John 6:12-21
“When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” vss. 19-20

As we read the gospels we are regularly reminded that life can be scary, even for followers of Jesus. Here Mark tells us that when the crowds had been fed through the multiplication of loaves, they wanted to make Jesus king, and he immediately made himself scarce, leaving the disciples to fend for themselves. And then when they decided to row back to Capernaum and the sea became rough, he terrified them by coming to their boat in the dark, walking on the waves. In Mark’s original Greek, his words of reassurance are classic, “I am, do not be afraid.” Those are the same words the Lord used to calm Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3. “I am,” the Lord said to Moses, “tell the Egyptians that ‘I am’ has sent you.” Mark wanted his readers to understand the continuity between the Lord of Moses and Jesus, and those words continue to reassure us even in these scary times. Every day in this political campaign, whether we like it or not, little fragments of news creep into our brains via our phones and computers, and most of it has been carefully crafted to frighten or enflame us. And Jesus says to us, “I am, and because I am, do not be afraid.” And those who believe have peace!

Thought for the Day: Why is it hard for me to trust Jesus?