Matthew 14:22 - Then he made the disciples get into the boat....
If you have been following my most recent rambling, you know from a previous post that instead of an entire chapter in a particular book of the Bible to ponder and study until my next spiritual direction meeting, I was given only 12 verses (Matthew 14:22-33 to be exact). Because it is so short, I have been reading through the entire section all at once. My morning quiet time became a bit more limited as the week progressed. I ended up having to put it aside to concentrate on other things that needed my attention. I continued to read through my daily meditation book (the next post subject!), but kept running out of time to get everything else in before leaving for the day.
On my way home from school just a day or so ago, I realized once again that the boat was just too important to ignore - something to be said for long red lights crossing Route 15! That evening, I made time to pull out my Bible and read over this story again. However, I was stopped halfway through the first verse (verse 22). The verb became something more active, more powerful, more thought provoking. It began to take me deeper (which is what I was supposed to have been doing all along).
The word is made. I checked several other familiar translations, just to see if the same word is used. It is. Not only that, but the King James version uses the word constrained. The definition of constrain is "to force by imposed stricture or limitation, to secure."
Jesus didn't ask them; he didn't suggest that they get into that boat. He made them get in.
Why did he do that? I believe it was because something amazing was about to happen. Something so incredible that it would change their way of thinking, their way of living, their way of believing - and he didn't want any of them to miss out on that experience. Jesus needed them to be in that place, at that time.
In my Bible (New American Bible, Catholic Translation), there is a reference note for verse 31 - O you of little faith... This notation refers to disciples of Christ whose faith is not as deep as it should be. Father Robert Barron, in a portion of his Catholicism video series, which was shown as part of our adult evening classes at my parish, made the comment that "when Jesus gets into your boat, you know he's going to take you out into deep water." That advice has been presented to me several times in the past year - go deep, not far in your prayer and meditation.
Now, just how do I pull this all together, or at least begin to try to? Has Jesus decided that it's time to make me get into my boat? Is there something that he wants to be sure that I see; that he doesn't want me to miss? Something that will change my way of thinking, my way of living, my way of believing? I know that I am one of the "you of little faith" - a disciple whose faith is there, but not nearly as deep as it could or should be.
I know the challenge I have been given is to go deep, not far. To do that, I need to start out in the boat. The problem is going to come when Jesus asks me to step out of it. You see, I truly do have a rather intense fear of deep water. Perhaps that's why I was also told to beg God for the grace of courage!
Catholicism Video Series
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