Tuesday 4 July 2023

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Today is Tuesday the 4th of July, in the 13th week of Ordinary time.

Caroline Cobb sings, ‘Who is this Jesus?’ As you listen, gather your own thoughts and experiences of who Jesus is…

I saw his face shine like the sun, on the mountainside

Elijah and Moses were there, pale in his glorious light

And a voice came like thunder

And I trembled all over

Said “This, my beloved child.”

Who is this Jesus, but the Son of God?

I saw him walk on the waves, I saw him still the storm

I saw the demons afraid, but the children safe in his arms

He said Lazarus rise up

Wake from your sleep

And his dead heart started to beat!

Who is this Jesus, but the Son of God?

I leaned my head, back on his chest, for he was my friend

He poured the wine, he broke the bread, it was near the end

I saw them take him

Beat him, try to break him

And hang him on the cross

They laughed, they mocked him

He said “God, forgive them

It’s finished, now it is done!”

The sky black as ink

The earth shook with grief

As he breathed his last and was gone

Who is this Jesus? Who is this Jesus?

Who is this Jesus, but the Son of God?

Who is this Jesus, but the Son of God?

I saw the stone rolled away

I saw his empty tomb

I saw the scars in his hands

There in the upper room

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 8.23-27

And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’

Today, I place myself into this scene…my friends and I are in a small boat in the midst of a great storm. We are very afraid, and we call on Jesus: ‘Lord, save us!’

To our amazement, Jesus calms both our fears and the storm.

In what areas of my life am I feeling like this? In what areas of my life am I in danger of being swamped or overwhelmed?

I tell Jesus about these now.

What makes me most afraid?

I tell Jesus about this too.

In the stillness, I listen for Jesus’ response deep within me.

As I listen to this story again, I ask, ‘What sort of man is this?’

In these last moments of silence, I rest and enjoy being held by the one who calms all storms and fears.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.