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Music Meditations

• “Be Not Afraid” (sung by John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
• “Lord, I Need You” (Chris Tomlin)
• “Walk on the Water” (Britt Nicole) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

We need to learn, Lord, not only to rely on ourselves, but on you, and in turn, on those around us who love and care for us. Help us to extend that same care and love to those we meet along the way, for that is how we experience your presence as we walk precariously on the waters of life.

Companions for the Journey

The Gospel today describes the difficult and tiresome crossing of the sea of Galilee in a fragile boat, pushed by a contrary wind. Between the discourse of the Parables (Mt 13) and of the Community (Mt 18), there is once again, the narrative part (Mt 14 to 17). The discourse of the Parables calls our attention again on the presence of the Kingdom. Now, the narrative part shows the reactions in favor and against Jesus provoked by that presence. In Nazareth, he was not accepted (Mt 13, 53-58) and King Herod thought that Jesus was a sort or reincarnation of John the Baptist, whom he had murdered (Mt 14, 1-12). The poor people, though, recognized in Jesus the one who had been sent by God and they followed him to the desert, where the multiplication of the loaves took place (Mt 14, 13-21). After the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus takes leave of the crowd and ordered the disciples to cross the lake, as it is described in today’s Gospel (Mt 14, 22-36).

Matthew 14, 22-24: To begin the crossing asked by Jesus. Jesus obliges the Disciples to go into the boat and to go toward the other side of the sea, where the land of the pagans was. He goes up to the mountain to pray. The boat symbolizes the community. It has the mission to direct itself toward the pagans and to announce among them the Good News of the Kingdom also, which was the new way of living in community. But the crossing was very tiring and long. The boat is agitated by the wave, because the wind is contrary. In spite of having rowed the whole night, there is still a great distance left before reaching the land. Much was still lacking in the community in order to be able to cross and go toward the pagans. Jesus did not go with his disciples. They had to learn to face together the difficulties, united and strengthened by faith in Jesus who had sent them. The contrast is very great: Jesus is in peace together with God, praying on the top of the mountain, and the Disciples are almost lost there below, in the agitated sea.

The crossing to the other side of the lake symbolizes also the difficult crossing of the community at the end of the first century. They should get out of the closed world of the ancient observance of the law toward the new manner of observing the Law of love., taught by Jesus; they should abandon the knowledge of belonging to the Chosen People, privileged by God among all other peoples, for the certainty that in Christ all peoples would be united into one Only People before God; they should get out from isolation and intolerance toward the open world of acceptance and of gratitude. Today also, we are going through a difficult crossing toward a new time and a new way of being Church. A difficult crossing, but which is necessary. There are moments in life in which we are attacked by fear. Good will is not lacking, but this is not sufficient. We are like a boat faced with the contrary wind.

Matthew 14, 25-27: Jesus comes close to them but they do not recognize him. Toward the end of the night, that is between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus goes to meet the Disciples. Walking on the water, he gets close to them, but they did not recognize him. They cried out in fear, thinking that it was a ghost. Jesus calms them down saying: “Courage! It is me! Do not be afraid!” The expression “It is me!” is the same one with which God tried to overcome the fear of Moses when he sent him to liberate the people from Egypt (Ex 3, 14). For the communities, of today as well as for those of yesterday, it was and it is very important to be always open to novelty: “Courage. It is me!. Do not be afraid!”

Matthew 14, 28-31: Enthusiasm and weakness of Peter. Knowing that it is Jesus, Peter asks that he also can walk on the water. He wants to experience the power which dominates the fury of the sea. This is a power which in the bible belongs only to God (Gn 1, 6; Ps 104, 6-9). Jesus allows him to participate in this power. But Peter is afraid. He thinks that he will sink and he cries out: “Lord, save me!” Jesus assures him and takes hold of him and reproaches him: “You have so little faith! Why did you doubt?” Peter has more strength than he imagined, but is afraid before the contrary waves and does not believe in the power of God which dwells within him. The communities do not believe in the force of the Spirit which is within them and which acts through faith. It is the force of the Resurrection (Eph 1, 19-20).

Matthew 14, 32-33: Jesus is the Son of God. Before the waves that come toward them, Peter begins to sink in the sea because of lack of faith. After he is saved, he and Jesus, both of them, go into the boat and the wind calms down. The other Disciples, who are in the boat, are astonished and bowed before Jesus, recognizing that he is the Son of God: “Truly, you are the Son of God”. Later on, Peter also professes the same faith in Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Mt 16,16). In this way Matthew suggests that it is not only Peter who sustains the faith of the Disciples, but also that the faith of the Disciples sustains Peter’s faith.

