It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
John 6::16-19
I wonder what kind of swimmers these men were? St Anthony's triathlon is this weekend and although I am not competing this year, I have several times swam that course. It is not easy to swim in open water. The winds change, the currents can be strong, and you have to consistently look to see where you are swimming so that you can get out fo the water quickly. I think about this because these disciples of Jesus were in the dark, adn rowing a small boat. Compared to modern vessels, we might think it was a flimsy boat. These disciples were not only in the dark, several miles from shore but there was a strong wind. Even if they were very strong swimmers, we can imagine the possible danger and how the situation could easily change for the worse. And then Jesus appeared and said, "It is I. Do not be afraid." Jn 6:20
Let us surrender our anxieties and worries to Jesus who walks on the water and tells us to not fear. Jesus doesn't ask us to not be afraid, he tells us, as in a command, to not be afraid. Fear brings weakness, and what we need as Christians, as followers of Christ, is to be strong in the faith, not weak in our doubts and fears.
