R1 1 Kings 19:9a, 11–13a | R2 Romans 9:1–5 | Gospel Matthew 14:22–33

By Father Emmanuel Mbuk, MSP

Elijah Fled in Fear for His Life

R1 is situated against the backdrop of Elijah’s flight from Queen Jezebel who vowed to kill Elijah. If we take one step backward to I Kgs 18, therein is recorded the challenge Prophet Elijah had with the false prophets of Israel – 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the goddess Aserah (c/f I Kgs 18: 19; 21 – 24ff; 36 – 40). Elijah did something great and noble as he confronted the religious infidelity of the Israelites. He exploited his win and had all the false prophets dragged into the valley, where they were put to death.

Ch. 19: 1 – 4, therefore, presents the instinctive reaction of Elijah when faced with the raw threat of death from Jezebel. We might say this was cowardice of Elijah who had just demonstrated to the people his great faith and God’s approval of his expression of faith. How come then, if he could withstand and slaughter 850 false prophets in one day, couldn’t he withstand only Jezebel?

Instead, he fled for his life. Despite achieving such a great feat in God’s name, God did not tell him as He told Abraham in Genesis 12:1, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” No two situations and,of course, reactions are the same. The wisdom is that, it is not all times we have to fall back to our own track record or boast of our gains in a particular matter. Sometimes, simple wisdom requires giving up a particular fight.

So, Elijah became deeply afraid. Rather than seek solace or protection in a fellow prophet’s home or rely on a friend’s words of consolation/comfort, he went to God. Thus, he sought refuge on Mount Horeb and hid in a cave. This is the same mountain where Moses encountered God, where he received the 10 commandments.

He Sought God’s Presence on Mount Horeb

The text tells us that God revealed Himself to Elijah, not in the form of a mighty wind, or the earthquake, or the fire. Rather, Elijah encountered the Lord in the sound of the gentle breeze. It was as though God was increasing the adrenaline in Elijah with the strong winds that shattered the rocks, the earthquakes that happened, and the fire; after which God calmed his nerves by revealing Himself to Elijah in the form of a gentle breeze.

Quieting the Noise to Hear God’s Voice

Dear friends in Christ, Elijah’s experience speaks to us about how we approach crisis in our lives. When we are overwhelmed by the challenges of life, let us make a deliberate effort to come to God and He will not send us away. Let us watch out for the signs God gives and pay attention/ listen to Him speaking to us by intentionally quieting the worldly noises filtering into our minds from our phones, the social media, the television, and other endless activities.

Just as Elijah came out of the cave where he was hiding due to despair, insecurity, and self-pity, let us shake off the shackles of fear that hold us down.

The Disciples Became Terrified of a Ghost

Our gospel reading, which is a direct continuation of last Sunday’s passage, narrates how Jesus came to His disciples, walking on the water at night. Since they were already battling with the storm, and coupled with the apparently, ghostly figure that they saw, they became terrified. However, Jesus calmed their fears by saying: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

In fact, there is this story that stated that the next day, after Jesus had walked on the water, His disciples boasted to the disciples of the Pharisees that Jesus, their Master, was the greatest of all masters because He walked on water.

The disciples of the Pharisees told their bosses, the Pharisees, this miraculous account. To this, the Pharisees, scornfully replied that there was nothing so special about Jesus walking on the water; that Jesus walked on water because He did not know how to swim.

Jesus Met Peter’s Challenge with an Invitation

Like Peter in today’s Gospel, who was invited by Jesus to come toward him on the water, which he did, and began walking on the water, but when he began to feel the force of the wind and was frightened, he began to sink. Often times, when the storms around us are so strong, we feel that we are battling against the odds alone, and we begin to wonder why Jesus always seems to be absent. Even though too, we know that we won’t be asked to walk on the water, we get that sinking feeling all the same.

This happens because again, like Peter, we lose sight and stop focusing on Jesus. We are carried away by all the pressures, dangers and anxieties surrounding us. Storms are inevitable; however, if we trust in the Lord and listen to His voice saying to us: “Take Courage, it is I; Do not be afraid”, He will certainly give us a helping hand. He will certainly lead us out of our fears or pull us out of any danger that is about to drown us. Christ desires to help us as we battle, like Peter, through the storms of life, if only we rely solely on Him.

We Can Count on Jesus to Be With Us in the Storms of Life

Dear friends in Christ, every family has its own storms; every parish has its own challenges; and each one of us carries hidden struggles. So, whatever may be our experiences, let us know that even if we panic like Elijah or our faith falters like the sinking Peter, Christ is with us in the storm. He is close even when we do not feel His presence.

May we begin our faith journey each day with great enthusiasm and passion like Paul who wished to willingly become anything and sacrifice everything for the redemption of the Israelites, as reflected in R2 of today. He expressed profound sorrow for his fellow Israelites who had not accepted Christ.

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