Matthew 14, 34-36: They brought all the sick to him. The episode of the crossing ends with something beautiful: “Having made the crossing they came to Gennesaret. When the local people recognized him they spread the news through the whole neighborhood and took all who were sick to him, begging him just to let them tough the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched it were saved”.

Further reading:

• Commentary on Matthew 14:22-33 from “Living Space” >>
• God’s Power Is Not Coercive, but Persuasive >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• From “First Impressions” 2020:
  Do we look into the midst of life’s storms and wonder if Jesus is just a ghost, a product of our fear-driven imagination?
  Can we hear him say to us what he said to his frightened disciples, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.”
• What were some moments in your life when you encountered stormy seas, felt adrift or separated from Jesus? How did you handle this?
• When you are troubled or anxious, how do you talk to God? What prayers do you say?
• Has there ever been a time in your life where you had to work through fear to arrive at trust in your life?
  How did you do this?
  What gave you courage?
• Do you read this gospel as a warning that God will put our faith to the test, just so we can be graded on how well we did?
  Do you read this gospel as a scathing indictment of those who do not trust God enough?
  What, actually, does this gospel tell you about God?
• Where has our fear overcome our basic faith in the goodness of God, our faith in the eventual well-being of the world, our faith in the care and concern of Jesus?
  How did we handle it?
• From a Benedictine website featuring Lectio divina:
  Has there been a contrary wind in your life? What have you done to overcome it?
  Has this happened sometimes in your community? How was it overcome?
  Which is the particular crossing that communities are doing today? From what to what or where to where?
  How does all of this help us to recognize today the presence of Jesus in the contrary waves of life?
• Was Jesus praying for the disciples during the storm, do you think?
  Would some of our “storms” be more manageable if we turned to prayer?
• Is there someone you know experiencing a stormy time in his/her life to whom you can say “I am with you”?

Meditations

A Meditation on the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

(story from “First Impressions”)
Well, I knew a man in his mid-fifties who did things very well. A good man, he was a frequent church goer, excellent husband and family man. He was sincere in his religious practices and generous with his time for the needy. This very special man got cancer, fought a painful battle with it and a year later died. Didn’t he say the right prayers? What about the prayers we said for his healing? What more could we have done? Where was Jesus in his and our storm? We know lots of people with similar stories. When things turn out poorly for us or someone we love, we wonder what happened. We may even blame ourselves for not praying correctly or enough. Didn’t we follow the directions, say the right prayers, have the proper attitude, get enough people to pray with us? Do we secretly believe that if our prayers are not answered the way we want, it is because we didn’t pray correctly, or were otherwise deserving of the bad things that happen to us?

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Adapted from a prayer service by the Irish Jesuits:

Identify with the feelings of Jesus as he prays, having heard of the death of John, the Baptist. What are his thoughts at this time? What is the content of his prayer? Compose a prayer that you think Jesus might have made.

Imagine yourself in the boat with the disciples and listen to what they say as the storm develops.

Listen to them as they observe the figure coming across the water!

Note that the first step of Peter as he climbed out of the boat, was on Jesus, not at the water. Note how Peter’s trust slips when he turns his focus from Jesus to himself. Reflect on your own life and draw some conclusion.

Someone commented that Peter began to falter when he took his focus of Jesus and focus on himself. Do you agree with this assessment?

We criticize Peter for his “lack of faith”. Should we not notice that Peter was wise enough to ask for help when he needed it? Should we not be paying attention to the startling fact that Jesus didn’t refuse to help Peter because of Peter’s failure to trust?

A Meditation in the Augustinan Style/Relationship:

Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer:
Do I trust that God is my father, and the father of all of us? Do I believe that heaven exists because God is there? Is God’s name holy to me? Do I really trust that God will give me whatever of this world’s goods I need, or do I worry a lot about money, possessions, security? Do I believe that God forgives me? Do I forgive those who have hurt me, or do I still carry old resentments and pain into my relationships? Do I believe that God would never ‘tempt’ me to sin and thus lose eternal life, or do I believe that God sets traps for me so that I must constantly prove my love? Do I believe that my God, my Father/Mother, will deliver me from evil, that God, my Father/Mother, is my strength and my salvation?
And finally, I recite the Lord’s Prayer, praying each phrase as an affirmation of my trust in the Lord, rather than as a series of petitions.

A Meditation in the Augustinan Style/Relationship:

Rework Psalm 62, addressing God in the second person. How does this psalm help you to understand God's care for you?

2In God alone is my soul at rest; (In you alone is my soul at rest)
my salvation comes from him. (my salvation comes from you)
3He alone is my rock, my salvation,
my fortress; never shall I falter.
4How long will you all attack one man (How long will they all attack one man)
to break him down,
as though he were a tottering wall,
or a tumbling fence?
5Their plan is only to bring down;
they take pleasure in lies.
With their mouth they utter blessing,
but in their heart they curse.
6In God alone be at rest, my soul,
for my hope is from him.
7He alone is my rock, my salvation,
my fortress; never shall I falter.
8In God is my salvation and glory,
my rock of strength;
in God is my refuge.
9Trust him at all times, O people.
Pour out your hearts before him,
for God is our refuge.
10The sons of men are a breath,
an illusion, the sons of men.
Placed in the scales, they rise;
they all weigh less than a breath.
11Do not put your trust in oppression,
nor vain hopes on plunder.
Even if riches increase,
set not your heart on them.
12For God has said only one thing;
only two have I heard:
that to God alone belongs power,
13and to you, Lord, merciful love;
and that you repay each man
according to his deeds.

Poetic Reflection:

Read Thomas Merton’s famous “Prayer” which speaks to the kind of faith I am talking about: How does this poem reflect the poet’s utter trust in God and in God’s care for us?

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Closing Prayer

Adapted from Sacred Space, a service of the Itish Jesuits

Jesus help me to remember to put my trust in you and not to think that I must go through life’s trials alone. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on you and trust that you will reach out to me in my fear and need.

God’s Power Is Not Coercive, but Persuasive

by The Rev. Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen

In Matthew’s gospel text, an interesting interaction occurs between Jesus and Peter. At the same time, Jesus is totally in control of (including the presumed ability to anticipate Peter’s reaction to) the entire situation as it unfolds on the Sea of Galilee; on the other hand, Peter’s reaction is entirely external and thus outside of the control of Jesus.

Early on in the episode Jesus sets the scene, first by sending the disciples ahead of him in the boat (Matthew 14:22) and then by walking out towards them on the lake, both against the wind and atop the tumultuous water (Matthew 14:25).

Even before this particular episode, however, Jesus sets up the relationships involved by inviting the disciples to come and follow him. In the top-down worlds of both the Roman Empire and Rabbinic Judaism, acceptance of this invitation meant the disciples’ submission to Jesus’ authority. This was the sort of authority that demanded unquestioned obedience: when your teacher said, “Go out and heal,” you went out and healed and when your teacher said, “Come,” you came.

Within these parameters, then, Peter exercises his freedom in beckoning his teacher to “command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). It’s important to remember this relationship and dialogue, so as to understand that Peter does not rush carelessly into the water—though, perhaps, from what we know of Peter in other episodes, he may have liked to have done just that. Instead, Peter observes the parameters Jesus has laid out. He seems consciously concerned about what, in this impressive moment, Jesus is seeking to express.

Within this dual context of desire and restraint,

[Jesus] said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’

Even in Peter’s fear, the relationship is maintained—Jesus is Lord and Peter is student. Jesus’ authority, along with the initial parameters of Jesus’ action, are intact. However, the strength of Peter’s emotion remains outside of Jesus’ control. He cannot command Peter to “fear not!” In fact, he already did (Matt. 14:27) and that has not prevented Peter’s predicament.

Power, then, whether it is the power of a teacher over a student or an artist over an installation, ends at the emotional response of the “other.” Imagine the parent of a hysterical toddler telling the child, “Don’t be upset.” The child may have every reason to believe that their parent is trustworthy in saying there is nothing to be upset about; however, this knowledge or intuition cannot change the way they feel.

This is the power of art installations—they draw their life and thus their beauty from the uncontrolled emotional response of those who encounter them. The same can be said about faith.

An all-powerful God could simply have made people to have faith. Jesus certainly could have steadied Peter on the water. But to do so means to cross the boundary of the self—it means to extend the control beyond the conditions of the experience into the experience of a person themselves. It means to diminish or take away our sense of self—our self-awareness and autonomy, the very things that make us human.

And so Jesus does not calm Peter’s fears. He does not steady Peter’s feet beneath the unsteady waters. He does not cross that line of self. But neither does Jesus abandon Peter. Jesus extends his hand towards Peter. Jesus preserves Peter in all of his fear and all of his doubt.

This is the gospel, indeed the beauty, of Matthew’s text for me. In the midst of whatever tumultuous seas that we are bound to encounter, our Lord gives us the space to walk, to experience the sensation, and then the grace to catch us and pull us back ashore when we flounder.

