You Don't Yet Have Faith?

It’s a mystery that having Jesus in our lives is not a guarantee to never suffer. In yesterday’s Gospel (Mark 4:35-41), the Apostles were in the boat with Jesus when a storm came up. The boat filled with water and there was Jesus in the stern, asleep on the pillow.

“Don’t you care that we are perishing?!” the worried Apostles ask, jostling Him awake. But Jesus’ response is curious: “You don’t yet have faith?” Jesus is greater than any storm. No wave or gust of wind could defeat Him. “Who is this that even the wind and sea obey,” the Apostles ask in astonishment after He rebukes nature into stillness. But Jesus still allows the storm to make a ruckus at times for our faith to grow. I read this story over and over yesterday, thinking about how often in my life I faced a storm and I didn’t know He was in the boat. And now, as by His grace I’m growing in maturity, I’m realizing He actually is there and has been there all along even though it didn’t feel to me like He was doing anything. I looked at the Blessed Sacrament yesterday and said, “Look, if I’m going into a storm, at least I can rest in the idea that you are there, even if you’re sleeping. The boat can’t sink if you’re in it. But don’t leave me!” May the Lord increase our faith to persevere when we’d rather wake Him and get Him to save us right away. May we continue to grow in maturity so we can pass these tests of faith and have Him say, “Well done.”

#Mark