WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:05.040 One of the greatest dangers in the spiritual life is not fear. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:07.599 It's false confidence. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.400 That's exactly what we see in the first reading. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:13.439 There are two prophets standing before the people. 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:16.960 Ananiah tells them exactly what they want to hear. 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:18.960 This suffering won't last. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:21.519 Everything will be back to normal in two years. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:24.160 The yoke of Babylon will be broken. 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:26.800 The people must have loved that message. 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:30.960 On the other hand, Jeremiah tells them something much harder. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:35.119 He says, in effect, I hope Ananiah is right. 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:37.600 I would love for that to happen. 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:40.399 But God has not said those words. 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:43.280 Then Jeremiah says something remarkable. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:49.280 The Lord has not sent you, and you have raised false confidence in this people. 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:51.840 False confidence. 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.159 Those words struck me. 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:57.600 Because our world is full of false confidence. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:03.439 We hear things like follow your heart, live your truth, everything will work out. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:06.640 You don't need to change, you'll be fine. 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:12.079 Those messages are comforting, but comforting isn't always true. 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:16.959 A good doctor doesn't tell a patient what he wants to hear or he shouldn't. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:20.000 He tells him what he needs to hear. 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:23.840 A good parent does the same, and so does God. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:29.760 Sometimes the most loving thing God says to us is also the hardest to hear. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:31.680 And that brings us to Peter. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:36.640 Peter had confidence, but at first it was confidence in himself. 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.239 Lord, if it is you, command me to come. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:43.200 Jesus simply says, Come. 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:45.920 And Peter actually does the impossible. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.040 He walks on water until he doesn't. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:54.000 The moment he shifts his eyes from Christ to the storm, he begins to sink. 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:56.239 But notice what Jesus does not say. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.760 He does not say, Well, Peter, I knew you would fail. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:01.519 No, he doesn't say that. 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:05.120 Or he doesn't even say you embarrassed yourself. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:07.599 He doesn't let Peter drown. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:11.439 Immediately Jesus reaches out and grabs his hand. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.439 That's the kind of confidence God wants us to have. 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:19.439 Not confidence in ourselves, but confidence in him. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:21.840 The saints understood this. 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:25.759 When you read their lives, you'll notice something surprising. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.960 The saints were actually very aware of their weaknesses. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:31.360 Saint Therese knew her littleness. 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:33.520 Saint Augustine knew his past. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.159 Saint Peter knew his failures. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:41.680 Their confidence didn't come from believing they were strong, it came from believing Christ was. 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:44.400 I think that's the lesson for us. 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:47.120 Some of us are facing storms right now. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:55.120 A marriage that is struggling, a medical diagnosis, financial insecurities, a child drifting away from the faith. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.800 The temptation is to keep staring at the waves. 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:00.639 And the waves are real. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:06.080 Peter wasn't imagining them, but they were never stronger than Christ. 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:07.759 Neither are yours. 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:11.039 I also love this little detail in today's gospel. 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:14.240 Peter doesn't offer a beautiful prayer. 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:18.080 As he's sinking, he doesn't quote scripture. 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:20.080 He doesn't recite a long formula. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:22.800 He simply cries out, Lord save me. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:25.840 Three words, Lord save me. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.199 Sometimes that's the best prayer we can make. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:32.080 When we're overwhelmed, Lord save me. 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:37.039 When temptation is strong and we're falling into sin, Lord save me. 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.960 When grief feels unbearable, Lord save me. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:45.120 When we don't know what else to say, Lord save me. 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:49.280 And every single time the gospel says the same thing. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:55.840 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, not eventually, not after Peter earned it, immediately. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:56.400 Why? 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:58.080 Because that's our Lord. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:01.680 So today ask yourself, where is my confidence? 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:10.240 Is it in my plans and what I can control and my narrative, my abilities, my circumstances, or is it in Christ? 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:12.960 Because storms will come. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:19.680 But when our eyes remain fixed on Jesus, we'll discover that his hand is always closer than we think. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:22.160 And that's not false confidence. 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:23.600 That's faith. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:24.560 Amen.