Christmas Weekday, Wednesday – 08th January 2020 — Gospel: Mark 6,45-52
Divine and Saving presence
In this section we witness Jesus’ command over the powers of nature as he walks on water and stills the raging wind. There is more to be highlighted here than just a show of power. The Old Testament refers to walking on water as a divine function. In the Book of Job, he declared, “[God] alone stretched out the heavens, and trampled the waves of the sea” (Job 9,8.11; cf.Ps 77,19; Is 43,16). By walking on the water, Jesus revealed his divinity. This manifestation of God is enhanced by Mark’s mysterious statement: “He meant to pass by them” (Mk 6,48). This is reminiscent of the Lord’s passing by Moses in Ex 33,19-22 and other manifestations of God (Gen 3; 15; 17; 18; 28; Josh 5; 1 Sam 3), in which the divine presence is sometimes at first unrecognized and often inspires awesome fear. Either explicitly or implicitly, the account of Jesus walking on the water is a testimony that he is God. In his reassuring presence, Jesus calms the disciples saying: “It is I, have no fear”. In this way, Jesus manifests his divine and saving presence with everyone permanently.
