19th Sunday 2017

1 KGS 19:9A, 11-13A
ROM 9:1-5
MT 14:22-33

In Robert Alter’s translation of Elijah and the cave, the Lord explains to Elijah all which is about to happen, i.e., Elijah is told of their arrival beforehand. After the Lord states He will not be in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, He does not say, “I’ll be in the sound of minute stillness.” He says rather, “And after the fire, a sound of minute stillness” (1). In the conversation that follows, the Lord explains how Elijah will pass the mantle to Elisha.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrestles with God’s faithfulness to His chosen people; it is often interpreted as a bemoaning of God’s pre-determined plan of who receives salvation, and who damnation (2). When Paul accepts Jesus as Christ for himself, his hatred for and persecution of Jesus and His followers is replaced by love. He receives the grace of salvation in his lifetime, not simply as a promise for the end of time. Paul wants not only strangers, but all those he loves to experience the same delight and joy in the discovery of the love of the Lord. He is perhaps heart-broken his own are not a part of the movement or community which he wants to share.

Peter issues the Lord a challenge, “If it is you, command me to come to you.” After “Peter the rock sinks like a stone” (2), Jesus says to him, “Oh ye, of little faith.” The remark, however, could be a reference to the doubt which inspired the request, Peter’s lack of faith in Jesus, or his own self-doubt. In this event, Peter has not been commissioned by Jesus to perform miracles in His name, nor is he simply a witness to a Jesus-miracle: he’s in the middle of the miracle as a participant.

When Jesus wakes in the boat to the fear of His friends, He calms the storm to protect and reassure them (Mt 8:23-27). In general, extreme weather symbolizes the difficulties of personal struggles and tragedies, events we’ve no choice but to endure and survive. But in this case, the Lord accepts Peter’s challenge to prove His identity by issuing a challenge in return. He invites Peter to walk voluntarily into and within the turbulence.

Peter’s confusion over the Presence of the Lord inspires him to command Jesus to prove Himself, but is ultimately clarified as self-doubt in the face of turmoil. Likewise, Elijah states, “I am no better than my ancestors.” He too faces self-doubt at his ability to triumph over situational impossibilities. In both cases, the Lord responds to each’s fear and doubt with an eye on the future.

The Lord invites each man to look forward. After the ‘sound of minute stillness,’ Elijah is instructed as to how to pass the mantle to Elisha. In a variation on the theme, Jesus also passes the mantle to Peter by inviting him to follow His example, and lead new disciples in their faith despite the impossible political storm facing the Early Church. Paul expresses his sorrow that some of those whom he wishes to pass the mantle to are unreceptive. Our life-stories include “all of the above,” as we accept the mantle, bestow it onto others, and walk in the middle of the miracle of discipleship.

Journal Questions:

In what ways do I demand the Lord prove He is Himself? He responded to Peter with a challenge and invitation to greater faith; how does this call and response play out for me?
What are the storms in my life? Are they starting to brew, winding down, or in full force? What storms have I survived in the past? What have I learned about the presence of the Lord through those circumstances?
Like Peter, I am invited to be a part of the miracle of discipleship. How do I characterize my own discipleship? How do I invite others to also participate?

Resources:

1- Ancient Israel, Alter, Robert. WW Norton & Co, New York, 2013.
2- The New Testament: Fortress Commentary on the Bible. Editors: Aymer, Kittredge, Sanchez. Fortress Press, Minneapolis. 2014.

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