The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke.
Colossians 1:18-23; Luke 8:22-25.
Read Luke 8:22-25
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus fell asleep on the boat when He and His disciples were crossing to the other side of the lake. While He was sleeping, “a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy” (Lk. 8:23). The disciples woke Jesus, fearing for their lives. Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea, and a calm ensued.
After calming the storm, Jesus asked His disciples: “Where is your faith?” (Lk. 8:25). Storms arise in our lives, but if we have faith, what have we to fear? If we live with firm faith, then no matter what happens to us, we know God permits it for our benefit. Earlier in the Gospel of Luke, we read the account of Jesus preaching the Beatitudes: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’ sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets” (Lk. 6:20-23). When we have faith in the goodness and power of God, then we know any storm we experience will be turned to calm, every sorrow into joy.
In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul repeatedly points to the faith of the patriarch Abraham: “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:2-5). Abraham was accounted as “righteous” for his faith, not for anything he did. He wasn’t righteous because he was circumcised, but rather his circumcision was an outward sign of his faith (See Rom. 4:10-11).
Today, let us hear Jesus’ question for ourselves: “Where is your faith?” Let us remember the example of Abraham and have ardent, childlike faith in the goodness of our heavenly Father. Whatever storms we face in life, if we trust in God, we will experience His help and His peace.
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