Trust but Verify

 In the Gospel for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Mat 14:22-34), we find the twelve being obedient to their Master.  They’ve just witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, an event which our Lord made certain that they (the Apostles) were active participants in its completion.  It was the Apostles who carried the multiplied food from the hand of Jesus to the hands of the throngs.

But Jesus sends them away.  “Get into the boat and go to the other side,” He instructs them.

We can only imagine the discussions amongst the twelve as they travel across the sea, given the magnitude of the miracle witnessed by them.

But the world (as it is wont to do) interrupts the spiritual high.  First it’s darkness.  Then it’s waves.  Finally, it’s winds carrying them off course (for the wind was contrary).  I suppose we should add to this the factor of fatigue, for the Apostles had labored all day (getting TO the place where the 5000 were fed), and now they’re laboring into the wee hours of the morning, for it was the fourth watch of the night, which in English means somewhere between 3 and 6AM!!!

It is in this physically spent state fed by the spiritual high that they find a figure moving near the storm-tossed boat.

And we must ask ourselves, “How would I react?”

These men know the Lord, but the world has dulled their physical senses.  They should recognize Him spiritually, but they’re not looking with spiritual eyes.  They’re depending on the physical.  The result is Peter’s “test.”  Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. 

Trust – but verify.

The Lord’s response is one word.  Come.  Again, in obedience, Peter climbs over the boat’s rail, places one foot on the water, and then the other.  All accomplished as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  St. Matthew records, And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

But now, the world interferes – again!

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’

We must ask ourselves, “What changed?  Did the water become ‘less firm’?  Did the wind increase in ferocity?  Were the waves higher?”  We can believe that none of these were the case. 

What changed is Peter’s belief.  The Lord’s command made him bold with respect to the world. But the world shortly made his humanity come to the fore, and he became timid with respect to the Lord, a condition which causes Jesus to chide him, saying, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?

Peter thought he was testing Jesus by asking Him to call him onto the water.  In the end, it is Jesus Who is testing Peter – and the other eleven – to give them an opportunity to display faith in all they had been party to in the past day.

We too are tested.  Let us ever trust in the Lord to be near to us, as He promised.

Let us never feel the need to verify His faithfulness to us.

It is never a bad prayer to call on the Lord to say, “Save me!”

Unlimited Healing

 Do you believe that I am able to do this?  This is the question that the Savior poses back to two blind men.  They come in hopes of being healed.  But their plea to the Lord does not call out that request explicitly.  Their request is far more broad based than, “Will You heal our blindness?” 

What is their plea, then?

Son of David, have mercy on us!  The Name they use, “Son of David,” indicates a spiritual vision not displayed by the Pharisees.  The title is indicative of their recognition of our Lord’s rightful claim to being labeled “King of the Jews”, and one might go so far as to attach their use of the reference to David as extending to their recognizing Jesus as Messiah.

Once again, we scripturally encounter “The Jesus Prayer”.

But let’s move forward to the healing.

In response to the Lord’s question, Do you believe…, the blind men’s response is simple.  Yes, Lord.  St. Matthew records that Jesus touched their eyes.  But then hear the humility of God the Son.  He does not call attention to Himself with an exclamation such as “I heal you – go in peace.”  Rather the Lord ‘reflects’ the miracle back onto the blind men.  According to your faith let it be to you.  Putting this another way, the Lord is saying, “You say you believe.  Prove your belief by showing that you are healed.

Isn’t this intuitively backwards from how we approach our prayers of need?

When we’re ill, our prayer may take many different forms.  It may begin as did these blind men with the Jesus Prayer.  It may begin with thanksgiving – “Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with adversity, for it places me at Your feet seeking Your intercession.”  It may being with desperation – “Lord, I have no other help but You….”

Whatever form our prayer takes, we offer it and then sit back and wait for the Lord to answer.

I think this might be rooted in some sort of misplaced humility.  “I don’t know the Lord’s will….”  Remember two instances from scripture. 

The first is from the Gospel of St. Mark (9:23-24) where Jesus encounters the man with the epileptic son.  Our Lord’s words?  If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.  And we know the man’s reply.  Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

The second is from the Gospel of St. Luke (5:12-13) where a leper comes to the Lord and says, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  St. Luke records that Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.

It is not the Lord Who is slow to answer our prayers.  It is we who are slow to exhibit faith in His providence and His love for us.

Today’s lesson ends with yet more healing.  Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  Notice this does not say “some disease,” nor even “many diseases.”  The word is EVERY, meaning ALL MANNER of sickness.  Today’s Gospel focuses on blindness, leprosy and demon possession.  But there’s truly no limit to our Lord’s healing.

Selfish for Salvation

We like to think of ourselves as a people who compassionately care for the needs of others.  We're comforted when our donations to the Red Cross are found helping victims of storms.  We feel good about giving to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  We no doubt from time to time hand cash to that beggar on the corner.  In all of this we "feel" like we're being selfless, "Doing the Lord's work," so to speak.  Doing works such as these is a wonderful thing.  It is in fact following our Lord's commandment to care for "the least of His brethren." (Mat 25:40)

However, it doesn't take a lot of thought to come up with ways in which selfishness rears its ugly head in our day-to-day lives.  There's the evidence found on any given black Friday when people push and shove others out of the way to get one of the first 50 tv's on sale for half off.  There's the recent memory of hoarding of toilet paper as the pandemic struck.  There are the people who know that a highway is necking down from two lanes to one but choose to take the "me first" lane and cut in front of those who have the discipline to follow the rules.

And so we understand that selfishness still abounds around us.  But we often remind those who are part of our worshipping community that there IS a time and a purpose where selfishness is a virtue rather than a vice.  When?  

Being selfish for my salvation!

Finding the path to salvation (Theosis) is a path of finding peace in our lives.  St. Seraphim of Sarov famously said, "Acquire a peaceful spirit and thousands around you will be saved."  And so seeking salvation, while able to be couched as a selfish act, carries with it the corollary that those with such a spirit will be found to help those "least of His brethren" who will be exposed to his or her peaceful spirit.  

Consider the thieves crucified with our Lord.  The one on the left uttered a "prayer" that said this:  "If You are the Christ, save Yourself - and us!"  It's a very contemporary kind of prayer.  It basically says, "Give me what I want, and give it to me NOW!"

The wise thief on the right prayed with greater wisdom.  "Remember me, O Lord, when You come into Your kingdom!" (Luke 23:39-42)  The prayer asks for nothing immediate.  It pleads for a promise of blessings to come.  It is 'selfishly' humble.  

Had our Lord granted the prayer of the left thief, the act would have impacted three souls, and it would have extended this life only, providing noting eternal.  Granting the prayer of the right thief, salvation becomes available to any human soul that believes in the Lord, and it saves not this perishable life, but provides entrance to life eternal.

And so each of us must live our lives working out our own salvation.  "Therefore, my beloved, ...  work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."  (Phil 2:12-13)  We are called to do this by using the talents given us by God.  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)

If we can do these things, perhaps we will find that peace in our lives, the peace that can be seen by others so that they, too, with the help of the Holy Spirit, might through their own prayers and inspired use of talents, find their own path to salvation.