Why are we so fearful?
Twelve Sunday - Year B
Job 38:1, 8-11; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41
“On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, ‘Let us cross to the other side’” (Mark 4:35). Mark finished a section that describes Jesus as a teacher, who explains the mystery of the kingdom of God using the parables (Mark 4:1-34). Now, the evangelist begins a new section that portrays Jesus as having authority over nature, demons, disease, and death (Mark 4:35-5:43). It is aimed to build our trust in the Lord.
The purpose of that journey across the sea was to liberate a human person who lived in the realm of death (Mark 5:1-20). No wonder that the nether world stirred up the waves and the wind to prevent that liberation to happen. The words that Jesus uses to silence the wind and the sea, “Quiet, be still!” (Mark 4:39), are similar to those Jesus used to silence the demons controlling human lives (see Mark 1:25; 3:12). Thus, the sudden storm that the Sea of Galilee is famous for had other causes than just the changes in the weather.
The first reading comes from the book of Job that asks that perennial question: why do bad things happen to good people? Throughout the entire book, Job wants an answer from God. A similar question is presented in today’s Gospel: “Teacher, does it not matter to you that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). It is interesting to notice that the disciples call Jesus, “teacher”. They have not yet reached the full understanding of who Jesus is (see Mark 8:29).
“Then the Lord replied to Job out of the tempest” (Job 38:1). God’s answer takes four chapters (Job 38-41) mostly composed of rhetorical questions that aim to teach the reader of that book that human being is not in a position “to talk back to God” (Rom. 9:20). Comparing with God our understanding and knowledge are limited (see Rom. 11:33-36). Although, Jesus’ answer is very brief, yet, both responses elicit similar reactions - awe. Job realized that he spoke without understanding and repented (Job 42:1-6). The disciples “feared a great fear” and ask each other: “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17). The first miracle contained in today’s Gospel is the ability of Christ to sleep in the midst of a life-threatening storm. In today’s Gospel, all the disciples were still the old creation displaying the character of the old Adam marked by fear and lack of faith. But, by Christ’s cross and the resurrection, all of us have been set free. Thus, in the Acts of the Apostles, we read that Peter was able to sleep on the night before his possible trial and execution (see Acts 12:1-6).
This Gospel story is often applied to the Church represented by the boat journeying through the hostile world represented by the sea. Every time the crisis hits we tend to exhibit the attitude of the disciples: fear and lack of trust. But can a “boat” with the Lord of creation sink? So, why are we so fearful? How is it that we still have no faith? (Mark 4:40).