The Deepening Of Faith

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Sunday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B,  June 20th, 2021
Texts: Job 38:1, 8-11; Ps. l07:23-3 I;  2 Cor. 5 :14- 17; Mark 4:35-41
Today's first reading provides the background for understanding the gospel of today. God is in control of the sea; the sea obeys Him. The sea obeys no one but God. God predetermined the extent of the sea, the height of its waves and tides. He made all the forces around it that makes it what it is and prevents it from exceeding its bounds. Today's psalm also affirms that sea obeys God, not human. It says, _"For he spoke and raised up the storm-wind, tossing high the waves of the sea that surged to heaven and dropped to the depths. Their souls melted away in their distress. Then they cried to the Lord in their need, and he rescued them from their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed."_  The first reading and the psalm show that the power to control the sea properly belongs to God and no one else.
When today's gospel reading is understood in the context of the first reading and the psalm we come to understand that the action of Jesus in the gospel reveals Him to be God. That the sea obeys Him shows Him to be God. Hence, He says, _"Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”_  The faith, here, is the faith in Him as God.
Jesus Christ wanted His apostles to have a deeper knowledge of Him. This brings to mind the words of St. Paul in the second reading: _"even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer."_ This word of St. Paul always has two meanings. The first one is to know Jesus Christ as just a man, and nothing more than that. This applies to the apostles; they only knew Him as a man. Hence, they exclaimed:  _“Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”_ The action makes them to realise that He should be more who they thought He was. In their religious context the action revealed Him as God but their faith does  not accommodate such revelation. Their faith sees such knowledge as blasphemy, an exercise of lack of fear of God. The event occurred to awaken and deepen their faith in Jesus Christ. Such thing could also happen in our lives. Some storms in our lives are meant to awaken and deepen our faith in Jesus Christ. The moment of storms is not the time to lose faith or try other means but time to call on Jesus Christ to show Himself as Lord and God of the universe.
The second understanding of the word of St. Paul refers to our knowledge of Jesus Christ in our waywardness; the way we know Him when we are still wayward. This could be said to apply to Judas Iscariot; he traded with Jesus Christ. Some of us sees Him as a way of climbing the ladder of power. This is evident in the lives of James and John. They sought the position of authority
The first reading reminds us that there is limit to everything on this earth.  Though God created us, granted us authority over His creature, beautify us and crown us, yet God set a limit that our authority cannot pass. There is a limit that our knowledge, power, strength and glory cannot pass. The limit reminds us that we are human, it calls us to humility.
The second reading tells us the assurance of our love of Jesus Christ. Our love of Jesus is base on our conviction that He has died for us all that we may live for Him. St. Paul puts it thus: _"The love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for them- selves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."_ This shows that when we are not convinced of our faith, our love of Christ will go cold. We love Jesus Christ and His love influences our actions because He died for us; we live for Him who died for us. His love urges on because our actions are influenced by His love in our hearts. We no longer live for ourselves but for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the meaning of being a new creation in Christ; it is to live a new life.

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for making us a new creation, help us to always keep the dignity You have bestowed on. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke