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It Is I; Do Not Be Afraid
Where We Are
Alleluia! Saturday of the Second Week of Easter gives us one of the most dramatic scenes in John's Gospel: Jesus walking on the water. Yesterday the disciples witnessed the feeding of the five thousand; today, as night falls and a storm rises on the Sea of Galilee, they encounter Jesus in a way that reveals his divine identity. In Acts, the early Church faces a practical crisis: Greek-speaking widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The apostles respond by establishing the first deacons, delegating service so that they can devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. The Church grows and the word spreads.
The Word
In Acts, a complaint arises from the Hellenists that their widows are being neglected in the daily distribution. The Twelve ask the community to select seven men "full of the Spirit and wisdom" to handle this ministry. Stephen, Philip, and five others are chosen. The apostles pray over them and lay hands on them, and the word of God increases greatly. In John's Gospel, as evening comes, the disciples get into a boat and head across the sea toward Capernaum. A great wind is blowing. After rowing several miles, they see Jesus walking on the sea and are afraid. Jesus says, "It is I; do not be afraid." They receive him into the boat, and immediately the boat reaches the land where they are going.
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Reflect
"It is I; do not be afraid." In the original Greek, Jesus says ego eimi, "I AM," the divine name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This is more than reassurance; it is a revelation. The one walking on the waves is the God who made the waves.
John's account of the walking on the water is spare and powerful. There are no extra details, no subplot about Peter stepping out of the boat (that is Matthew's addition). John wants us to focus on one thing: Jesus comes to his disciples in the darkness and the storm, and his presence brings them immediately to their destination.
This is a picture of the Christian life during the Easter season and beyond. The storm is real. The darkness is real. The distance from shore feels impossible. But the Risen Christ walks toward us across the very thing that frightens us. He does not calm the storm first and then appear; he appears in the storm. His presence is the calm.
The Acts reading complements this beautifully. The early Church faces an internal crisis of equity and justice. The solution is not to ignore the problem but to share responsibility. New leaders are raised up. The word of God continues to spread. The Church learns to navigate the storms of communal life by empowering the whole body.
Stephen, the first of the seven chosen, will soon become the first martyr. The path of service leads to the path of the cross. But the Church does not stop. "The word of God increased." It always does.
Living It
What storm are you in the middle of right now? Today, instead of begging for the storm to stop, ask Jesus to meet you in it. He does not always remove our difficulties, but he always walks toward us through them. Listen for his voice: "It is I; do not be afraid." If you are in a community facing internal conflict or practical challenges, look for the Acts model: share responsibility, empower new leaders, and keep the word of God central. You do not have to row to shore by yourself. Receive Jesus into the boat, and let him bring you home.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you walked toward your disciples across the waves and said, "It is I; do not be afraid." Walk toward us now. We are in the middle of the sea; the wind is strong and we cannot see the shore. But you are the great I AM, and the waters obey you. We receive you into our boat and trust that you will bring us where we need to go. Calm our fears, not by removing the storm, but by your presence within it. Amen.
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