The Bible often describes our relationship to Jesus in very physical terms.
Indeed, on the day of Resurrection we read Mary took hold of his feet. Thomas is encouraged to probe Jesus’ wounds.
As we are in Matthew, it would be easy to skip over these three short verses. Afterall they are wedged between Jesus feeding 5,000 and he and Peter walking on water, and then a rather heated discussion with the Pharisees.
Yet, as I post these thoughts, it is Easter Day, and I want to ask if you, like Mary on that first resurrection morning, and like the multitudes in the text below, I want to ask, have you reached out to touch him?
33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!” 34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35 When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region and brought to him all who were sick; 36 and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.
Or, perhaps another way of asking the question is, “Have you gotten into the boat with Jesus?”
The idiom to be “in the same boat” normally refers to a group of people all facing the same challenges, or even all being in an unpleasant situation. I use the phrase here, less as a statement of a common situation, and more as a question: “Have you climbed into the boat with Jesus?”
Have you chosen to be with Him? To be theologically clear, in reality it is He who chooses us. Yet for us, it seems as if we are the ones who cast our vote to be within—it is we who climb into the boat.
Rather than falling down the rabbit hole or who has chosen who, I want to simply observe in these few short verses:
1. Those in the boat (meaning they saw Peter walk on water, and they saw him calm the storm) worshipped him and declared him Son of God.
2. Those who knew of his teaching and healing, ran to him, bringing all they could find who were sick.
3. In fact they begged him to simply touch the hem of his garment.
It is Easter—are you in the boat with the man who can feed 5,000 and who can walk on water while simultaneously calming the storm? Jesus today invites you to join him.