Jesus Walks on Water - Mark 6:45-56
Jesus Walks on the Water
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Reflection:
Yesterday we saw Jesus suspending the natural laws, by feeding 5,000 with a few loaves of fish and bread. Today he suspends the laws of gravity and physics by walking on water. It is not surprising then when he gets into the boat that he says, "It is I, don't be afraid!" So what caused this miracle to come into place?
We know after feeding the five thousand, as he often did, he went by the mountainside to pray. When we wonder where this sort of power comes from, it starts for Jesus with time alone with the Father and in prayer. And we see he prayed for quite some time, and in the time right before dawn he goes out to meet them. And he meets them walking on the lake. He sees them straining at the oars, has compassion on them, and goes out to meet them. Notice he goes out even before they call out to him. He sees their need and goes to them.
When he climbed into the boat and the wind died down, it says they were amazed because they had not understood the feeding of the 5,000, for their hearts were "hardened". I am interested in this word hardened. Did it mean they couldn't see because they were not allowed to see? I.e. God had hardened their hearts. Or, is it because there hearts were hardened by their unbelief. I am not sure it really matters all that much, for they had not yet received the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the power of the Holy Spirit we cannot come to believe either. And yet, Jesus is preparing them for belief, as someone recounted this story of faith with the eyes of belief, or at least this was passed on from the now believing apostles.
So what can we learn from this story? I would suggest these 3 lessons:
1. Jesus' power came from prayer and meeting with the Father in solitude. We too must get away from the crowds, and even our partners in ministry, to commune and abide in and with the Father.
2. Jesus meets us in the storms of life. When the waves are furious about us, He sees us and meets us in the storm and calms it down. Out of these experiences we can minister to others who are in their storms.
3. It is out these experiences that they are empowered and equipped to go and minister to the broken and sick. Jesus is so full of the Holy Spirit and God's power, that the people back on shore, begged him to let them touch the edge of his cloak and they were healed.
This is a great model to learn from as we seek to follow Jesus and be an agent of His kingdom today, amidst the storms in our lives and others. Amen.
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Reflection:
Yesterday we saw Jesus suspending the natural laws, by feeding 5,000 with a few loaves of fish and bread. Today he suspends the laws of gravity and physics by walking on water. It is not surprising then when he gets into the boat that he says, "It is I, don't be afraid!" So what caused this miracle to come into place?
We know after feeding the five thousand, as he often did, he went by the mountainside to pray. When we wonder where this sort of power comes from, it starts for Jesus with time alone with the Father and in prayer. And we see he prayed for quite some time, and in the time right before dawn he goes out to meet them. And he meets them walking on the lake. He sees them straining at the oars, has compassion on them, and goes out to meet them. Notice he goes out even before they call out to him. He sees their need and goes to them.
When he climbed into the boat and the wind died down, it says they were amazed because they had not understood the feeding of the 5,000, for their hearts were "hardened". I am interested in this word hardened. Did it mean they couldn't see because they were not allowed to see? I.e. God had hardened their hearts. Or, is it because there hearts were hardened by their unbelief. I am not sure it really matters all that much, for they had not yet received the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the power of the Holy Spirit we cannot come to believe either. And yet, Jesus is preparing them for belief, as someone recounted this story of faith with the eyes of belief, or at least this was passed on from the now believing apostles.
So what can we learn from this story? I would suggest these 3 lessons:
1. Jesus' power came from prayer and meeting with the Father in solitude. We too must get away from the crowds, and even our partners in ministry, to commune and abide in and with the Father.
2. Jesus meets us in the storms of life. When the waves are furious about us, He sees us and meets us in the storm and calms it down. Out of these experiences we can minister to others who are in their storms.
3. It is out these experiences that they are empowered and equipped to go and minister to the broken and sick. Jesus is so full of the Holy Spirit and God's power, that the people back on shore, begged him to let them touch the edge of his cloak and they were healed.
This is a great model to learn from as we seek to follow Jesus and be an agent of His kingdom today, amidst the storms in our lives and others. Amen.
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