It is not as perfect as an already “finished” piece of art. Perhaps we are not as “obedient” as a perfectly executed computer code. But in our free-will, in our emotions, in our response to the scenes which God has set before us, the power and the majesty of our Lord and creator are perhaps most beautifully revealed.

The Rev. Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen is Co-Lead Pastor at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Reno, NV and Assistant Professor of New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary and an ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA). She holds her PhD from Vanderbilt University and is interested in the intersections of God’s Word in scripture and the world.

Commentary on Matthew 14:22-33 from “Living Space”

WE HAVE TODAY in the Gospel a continuation of last week’s story about the feeding of thousands of people by Jesus in the desert. Immediately after the event, we are told that Jesus “made” the disciples get into the boat and go to the opposite shore while he himself sent the crowds away. Was there reluctance on their part to go? Certainly there is the implication that the disciples were not too willing to leave the scene. They were enjoying the reflected glory of being part of Jesus’ ‘miracle’ and the enthusiasm of the crowds for Jesus, ‘their’ Jesus. They were basking in the reputation of being partners with Jesus. Yet, it won’t be very long before they will be hiding, even denying under oath, ever having had connection with him.

Jesus himself, after having dismissed the crowds, “went up into the hills by himself to pray”. In John’s version of this story he tells us that the people, after being fed by Jesus, actually wanted to make him their king. They, like the disciples, have totally missed the meaning of what has happened.

Here indeed was a real source of temptation. Jesus could easily have convinced himself that here was a golden opportunity to get control of the crowds and ‘save’ them. They were so ready to follow him – it seemed. The world was at his feet. Is there not an echo here of one of the temptations in the desert after his baptism? “The devil took him to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them: and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’.”

Instead, Jesus flees to the shelter of the mountains not to have a panorama of the world’s kingdoms but to pray to his Father and renew his purity of heart and his commitment to the Father’s way. His power will be exerted through love and service and not through domination, control and popular appeal. Jesus’ work is not to be seen in terms of crowd-pleasing miracles or supernatural powers. It is primarily for him – as it is for us — in the quality of his relationships: with God, with people and with himself. Jesus’ mission – and ours — gets its significance in a life of service, sharing and community building, in the ‘Kingdom-ising’ of our environment. It does not consist in having power over others, in becoming an idol of the crowds.

Having a hard time

The story now switches back to the disciples. They are far out on the lake by now, battling with a heavy sea and fighting a strong headwind. It is quite clear that here we are seeing a parable of the Church itself, represented by the disciples in their fragile boat surrounded by hostile winds and waves. It was the common experience of the Church during its first centuries and, in many parts of the world today, continues to be the case. It was a situation to create, then as now, much fear and anxiety.

Then, all of a sudden, they see Jesus approaching them walking on the lake. Far from feeling reassured, they become even more terrified. “It is a ghost!” It is a measure of their superstitious natures and, as such, a measure of the long way they have to go in exorcising such superstitions and replacing them with a genuine faith in God. One still meets a great deal of such irrational fears in people, including Christians, today. For instance, how many of us here would be comfortable walking alone through a large empty cemetery on a dark, moonless night? Even though it would probably be a lot safer than walking down one of our city streets at such a time!

No need to fear

Then out of wind and wave and terror comes a comforting voice. “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” The disciples need courage whose source is their confidence and trust in the protection of their Lord. Through the words “It is I” (literally, ‘I am’ Greek, ego eimi,‘ego ‘eimi), Jesus identifies himself with the saving power of God himself. They are the words spoken to Moses from the burning bush. As such, there is no need for fear or anxiety in spite of the apparently threatening dangers around them.

Characteristically, Peter is the first to respond. He is the impulsive one but he is also the group’s leader. “If it is really you, Lord, tell me to come to you across the water.” “Come,” says Jesus, inviting him to leave the shelter of his boat and go to where the wind and waves are. Peter starts to make his way to the Lord, who is in the wind and the waves, but his fear is too much and he begins to sink. “Lord, save me!” is the cry, a cry echoed by Christians all down the ages who have felt that the world was ready to crush them.

There is something for us to reflect here: Jesus is not in the boat; he is in that hostile environment into which we often fear to enter and instead huddle in the security of our church. I think it is significant that Jesus is found outside the boat in the middle of the stormy sea, the world. And we have to go out there to meet him in spite of the dangers and possible setbacks. Too often we Christians spend much, if not all, of our time in the shelter of the boat, taking care of ourselves and neglecting those in the stormy sea who need to hear the words of life. “Man of little trust, why did you doubt?” How often has Jesus had to say those words to each one of us?

