One of the names for God in the Old Testament is the “God Who Speaks and Things Happen”. Another name for God in the Old Testament is the God who sees. Sunday’s Gospel lesson in Jesus walking on the water to get to the disciples who are terrified in a storm (again). I heard this in a sermon when I was traveling one Sunday long ago and I have no idea who the preacher was but I thought this was interesting.
Mark tells us that even though the boat was in the middle of the lake, Jesus could see the disciples. John’s Gospel says it was dark and they were between three and three and a half miles from the shore (John 6:17,19): Jesus would not have been able to have seen them with natural eyesight.
In the Old Testament Abram’s wife, Sarai, was pretty mean to her handmaid, Hagar, so she ran away. The angel of the Lord (we believe this to be the preincarnate Son of God) appeared to her and told her to go back. He also told her what would happen in the future to her child yet to be born.
Hagar said, ‘You are the God who sees me – I have now seen the One who sees me (Gen 16:13).’ The names of God in the Old Testament describe him: he is the God who sees us—no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing.
Some might see that as scary but I find it indescribably comforting. He sees me.
