WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: The Initiative of Jesus in Saving His Disciples

By Father Yohanes Akoit

The Gospel reading on the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time speaks about the help of Jesus to His disciples. This happened because their boat was tossed by the wind and was about to sink. They were afraid and looking for their rescue. Exactly at that moment, Jesus came walking on the water and saved their lives (Matthew 14:22-33). To grasp the main message of this story, it is helpful to combine it with another story from the Bible. The story that takes place on the ocean as well but with different emphasis.

Just remember the story where Jesus was with His disciples traveling on a boat, but He was asleep (Matthew 8:23-27). At that time the disciples were facing a great storm as well. And since Jesus was with them on the same boat, then it was easy to call for help. The problem was quickly solved because Jesus was there with them. But in the story above, Jesus was not even with them. Still, Jesus approached them walking on the water and saved their lives. The interesting fact from this story is that they didn’t even call Jesus for help. Jesus came and approached them by Himself. So, the initiative purely comes from Jesus to save the lives of the disciples.

The combination of the stories above gives us good ground for making our reflection, and offers a message from Jesus as we celebrate the Mass of the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The message for us is that once we become disciples of Jesus, the protection and guidance of God will always be upon us. The stories above give us the biblical emphasis. In the first story, the disciples do not travel with Jesus. Yet Jesus follows them, walking on the water, and saves them. In the second story, it happens in the same situation: the disciples are on their journey, but Jesus is with them in the same boat, and He saves their lives. Jesus takes good care of their lives because they are His disciples.

This special relationship marks the sense of ownership Jesus has toward His disciples. It happened so because the disciples are not just foreign people who accidentally met Jesus. They are truly the gift of God to Him. Just remember how Jesus calls them. He begins first by praying to God and then calls them. So, the existence of the disciples is nothing but the fruit and fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer. And since they are the gift of God, they belong to Jesus. That is why anything that happens to them will automatically move Jesus to help and save them.

The lesson we can take from this passage is about discipleship. This is the key point that we should keep in mind. Once we become disciples of Jesus, for sure He will never abandon us. And there is one possible way we can grow in our discipleship toward Jesus. We can do it by looking at the etymology of the word disciples. It comes from the word discere (Latin). This word is the root of discipulus (disciple), a person who learns, and the word disciplina (discipline), the process of forming one’s character with good habits.

Based on these two words; disciple and discipline, we can apply them in building our relationship with Jesus. First, let us cultivate the willingness to learn (discipulus) a good lesson from Jesus. That is to read the Bible and make our positive reflection as our response to the Word of God. Second, let us build a good habit (disciplina) to have good communication with Jesus. Set a particular time in a day when we can have time to pray to Jesus. Be faithful to that timetable. It will shape our good character.

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.