![]() Matthew tells us that Jesus proceeds to dismiss the crowd and then retreated up the mountain to pray, but in John’s Gospel, it is revealed that Jesus retreated from the crowd because they wanted to make him king. The miracle of walking on the storm came after the feeding the large crowd. There is also one place in which we do not encounter God and that is through vanity. Commenting on this passage, Rabanus, the ninth century archbishop of Mayence, writes, “The Lord looked back upon him, and brought him to repentance He stretched forth His hand, and forgave him, and thus the disciple found salvation, which is not of him that wills or desires it, but of God who shows mercy.” (Rom. Peter’s faith moved him to request that Jesus bid him come, but his lack of faith caused him to sink and cry out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus’ mercy moved Him to immediately stretch out his hand and caught Peter. The third encounter is through the mercy of God. Think of that boat as the Church, and the stormy sea as this world.” Augustine, like many Church Fathers, recognise that the boat in which the disciples entered with Peter as head, is symbolic of the Church, “While Christ prays on high, the boat is tossed with great waves in the deep and for as much as the waves rise, that boat can be tossed but because Christ prays, it cannot be sunk. The second encounter is the experience of community within the Church. Picking up on this point, Saint Jerome comments, “These words show that the disciples left the Lord unwillingly, not desiring through their love for their teacher to be separated from Him even for a moment.” The Greek word used is “ἀναγκάζω” which means to force, compel, constrain, or urge. Matthew tells us that Jesus “made” the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side. ![]() The first encounter is in the very desire for closeness with Jesus. The Gospel follows this theme and shows us moments when Jesus revealed the love of the Father and invites us to a transformative encounter that can lead us to say with the disciples, “truly, you are the Son of God.” ![]() 19:16-19) This time, however, God chose to show Himself in “a tiny whisper” and Elijah knew it and immediately “hid his face in his cloak.” In the first reading, Elijah was searching for the Lord and thought that He would reveal Himself in the fire, wind and earthquake, similar to how God had manifested himself on Mount Sinai to Moses. The readings this Sunday reminds us of the many ways that God reveals Himself. Learn to trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God and His purposes for your life.We are disciples because God has revealed His love for us.Be encouraged to wait on God's good work in your heart and mind, even in seasons when you feel like no one sees.Understand the value of seasons of growth and testing in your spiritual maturity.Articles to enhance your study and application of the content.Seven enriching teaching videos, approximately 30-40 minutes per session, available for purchase or rent.Personal study segments to complete between 7 weeks of group sessions. ![]()
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