July 29, 2018
John 6:15-21…“But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” vs. 20
It was a scary night for the disciples. Jesus had left them alone and gone off by himself and they had headed for home in their boat. The waves made the rowing difficult but it wasn’t the storm that frightened them. It was Jesus. He showed up where they hadn’t expected him and they were terrified. His words are familiar to us, we hear them often in the gospels, “Do not be afraid.” It’s a message we need to hear, too. Unfortunately, too many of our leaders do all that they can to ramp up the fear and we’re told to be afraid of everything: refugees, Muslims, drug traffickers, sex predators, child abductors, cancer, death, etc. In some people’s minds enemies abound, so they hunker down, erect barriers and walls, and avoid strangers. Obviously there are bad things that can happen in our world. There are storms, the winds blow, and we can find ourselves in scary situations. That’s real, but it’s also the truth that Jesus is among us, and he keeps on telling us that if he’s near there’s no need to be afraid. “Calm down,” he tells us. “The future’s not nearly so bad as you may think it is. And even when times get turbulent, I’ll continue to be with you.” The neat thing about the disciples’ struggle on the lake is that when Jesus climbed aboard they immediately got to the place where they were going. That’s how it is with Jesus…with him we always arrive home in safety!
Thought for the Day: What do I fear?
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