The gospel for Wednesday after Epiphany is taken from Mark 6:45. After the 5,000 had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea.

He meant to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke to them. Take courage. It is I.

Do not be afraid. He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. When Jesus came into the world, he was beyond anyone’s expectation.

What he could do was incredulous. They couldn’t believe it. And in this simple story, it’s interesting that we see the disciples encountering Jesus in a way that seems almost strange because it seemed that it wasn’t really intended. But Jesus was able to walk on water and he was walking home. And the disciples were in a boat and the wind was really strong and there was a lot of anxiety on their part. And then they see Jesus walking on the water and they are terrified, which anybody would be, in a sense.

They were completely astounded. They didn’t understand who this man is. They didn’t understand what had just happened with the loaves and fishes. Which means there must be something about the way Jesus is revealing himself that is in a sense, a real turn off. It’s too much, too soon. And that’s why often we stay on the fringes of what it means to understand God working through us as he did through Jesus.

After the music, I will close with a prayer. Closing prayer Father, how do we believe in the impossible? How do we surrender to something so extraordinarily out of our control and beyond our pay grade? Being able to happen through us because of this gift? Bless us with the kind of acceptance of something beyond our imagining. We have to trust in what you say and what you have done.

And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.