2 Corinthians 5:17
Reading I: Job 38:1,8-11
Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
GOSPEL: Mark 4:35-41
The 2 Questions You MUST Ask If You Are A Christian
Being Christian does not mean that life will be easy. In fact, the challenges inherent with living as a disciple of Jesus can often cause us great hardship as we stand up for what is right and good in a world that often seems to prefer the wrong and bad. And like the original disciples, we end up suffering through everything from small squalls to great storms in both our personal lives and in our communities. But just as they did, we can weather the storm with a bit of help from Jesus.
Who Can This Be?
It can be difficult to have faith when times are tough. But if we trust that Jesus will calm the stormy seas, then we can rest assured that our boat will not capsize. We may not be able to sleep easily in the face of danger, as Jesus did on the boat, yet we will not be disappointed if we place our faith in him. Then we can ask the same question the disciples asked: “Who can this be that the wind and sea obey him?”
The key, however, is not about having blind faith; it’s about examining our faith and answering that question. If you do that right now, what would be your answer? If you consider yourself a Christian, then you must answer these two questions:
- Who is this man, Jesus?
- Who is Jesus for me?
Once you’ve begun to answer those questions, then you can really begin to discern for yourself how to truly have a relationship with Jesus. Because until you truly know him, how can you really place your trust in him?
Jesus Helps Us Live for God and Others
Having a personal relationship with Jesus is not just about simply repeating the traditional words and prayers; it’s about trying to be open to conversation with the Lord so that he can reveal himself and his son, Jesus, to us. It’s often a matter of focusing on times when Jesus calmed the storms in our lives. Sharing those stories, in our own words, is one way that we can live out our baptismal calling and proclaim the good news.
When we start to know Jesus better, we will begin to understand what St. Paul declared: that Jesus calmed the storms of our lives by dying for us. In thanksgiving, we can strive to live not for ourselves but for him. We can endeavor to love as we ought to love, given that we are self-proclaimed Christians. Eventually we will do as Christ did and live for both God and for others. And as difficult as that may seem, what will make it possible is knowing that Jesus will bring calm to even our roughest seas.
Life Applications:
What storms do you see around you – both in people’s lives and in our society?
When people around you are suffering, how do you show them Christ’s love and explain what it means to them?
How did Jesus calm the stormy times in your life?
Original article by Brandon Jubar, 2015-2021.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.