Interpretation of the Gospel for every day of the year. 9th Sunday after Pentecost.

Archpriest Alexander Shargunov

After the miraculous multiplication of loaves, the Lord commanded His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side of the sea, while He would let the people go.

Having dismissed the people, He ascends the mountain to pray in private. He prays all evening and all night until the fourth watch of the night while they sailed. They were in the middle of the sea when the storm started. At the beginning of our journey, there may be fine weather, and suddenly a storm overtakes us. As they say, after a long calm, expect a storm. That's how life works. This is the way of the Church.

The disciples of Christ were where Christ sent them, and yet they did not escape the meeting with the storm. It should come as no surprise to the disciples of Christ that they encounter storms along the way of their ministry. And there is nothing strange in the fact that Christ sends them to the open sea, knowing in advance what awaits them. The Lord wants to show them even more wonderful grace than what was with the five loaves, to share them even more deeply with the mystery of His Cross.

It was a great test for the disciples of Christ to be alone, without their Lord, in the midst of a storm. Not like before, when they sailed in the boat, and He slept in the stern (Mk. 4, 38). So the Lord sends us, raises us gradually from small difficulties to ever greater difficulties, so that we learn to live by faith.

And although the wind was contrary and the boat was tossed by waves, they, having received the command from the Lord to sail to the other side, did not even think of turning back. But with all their might they rowed, where the Lord had said. Let troubles and difficulties increase, the Holy Church tells us today, nothing will make us deviate from our path. And we see the love of Christ, His concern for His Church. The extreme circumstances experienced by the people of God are God's hour of the Lord visiting His Church and appearing to her.

Christ walks on the waters, showing His sovereign power over all the elements. It is not given to us to ask how He does it. It is enough to see His Divine power. Christ does what He wants to do in order to save us.

We know how weak our faith can sometimes be. And the disciples, seeing Him walking on the sea, cried out for fear. "This is a ghost," they said, when they should have said, "This is the Lord." As the Apostle John the Theologian will say later, when he sees the resurrected Christ standing on the shore.

The Lord approaches us to save us from trouble, but we do not recognize Him and are afraid not only of trouble, but also of His approach. The greatest danger from all external troubles lies in internal confusion and fear, when we begin to fear everything. This is a sign that by forgetting about God, we give place to the devil in our hearts.

We see how fearlessly the Lord walks on the waters when the storm is raging. He is calm, He is all in God's peace, in faith - that is, in trust in the love of the Heavenly Father. This is His way to the Cross, He is walking towards the danger that threatens us. He comes to fight death to give us life and deliver us from all fear.

And Peter went to be where the Lord is, on the water. But, seeing a strong wind, he was frightened and, starting to sink, he shouted: “Lord, save me!” From fear, Peter plunged into death, and fear came to him from doubt in faith. It happens to each of us when we are in danger. But as soon as we cry out to Him, the Lord immediately extends a saving hand to us, calming the storm, taming the forces of death. He shows us the miracle of the Resurrection, again and again teaches us faith, trust in God's Providence, victory over fear and despair.

How many times have we drowned in the sea of this life, but some invisible hand supported us and suddenly brought us out of danger. And again we hear these words: “Why doubt, little faith?!” Let us bring to our memory the former blessings of God, and in the future, in every danger, call on the name of God, and we will be saved.

The Lord delayed helping for some time to test our faith, and now he is in a hurry to save us from the greatest danger, so that we better know Him and learn from Him His love. Only in love there is no fear, and perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). With a single word, He can calm any storm.

“It is I,” He says, do not be afraid! He does not call Himself by name, He only needs to say, "It is I," for they know His voice, being His sheep. Only He can give such peace and quiet. “It is I,” and therefore “do not be afraid.” Don't be afraid of Me now that you know that I am. Christ cannot be a fear to those to whom He reveals Himself. The whole fear of eternal torment lies in the deprivation of fellowship with Christ. The world is languishing today in fear of the disasters that are coming upon the universe. But if people would recognize Christ, all fears would immediately disappear. “It is I, and do not be afraid of the storm, winds and waves raging in human history and in your personal life. Don't be afraid of them as long as I am with you. I am the One who constantly cares for you and who will never stand by and watch you perish.” Nothing - no storm, not death itself should be terrible for those who have Christ next to them.

We will go to Christ on the waters of the sea of life, and Christ will not let us go to the bottom, the world will not be able to swallow us up. We'll walk on water like already those who share in His Resurrection, and there will be no danger in this water, supported by the power of the same hands that He stretched out on the Cross. No one can go to Christ unless he is strengthened by His power. And as long as our gaze, like that of Peter, is directed to Christ, to His word and His power, we will go over the abyss. But as soon as we lose sight of Christ even for a moment and see only the waves and wind sweeping over us - only what is happening in the world today - we will realize that it is impossible to walk on water, fear will seize us, and we will begin to sink.

But even here, as soon as we call on Him with all the depths of despair, we will learn why Christ is called the Saviour. He comes to save us when everything is already hopeless. And He is next to all who believe in Him - especially when they drown - at arm's length. He does not reject us who are of little faith, but allows us to be stormy so that we grow in faith, learning to walk with Him. And the saved, together with the apostles and the whole Church, brought him a personal confession of gratitude and love, and worshiped Him: "Truly You are the Son of God."