June 23, 2021 (Wednesday)
There are times when God puts us in the middle of a storm.
Why would a loving Father put us in danger, fear, and extreme stress? You will
have to ask Him. Meanwhile, let’s check out one such story from Jesus’ life.
We find the event in Mark 6:45, “Immediately he made his disciples get into the
boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the
crowd.” [Mark 6:45 ESV] Notice it
seems like there is a sense of urgency to Jesus’ requests. It’s like it’s His
intention to make sure the disciples end up in the storm.
On top of this insistence there is this detail, “And after he had
taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” [Mark 6:46
ESV] Rather than joining His disciples, Jesus took time to pray… as He often
did in times of stress and necessity. It is possible that Jesus was ignorant of
the storm about to happen. Paul clearly tells us that the “emptied himself.” I
take that to mean, Jesus voluntarily limited some things. Possibly this
included certain knowledge.
Considering the urgency of verse 45, I suspect Jesus
understood what was about to happen. It is significant that Jesus prayed before
the event. Despite being the creator of the universe, Jesus demonstrates
complete dependency on the Father and Holy Spirit throughout His entire
ministry.
Then we are told, “He saw his disciples struggling. They were trying to row
forward, but the wind was blowing against them. Very early in the morning, he
came to them, walking on the lake. He intended to pass by them.” [Mark
6:48 CEB] We don’t know how long Jesus watched them struggling. If He was on a
mountain in that area, it would have taken Him awhile to get back down to the
sea.
In the “fourth watch” would have been just before dawn. All
night the disciples struggled. All night they rowed against the rain. I can see
them questioning if Jesus knew what was happening. I can see them questioning
where was Jesus. I can see them wondering why Jesus was not there…
The thing about Jesus is He’s always in time. We don’t
necessarily understand what is happening or why. The real test is to trust that
Jesus will be there and be on time. The story continues, “When they saw him walking on the lake, they
thought he was a ghost and they screamed.” [Mark 6:49 CEB] I think I
can understand their reaction. This was not what they were expecting. Many
times, Jesus arrives in ways and times we do not expect.
Over and over again, when God surprises people and has to
tell us, “Seeing
him was terrifying to all of them. Just then he spoke to them, “Be encouraged!
It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” [Luke 6:50
CEB] God showing up is a good thing, but it’s terrifying. Possibly this is
because when God takes control, we lose control. Maybe it’s because God does
not work as expected. Sometimes it’s as simple as we cannot wrap our minds
around the possibility of God landing in our mess.
As Jesus arrived, the emotional roller coaster continued, “He got into the
boat, and the wind settled down. His disciples were so baffled they were beside
themselves.” [Mark 6:51 CEB] It is
not unusual for us to NOT understand when Jesus shows up. It is difficult to
understand God’s purposes. But this lesson runs deeper than a simple walking on
water.
The Gospel writers often used a set up to hit us with a “moral
of the story.” It was fairly standard story telling technique in those days.
Brace yourself, here it is, “That’s because they hadn’t understood about the loaves.
Their minds had been closed so that they resisted God’s ways.” [Mark 6:52 CEB] Hard hearts and closed minds keep us
from understanding. They leave us “rowing against the wind” and “terrified”
when God shows up.
Big finish! I think God is telling us to “expect the
unexpected.” But shouldn’t we be rowing against the wind? At least it makes us
feel like we are doing something.
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