Friends,
in today’s Gospel, the Pharisees demand Jesus give them a sign in order
to prove his authority, perhaps a miracle. But I’d like to draw your
attention to the final line in the passage: “He left them, got into the
boat again, and went off to the other shore.”
Whose
boat was this? Well, the previous verses confirm it belonged to his
disciples. Him entering the boat calls to mind his first encounter with
Peter. One day, Peter was going about his ordinary business, washing his
nets and preparing for a catch. Then without warning, without asking
permission, Jesus got into his boat. Now the boat was everything for
Peter; it was his livelihood, his security. But Jesus just got in and
began giving orders.
So
it goes in the order of grace. The true God cannot be manipulated,
determined by us, or controlled through our efforts. We can’t act like
the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, demanding that God behave for us.
Rather, he comes, often unbidden and unexpected, into our lives and
determines us, controls us. His presence is pure grace. Don’t demand
signs from God. Instead, do what the disciples did and let him enter
your boat.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment