Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 3, 2020
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.
And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Jesus says to Peter, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” That stings, a bit, to hear directly from Jesus Christ. It seems like Peter has failed in this gospel passage: failed Jesus, failed his fellow disciples, and failed himself. If only he had faith he would have been confidently striding across the waves with Jesus!
But I think the opposite is true. Peter demonstrates the greatest faith of all the disciples in this gospel passage. He is the one who most wants to believe and verify that it is in fact Jesus walking on the water and not a ghost. He is the one who has the guts to say, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” And when Jesus does in fact invite him to do so, he doesn’t chicken out, he actually steps out onto the water! If it was his lack of faith that eventually caused him to sink, just think of how much faith it took for that first step to find firm footing on the tossing seas!
But my favorite part is this: even when his faith fails him, he still has faith enough to call out, “Lord, save me!” It is deeply ironic that we could consider this utterance a product of Peter’s failure. “Lord, save me!” is, I think, one of the greatest expressions of faith in all of the Gospels.
We could read this gospel and think “I don’t want to be like Peter, he didn’t have enough faith to make it to Jesus.” Instead, we should read it and think “I want to be like Peter. He had enough faith to take the first step.”
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are merciful, compassionate, and fully understand our human weakness. You know our fears, the things that hold us back from trusting you and from becoming fully ourselves. But you won’t let us use those things as an excuse. You always challenge us to grow, and with the challenge comes the grace to meet it. Thank you for caring so much about us. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Gamaliel was a renowned rabbi in Jerusalem who taught the apostle Paul. He is honored in the Christian tradition for his defense of the early apostles.
The Jewish authorities prohibited Peter and the other apostles from preaching about Jesus, and when they continued, they were arrested and tried. Gamaliel was a man of great respect and was considered a leading teacher of his time. He defended the apostles (Acts 5:34-39), arguing that they not be executed. “If their work is their own, it will come to nothing,” he said. “If it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, unless you are found to even fight against God.”
Some believe that Gamaliel was baptized by Sts. Peter and John, along with his son, Abibo (who later became a saint). He is honored on August 3 because in the fifth century, his relics were miraculously discovered on this date and transferred to the cathedral in Pisa, Italy. In Jewish tradition, Gamaliel remained a Pharisee until he died.
This stained glass window in the Basilica’s reliquary chapel depicts the discovery of his remains. It is an appropriate scene to watch over the more than 1,600 relics there, including remains from all twelve apostles, because Gamaliel protected the Church’s first saints. (His name on the tomb in the window appears in the foreign spelling as “Cheliel”.)
Gamaliel, defender of apostles, pray for us!