HOMILY FROM CANON STEPHEN BAILLIE
12th Sunday of B21
‘Let us go across to the other side’
‘Let us go across to the other side’ is an important phrase in Mark’s Gospel which occurs many times. Jesus and the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee from what is predominately Jewish area to more Gentile (non-Jewish) region. While the phrase signifies Jesus’ geographical position, it also suggests that he is inviting the disciples to go a little deeper on their journey. They are perhaps entering into the unknown, moving out of their comfort zones and therefore feeling anxious. The crossing of the water does not go so well for the disciples as a storm begins to brew and eventually the water begins to endanger the boat. To the disciples astonishment, Jesus is asleep through the whole ordeal. Their anxious call is understandable, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ After all, Jesus has led them, and ‘other boats’ into this situation and now appears not to care what will happen to them all.
In times of turmoil in life, we too may feel totally abandoned, swamped by fear and anxiety, adrift in a storm where even Jesus appears to be asleep. During such experiences, we might remember the words of Jesus from today’s Gospel and repeat them, like a mantra, ‘Peace! Be Still’. While the wind is howling around us it can be frightening but Christ is always with us, present within our very selves, offering us this deep peace. Often, coming back into this awareness can help us navigate through the storm and remind us that Jesus is very active in our lives, especially when we are entering into unknown territory. What is required of the disciples in this account, is a more mature faith, a deeper trust in their Teacher, that he will not abandon them.
‘May the Peace of Christ go with you wherever he may send you;
May he guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm;
May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you;
May he bring you home rejoicing.’
