To Serve at Table
So, the Twelve
called together the community of the disciples and said, "It is not right
for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from
among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall
appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the
ministry of the word."
Acts 6:2-4
The sea was stirred
up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four
miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they
began to be afraid. But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid."
They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the
shore to which they were heading. John 6:18-21
Piety
“After A Storm” by Christian Wiman (b. 1966)
My sorrow's flower was so small a joy
It took a winter seeing to see it as such.
Numb, unsteady, stunned at all the evidence
Of winter's blind imperative to destroy,
I looked up, and saw the bare abundance
Of a tree whose every limb was lit and fraught with snow.
What I was seeing then I did not quite know
But knew that one mite more would have been too much.
From
Once in the West: Poems (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2014).
Study
These first newly selected and ordained “Deacons”
are not literally serving food like ancient waiters but instead (according to
the notes in the NABRE) are probably keeping track of the distribution of food from
the parish (community) pantry to the needy members of the community. The irony
is that after Stephen and the others are chosen, they are never presented in the
Epistles as carrying out the task for which they were appointed. Instead, two of their number, Stephen and
Philip, are presented as preachers of the Christian message. They also are
active in the ministry of the word.
They were asked to serve at table to
emulate Jesus who did some of his best work around a table (loaves and fish,
Last Supper, etc.). However, when Jesus
ventures outside, he also does great work around boats and bodies of
water. Today, we also witness another one
of those instances when Jesus miraculously appears to the disciples on the Sea
of Galilee.
Clearly, with the boat three or four
miles out into the middle of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus performed a miracle
appearing there. However, there was a second
miracle in this story. When you consider a map of the area, the Sea of Galilee
is a 13-mile-long body of water north to south and 8 miles wide east to west.[i] If the boat has gone out three or four miles,
then they still had quite a distance to row in stormy seas to get to the other
side.
Once Jesus appeared, not only did he
calm the seas, but he also helped move the boat across the water as if it was a
modern motorboat or hydroplane. [ii]
The disciples lived to serve another day
at table, on the water, and in the ministry of the Word.
Action
The disciples entrusted the troubles of
their journey to Jesus and their fears were calmed like the sea. What stormy
seas do you face today? Can you put those storms into Jesus’ hands?
[i] This image of the Sea of Galilee was taken by the NASA Expedition 20 crew. - NASA Earth
Observatory, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7808929
[ii]
Attribution: Beivushtang at English Wikipedia (Panoramic
of the "Kineret", the Sea of Gallile -- 15 November 2006 (original
upload date).
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