Peace

Jesus and Peter now step into the boat and the wind drops. There is peace and calm. In Mark’s version of this story, the disciples are simply amazed at the sudden change but do not draw the obvious conclusion. In Matthew’s version, however, they understand and believe. They even anticipate Peter’s later confession (in chap. 16), “Truly, you are the Son of God”. The conclusion, then, is that Jesus can also be found in the boat but only when we also are ready to leave the shelter of the boat to find him in the “world”, that place which is at least indifferent and at its worst very hostile to the Christian vision.

Our own situation

All in all, today’s Gospel reflects problems in the early Church, problems which are not unknown to us today. From the inside there were always problems of unity, conflicting opinions, theologies and spiritualities. From the outside, there were persecutions and misunderstandings from both the Jews and the secular powers. Paul, in the Second Reading, reflects what must have been something very painful to many Jews who had become followers of Christ, namely, the division and hostility of their fellow-Jews who had not converted. Even today, this relationship still causes pain.

Matthew also here features the special role of Peter, something he constantly stresses. Peter is the leader and so he is the one who steps out of the boat to go and meet Jesus in the midst of the storm. This surely is an image of the Church’s apostolic mission to reach out to find and make Christ present in the world, however hostile it may be. It is not the role of the Church to stay cowering in the shelter of their boat. One remembers the disciples after the death of Jesus hiding behind the locked doors. Pentecost soon changed all that and literally blew them out on a mission that would bring them and their successors to the remotest parts of the earth.

Of course, there are dangers in the world. And the Church, like Peter, is weak and vulnerable. But the Lord is there wherever we go and he will not allow his Church to sink beneath the waves. It has looked very often as if it might happen but each time the Christian community has risen from the ashes stronger than before. One has only to think of the experiences of Christians in China over the past four centuries and especially in the last 40 years or so.

Jesus our peace 

One important lesson of today’s readings is that, in our turbulent world (and much of the turbulence is in our own hearts), Jesus is the source of peace. Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper (John 14:27), “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” These words were spoken just before Jesus was to be arrested, tried and executed by his enemies. The “world” cannot provide peace in such a situation but Jesus can and does. It is for us to learn how to find the Jesus who gives peace in the ups and downs, in the storms of our own lives.

It is put beautifully in today’s First Reading where Elijah is told to “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord”. And the Lord himself passes by. But he was not in the mountain-shaking and rock-shattering wind. He was not in the earthquake. He was not in the fire. He was, however, in the sound of a gentle breeze and Elijah knew that he was in the presence of the Lord. Jesus touches our cheeks with his gentle breezes every day but we are too concerned about the buffeting winds, the earthquakes and the fires in our lives that attract both our attention and our fears.

Today’s readings, then, are saying two things to us:

a. There is never any need for fear and anxiety, for Jesus is always close to us and, no matter what may be happening in and around us, his peace is there for us to share. (As the Buddhist saying has it: “Why worry? If I worry, I die. If I don’t worry, I die. Why worry?”)

b. On the one hand, we have to reject the ambitions and dreams of the world and separate ourselves from them (as when Jesus went into the mountains to pray) but, at the same time, that world which both attracts and threatens is the arena where we are to live out our mission to build the Kingdom of God. We are called to be “not of the world”, a counter-witness to its ways, but to be “in the world”, as taste-giving salt and growth-giving leaven. To lead people to that moment when they can fall to the ground before Jesus present and active in their lives and say with full recognition, “Truly, you are the Son of God”.

Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 2023

Do I listen to Jesus in the ordinary events of my life, or only in the dramatic ones?

Matthew 17:1–9

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with Him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Music Meditations

• Pleni Sunt Coeli et Terra—by Gjeilo, sung by Phoenix Chorale
• How Great Thou Art—Chris Rice
• Holy, Holy, Holy—Hillside

Opening Prayer

Jesus, there is a time for silence and a time to speak. Help me to cultivate a silence that is free from distractions and obligations, and truly open to your word. Help me to see you as God’s beloved, and help me to see myself as God’s beloved.

Help me to hear you and see you in ways I have never been able to do. Especially help me to see you in those around me—in those who love me and those who don’t; in those whom I find admirable and those whom I don’t.

Companions for the Journey

From Living Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

In order to understand today’s Gospel, we need to put it into context. Peter had just, in the name of the other disciples, recognized their Teacher, Jesus, as the expected Messiah of Israel. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” It was a climactic moment in Jesus’ relationship with his disciples.

