Matt Bonaime

Dear Friends,

Mark 6:47-56 is a Bible passage that Christians and non-Christians alike seem to know to some extent. Reading the verses again today, I was struck by how relevant it remains. It reads like a roller coaster of a faith journey.

The disciples have just witnessed the miracles of the five loaves and two fish and yet “had not understood about the loaves.” The disciples see Jesus walking on water as they encounter high winds, and their immediate reaction is that of fear.

In the same way that I sometimes find it hard to see God’s work in today’s world, the disciples’ reactions to Jesus’ work is relatable: They fail to recognize Him because “their hearts were hardened.”

I often wonder if I would recognize Jesus if he were to appear among us today. Would he pull up in a luxury car or walk among the homeless? Would my heart be hardened?

The second part of the reading is what I hope we can all achieve. Recognizing Jesus, the people on the shore brought the sick to Him. We owe it to each other to carry out the work that Jesus has done.

The ministries at Saint Philip’s do an amazing job of bringing Jesus’ message and work to the sick. For instance, hearing about Off-campus Worship at our annual meeting made me realize that not only can we bring the sick to Jesus, but we can also bring Jesus to the sick. The work of the Outreach ministries is another concrete and quantifiable example of doing the work we are taught to do.

I hope to be less like the disciples doubting and more like the people on the shore bringing him the sick to heal.

Blessings,

—Matt