who is Jesus - wednesday after epiphany 2019

We are still in the season of Christmas, specifically in the epiphany when the liturgy helps us to understand the different manifestations of Jesus, who is Jesus, and how he manifests himself to us in the many circumstances of our life.  In our gospel today he manifests himself as someone who walks on water in order to calm the storm and the waves that was battering the boat of his disciples.  And yet a curious observation follows.  Mark said, “they were completely astounded. They had not understood... On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.”  Now why should the help of Jesus harden the hearts of his disciples?

It is something curious but it can happen.  In fact we experience these ourselves.  Many times the help given is not appreciated.  Many times the help given is doubted and belittled.  Many times the good that one does is held suspect as in why is he helping me, probably he wants to take advantage of me.  Or many times the help given can be hard, perhaps a discipline or a painful medicine.

Let us remember the many ways God helped us in the past which we did not really appreciate at that time, something which we resisted and even blamed God for.  And yet as we look at things in hindsight we begin to see the wisdom and the appropriateness of the help.  And only then can we be thankful.  Here we see in Jesus the person of God.  God is Father.  Not a do-gooder who will do everything to please us, but a loving Father who is concerned for our good and well-being.