But this was immediately followed by Jesus clearly telling them exactly what being Messiah was going to mean for him. Far from being a mighty warrior-king who would crush all the enemies of God’s people, he was going to be rejected by the leaders of his own people, arrested, tried, condemned, tortured and eventually executed – not by them, but by the very hated enemies they expected the Messiah to overthrow.

This was too much for Peter (undoubtedly speaking in the name of all his companions) and he objected strongly. In turn, he was severely scolded for obstructing God’s way of doing things. Even more, Jesus had said that if anyone wanted to be his follower, then they would have to be prepared to walk the same road of rejection, oppression, and even death.

Morale boost

All of this must have seemed like a large bucket of cold water landing on the heads of the disciples. What Jesus had said was totally against all they had ever heard about the expected Messiah. It is in this perhaps depressed mood that today’s experience takes place.

To give a boost to their morale, to help them see that the way of Jesus would lead to victory and triumph, Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a high mountain. They are the inner circle of the Twelve, and are found with Jesus at other times of crucial importance, like at the raising of Jairus’ daughter and during his agony in the garden.

This happened “six days” after the declaration of Jesus as Messiah. It is perhaps a reminder that it was after six days that God called Moses into the cloud of glory on Mount Sinai. Also in biblical times, revelations often took place on mountain tops. There has been much speculation about which mountain in Palestine was the ‘Mount of the Transfiguration’, but it does not really matter. It is the divine significance of a mountain, any mountain, that is being emphasized.

Transformation

As the disciples watched, Jesus was suddenly transformed (Greek, metamorphoo, a rare word in the New Testament, from which our English word ‘metamorphosis’ comes).

His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzlingly white.

Again it reminds one of the radiance on Moses’ face after he came down from the mountain where he had spoken face to face with God.

Then, suddenly, Moses and Elijah are seen talking with Jesus. Their presence is very significant as they represent the two great traditions of the Old Testament: Moses personified the Law of God’s people, and Elijah, the traditions of the great prophets.

Their presence and their talking with Jesus indicate their total endorsement of all that Jesus is doing, and also of all that he will experience in the days to come. Jesus is the natural continuation of their Jewish tradition and is fully part of it. Therefore, the disciples need have no misgivings about anything they have heard from Jesus about his coming destiny.

A good place to be

Peter, with his usual impulsiveness, enthusiastically suggests building three tents or shrines for Jesus, Moses and Elijah so they could stay on the mountain. It was a wonderful place to be just then. Often, when things are good, we would like them to stay that way forever. Unfortunately, life is seldom like that and we have to move on. When we are in the cinema watching a film, we can’t shout to the projection room and say, “Stop the movie right there! I like this bit.” Life moves on. It is true of Jesus and it is true of his followers. We have to keep moving forward, and come to terms with the happenings in our lives. In the First Reading, Abram too is told to leave his country and his family home, and go to where God will lead him. God is telling us the same every day of our lives.

As Peter spoke a “bright cloud” covered them. It was no ordinary cloud, but a luminous cloud. It both concealed the unbearable brightness and revealed the very presence of God himself (again, it reminds one of the cloud which covered Mount Sinai when Moses spoke with God there).

From the cloud comes a voice, the voice, of course, of God himself: This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! These are the exact words spoken at the baptism of Jesus. Again, they are an endorsement of Jesus and of all that he will experience, including his rejection by his people and his suffering and death on the way to life and victory.

“Listen to him”

This is directed at Peter and the others. To listen to Jesus is:

• to hear what he says,
• to accept what he says,
• to make it one’s own,
• to identify with it fully. So far, the disciples have not been doing this. They have been hearing, but not accepting.

Only Jesus

At the sound of God’s voice, the disciples prostrate themselves on the ground, terrified. They hear the gentle voice of Jesus, Get up [rise up] and do not be afraid.

Jesus words point to resurrection to a new life and the abolition of fear and anxiety. They look up and see Jesus standing there alone; the Father is gone, Moses and Elijah are gone.

From now on they will see “only” Jesus but, after this experience, they know that he is not alone, that he has the full backing of his Father and of the Jewish tradition of the Law and the Prophets. They were learning the lesson that, though Jesus the Messiah would be rejected, suffer and die at the hands of his own people and their enemies, glory and victory would follow.

They were learning that, if they wanted to be truly his followers, they must accept this fully, and that they themselves must be ready to go the same way. If they stay with Jesus, victory, his victory, will be theirs too. If they stay with Jesus, they will have nothing to fear.

