Fr Simi’s Reflection (9 August 2026)

During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.
(Matthew 14:25)

The story of our Lord Jesus walking on the sea has a special meaning for Matthew and the early church
community he was writing his gospel for. The early Christian community is very unpopular and persecuted,
just like they persecuted our Lord and the apostles who shepherded the very first converts.
All believers of Christ from the apostles until today are represented in this story. They are in the boat that
Jesus placed them in to cross over to the other side, and the journey across the sea is life-threatening. They
are enveloped in the darkness of the night and tossed about by a severe storm.
This, however, is not what terrifies them: what does is the ghostly figure of our Lord walking towards them
on the stormy sea. “When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they
said, and they cried out in fear.” (Matthew 14: 26) At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not
be afraid.” (v.27) The only one to be feared is the one who is declaring Himself as God in both word and deed
in this event.
In the words, “it is I” Jesus uses the biblical pronoun for God: “I am” By the deed of walking on the sea, Jesus is
declaring himself as equal to the breath of God that swept over the sea in the creation story of Genesis 1:2.
We are believers in Christ and are all in the same boat that Jesus has placed us in: the Church. We are, for
now, surrounded by the darkness of doubts, persecution, mortal sin and death. The One who puts us in this
boat is Lord of the darkness and the sea.
Let us not fear those who criticise us, gossip about us, make fun of us or even persecute us and put us to death
because of our faith in Jesus. Like Peter and the apostles, we fix our gaze of faith on Him who is walking on the
sea and calling out to us: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Him alone we should fear and worship. It is
Him alone who will get us to the other side.