I think in today’s Gospel (Matthew 14 : 22-33), Jesus was also trying to teach the disciples something about discernment. You know, it took me a while to realize that, just as it took them a while to recognize Jesus.

My initial question which kind of provoked that realization about discernment was “Why were they even afraid of ghosts?” It was my perception that as Jesus’ closest followers, one would think that by and through being nurtured, tutored, apprenticed, and submerged in the Way of the Son of God, they would know so intimately many divine truths so as not to be scared when confronted with mysterious spiritual realities.

Then it dawned upon me after pondering the scenario a little more deeply, that Jesus was indeed taking them through an important exercise in the discernment of spirits so to speak – spirits in terms of recognizing identities, characteristics, qualities – but again, all of this in the midst of a rather demanding or challenging set of circumstances, which perhaps made the discernment all the more tricky for them to clearly apprehend in their hearts and minds. Hence the context of Jesus’ response to them: “Take heart, it is I, have no fear!”.

See, earlier on in the piece, the disciples had gone out in their boat, as ordered by the Lord, to make it to the other side of the locale, and the scripture tells us that even at that point, as they had just gone out, “and were already some furlongs from the shore, the wind was against them”. So, they had pretty full-on at the outset been met with winds that were blowing in such a manner that necessitated some urgency of wind resistance on their part. And so, a challenge to their journey across the lake had already begun. God obviously permitted this set of tumultuous circumstances to set the scene, as it were, for the next, most important installment of the entire drama as it unfolded, the one where Jesus comes into their midst, walking on the sea. Traversing back now to where Peter then asks the Lord: “Lord, if it is You, bid me come to You on the water”, we get the gist of Peter’s “if”. It’s a question of discernment. Is it really the Lord or could it be the Enemy hoodwinking them to plunge them further into peril? These were likely frightening “what ifs” clouding Peter’s mind. It gets me wondering “hmmm 🤔….did he forget that it was the Lord Who sent them into their boat in the first place, to cross the lake?” I think he just might have for a moment there….

A question for reflection is “What can you say to the Lord in response to Him saying ‘It is I, have no fear’?” I’d have to say earnestly that “learning the art of discernment is certainly at times, very challenging.” Hence, the building up of our faith is for the most part a steady work in progress until it grows from the size of a tiny mustard seed to that of a mustard bush or tree. Recognizing this is not about making ‘excuses’ for our falterings but more about being honest and realistic concerning the fact that we shouldn’t depend on being spiritually haughty or presumptuous and that our forgetfulness at times is a part of the fallen condition we were born into. And yes, we are meant to do our part in finding our bouyancy so that we are also emerging from the depths of our own sin, thereby learning how to rise with Christ from the murky deep of our fallen state. For this is an integral part of our baptism calling, to be partakers in the learning of this most important lesson. And Peter faltered whilst doing the Lord’s bidding. We see this in a number of contexts don’t we, throughout the Gospels, and yet all is not lost, as Jesus really and truly, in a blazing myriad of ways, literally saves the day. And this is where we are called to sojourn in the midst of our own unique daily-life contexts. Yes, we are inundated at times with perils beyond our comprehension. But the finale of each and every one of these trialsome circumstances is one where our Lord Jesus wants to meet us magnificently in the midst of the fray, and say “Take heart, for it is I, do not be afraid!”. From this Gospel, it is very much clear that He does also want us to know He is going to literally take charge of the circumstances confronting us and not the other way around.

Hence the need to perspectivize this sojourn in the context God ordained for it. For we are told in the beginning of the story that Jesus sent them out. Yes! It was He Who sent them on their way in that little boat, knowing full-well as God, that they would be met with a pretty tough challenge along the way. He pre-ordained it for their spiritual growth. It’s obvious once we look closely at the contextual nuances present in the picture, that He entered them into that “trial and error” spiritual exercise so that they could learn about discernment and the fact that they ideally ought to have remembered at the time of their stormy trial in that boat that it was indeed the Lord Who sent them out, sent them not to get dashed to bits by the waves and galeing winds but to necessitate within them the urgency to trustingly call upon Him, Whom even the winds and the seas obey.

Therefore the other lesson intrinsic to this Gospel story is the need to grow in trust – in our trusting the Lord to simply make things right – to bring authentic calm and peace into the midst of a really tumultuous situation. But this lesson is obviously one where we need to grow into this trusting way of approaching the challenges of life. Hence, I also think that remembering what happened at the very beginning is of utmost importance since there is often, at the outset of any scenario, as we clearly see in this one here, some spark of recognition that will help us deal best with what happens later on in the piece, provided we can remember. And when we can’t but realize there is something we ought to recall, we need to pray that God reminds us so that this piece of the puzzle can help us to move assuredly on. If we don’t recall or remember that there is something we need to recall from the outset of the story of our lives or from the beginning of this thing we have been brought into somehow, then we, like Peter need to simply do the best we can at the time, not refusing or declining to call upon the Lord in our necessities. For the action of us calling out to God shows Him that indeed we recognize, at least at the very depths of our being, that He is sovereign, in spite of all else.

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