Back with the people

Then they came down from the mountain. Being with Jesus means not staying up on a mountain. Being on the mountain was a wonderful experience. “It is good for us to be here,” said Peter. But Jesus came down from the mountain to be with the people in their pains and sorrows, in their fears and anxieties, in their sicknesses and disabilities, in their sinfulness…

Jesus’ other name in Matthew’s Gospel is Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus’ place is to be with his people, and his followers have to do the same. It is nice to spend quiet days at a lovely retreat house deep in the countryside. It is nice to have a really good Mass with good homily, lovely choir, candles and incense. But most of the time our Christian life is to be spent sharing in the joys and sorrows of our brothers and sisters. We are to be the salt of the earth, the leaven in the dough, the candle on the lamp stand, helping people to know, understand and experience the love of their God for them.

Most of the time we meet Jesus especially in those in need: the hungry and thirsty (in every sense of the word), the sick and disabled, those in prison.

As often as you do or do not do it to one of these the least of my brothers, you do or do not do it to me.

We are to find Jesus in them and they are to find Jesus in us.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him.

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Have you ever had a “mountaintop” experience that left a deep impression on you?
  Have you ever heard yourself being called “my beloved son”, or my beloved daughter?
• Have you ever had a religious experience that left a deep impression on you?
  How did it affect your daily life?
  Did it cause you to make any significant change?
• What have been some “events of grace” in my own life?
  Did I recognize them at the time?
• Is it hard, in everyday lives, to hear Jesus?
  Where do you go to get away from noise and distractions?
• What is Jesus saying to me in the people and events of today?
  Do I listen to Jesus?
  Do I understand what discipleship asks of me?
• What are the risks involved in listening to Jesus?
• Do I really believe his words: “Do not be afraid”?
  For some people, God and religion inspire a lot of fear. Why is that?
• When you have had glorious, “mountaintop” experiences, how hard was it to come back to “real” life?
  Did you try to prolong or memorialize the experience as the disciples did?
• Like the disciples, we are attracted by what we see of Jesus on the mountain and resistant to what he says about the cross. Going up the mountain to get a glimpse of glory is one thing; going up on the cross is quite another! Are we willing to include in following Jesus both realities: the glory of the Transfiguration and the glory of the cross?
• We identify any situation that brings pain and loss to our lives as our “cross.”
  What has been a particular “cross” I have had to deal with or bear in life?
• Do we often, using such stories at the transfiguration, emphasize the divinity of Jesus at the expense of recognizing his humanity?
  What is the danger in that?
  In my own spirituality, which image do I prefer?
• Do I listen to Christ by listening to other people in my life—really listening?
  Do I listen to Christ in the scriptures, more often than once a week?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from First Impressions 2008”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

The Transfiguration account is surrounded by two predictions of the passion—one comes immediately prior (16:24-28); the second is later in the same chapter as the Transfiguration (17:22-23). The disciples on the mountain certainly understood the glorious part of Jesus’ identity. There he was, shining bright, with Moses and Elijah and a voice from heaven affirming him–it doesn’t get much better than that! What they missed and we often do too, is the meaning of a later event in Matthew when Jesus goes up to another “high place”—his cross. There were onlookers at that “high place” too. But the presence of God wasn’t obvious to Jesus as he cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” At the crucifixion, Elijah and Moses are replaced by the two thieves and Jesus’ garments are not “white as light,” but are stripped off him in preparation for his death. At the crucifixion there is not the same evidence of God’s glory as there was on the mountain. Instead, there is the mockery of the onlookers and the soldiers crown Jesus with thorns and shout, “All hail, king of the Jews!” Was this what the voice on the mountain was telling the disciples to listen to—that we must heed what we hear from Jesus and follow the same path he chose, the way of the cross?

We are often critical of the disciples who did get the part about glory while they were on the mountain with Jesus. What they didn’t get was the message about discipleship Jesus had for them as they came down from the mountain and continued their journey to Jerusalem. However, we can ask ourselves whether we stick with Jesus and his teachings when things are easy, but falter when things are hard. Some crosses, like illness, death financial loss, are not of our making and still we are asked to bear them with the same fortitude Jesus did. How hard is that? What have I done is such situation? Did my faith in the ultimate goodness of God sustain me, or did I retreat into anger and bitterness? Other crosses--like refusing “to play the game” to get ahead in business, or choosing the narrow path of morality instead of short term satisfaction, or giving more generously to those that need it—require a good deal more devotion to the words of Jesus. Have I ever faced a personal decision and taken the harder one because it was the right one? How hard was it? Do I truly understand what discipleship asks of me? What crosses are harder for me to bear? Can I follow Jesus both to the glory of the transfiguration and the glory of the cross?

Going up the mountain to get a glimpse of glory is one thing; going up on a cross is something else again.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Read Matthew 17: 1-9 (The Transfiguration).

Imagine that you are Peter, and you have been invited by Jesus to accompany him to the top of this mountain for prayer. Put yourself completely in his shoes for this entire experience, trying to be present in the event as he was. Take time to sit with each question as you insert yourself into the events of that day with Jesus:

What are you expecting as you set out on this experience? At what time of day do you start out? What is the weather like? What do you see? Smell? Hear? Is the journey easy or tiring? What do you four chat about along the way? How long after you all reach the top do you see something happening to Jesus? How do you react when you see Jesus transformed right in front of your eyes? Are you frightened? Exhilarated? Confused? What expressions or reactions do you see on the faces of James and John? What do you think when you see Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah? How do you know that is who they are? Why do you suggest building three tents? When a cloud envelops all three of them and you hear a voice, do you know who is speaking? Is it because in your Jewish culture no one looked directly on the face of God, and because your stories of Moses tell you that God spoke to him from within a cloud? Why are you afraid when God speaks the words telling you that Jesus is God’s son and you are to listen to him? In what instances up until now have you been too dismissive of what Jesus was telling you about what his mission is, what his fate will be, and how you are to be conducting your life--about your mission? How do you react when Jesus quietly comes upon you and touches you, telling you not to be afraid? Are you less afraid? Have you recovered and reverted to your first sense of wonder and awe? Are you apprehensive? Why do you think Jesus tells you to speak of this event to no one until after his resurrection from the dead? Do you even get what he means by talking of being raised from the dead? Has he spoken of his death before now? Did you believe him?

Sit with this experience for a few moments, then imagine a transformative or exceptional experience in your own life. Recall if you fully understood what was happening while it was happening, and what you have learned about yourself and about life after having some time to digest the meaning of the experience. T.S. Eliot, in “Four Quartets”, writes: “We had the experience, but missed the meaning”. Have you taken time in your own life to process an event which was pivotal in some way? Try to recall such an event, and see if you can hear Christ speaking to you in the aftermath of that experience. Were you listening? Are you listening now?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Read Isaiah 42:1-9.  “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,  my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break,  and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;      he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.     In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”  This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,     who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,     who gives breath to its people,     and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;     I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you     to be a covenant for the people     and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind,     to free captives from prison     and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. “I am the Lord; that is my name!     I will not yield my glory to another     or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place,     and new things I declare; before they spring into being     I announce them to you.” We all know that this passage is taken by Christians as a reference to Jesus. But if we are followers of Jesus, if we Listen to Him, then it should apply to us as well. In your journal, write your own response to the Lord who calls you “my chosen” and says that the lord's spirit is upon YOU, that YOU have been given as a covenant to God's people. How do you respond to this awesome honor/task? Speak from your heart about your desire to follow in Jesus' footsteps.

Poetic Reflection:

Thomas Merton, OSCO, a monk, mystic and poet, saw transfiguration everywhere. In this following meditation from Thomas Merton, A Book of Hours, edited by Kathleen Degnan, “Psalm,” adapted from Merton’s book New Seeds of Contemplation, (pp 30-31 excerpted) reflects the joy and total exuberance of God’s presence in our natural world: Psalm/ transfiguration/transformation/Nature The forms and individual characters of living and growing things of inanimate beings, of animals and flowers and all nature, constitute their holiness in the sight of God. Their inscape is their sanctity. It is the imprint of His wisdom and His reality in them. The special clumsy beauty of this particular colt on this day in this field under these clouds is a holiness consecrated by God by His own creative wisdom and it declares the glory of God. The pale flowers of the dogwood outside this window are saints The little yellow flowers that nobody notices on the side of that road are saints looking up into the face of God. This leaf has its own texture and its own pattern of veins and Its own holy shape, and the bass and the trout hiding in the deep pools of the river are canonized by their beauty and their strength. The lakes hidden among the hills are saints. and the sea too is a saint who praises God without interruption in her majestic dance. The great, gashed, half naked mountain is another Of God’s saints. There is no other like him. He is alone in His own character; Nothing else in the world ever did or ever will imitate God In quite the same way. That is his sanctity. But what about you? What about me?

Closing Prayer

Jesus, transfiguration is about you and about us. When we are with you, we are with the divine; when you are with us, you are with the human.

Your love, grace, sacraments, and compassion can transfigure us. And when we look around us and see as you see, we find there are others in our loves capable of transfiguration. Help me to be present in prayer to your light and brightness; allow me to know that the light given to me at Baptism is never extinguished. Help me to light the lives of others.