After feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish, Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him in a boat as he dismissed the crowds. Later that evening after he had prayed, he begins walking on the water and catches up with them because the wind is against them. When they see Jesus, they immediately think they are seeing a ghost and scream out in fear. Jesus speaks, gets into the boat, and the wind immediately ceases. As profound and miraculous as that story is, it is the side-note at the end that raises an interesting question. Mark says the disciples were astounded “for they did not understand about the loaves.” So somehow there is a connection between Jesus coming to them walking on the water and the feeding of the five thousand. They don’t get the connection. What is it? What is the lesson of the loaves that Jesus uses the sea event to help drive the point home?
The answer may in fact be found before the story about the loaves. Earlier in the same chapter Jesus had sent out the disciples to preach, heal, and cast out unclean spirits. He had given them the authority, and their mission was extremely successful! Then Jesus asked them to do something else miraculous, feed five thousand people. They couldn’t do it. Jesus did. Indeed, Jesus fed the multitude to such a degree that there were enough leftovers for each disciple to have his own basket full. Now Jesus asks them to do something one would think very easy to do. Row a boat to the other side of the sea. They couldn’t do that either.
After you go about healing people and casting out demons everywhere, you may begin to think you can do anything. The truth is though, you can’t do anything, the mundane or the miraculous without Jesus! That’s the lesson of the loaves!
That's good, Bro.Wil, I didn't see that at all, but I can imagine that post-successful-short-term-mission disciples just might need that reminder!
ReplyDeleteI was imagining Peter telling these stories to Mark, dictating them maybe. I can see the "character development" in Peter from his self-confident leadership among the 12, to the later time when he is telling this story.
Mark: So, this is the time Jesus fed the crowd of over 5000 people? I thought that you said it was 4000?
Peter: No, that comes later.
Mark: Jesus did that miracle twice?!! Okay. But after the 5000 are fed, Jesus walks on the water, you all think He's a ghost and are terrified, and then He calms the Sea of Galilee. But, didn't He calm the Sea one other time?
Peter: Yes, but He was in the boat with us to start with that time. He was sleeping when the storm started.
Mark: He did that miracle twice, too? Are you sure you're remembering these in the right order and they both happened twice?
Peter: Yes. I'm remembering it correctly. I think He repeated a lot of things because we just didn't get it the first time. I didn't, anyway. Now after that part about the wind ceasing I want you to write, "they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand. . ."
Mark: Okay, I've got that down.
Peter: And, well, you'd better add, "but their hearts were hardened."
Mark: You had hard hearts after all you had seen?? Sure wish I could have been there.
Peter: Well, MAYBE you would have been quicker to believe that Jesus really was God, but I was awfully slow.
Mark: Aren't you going to put in the part about your walking on the water to meet Jesus? Now that is a great story!!
Peter: No, I'll leave that story out. It wasn't really something to brag about, you know. I almost drowned because my faith was so small. No, this story is about HIM, after all.
Mark: Are you sure you want to put in the part about all of your hearts being so hard and stubborn? Even at that point in those 3 years?
Peter: Yes. I'm certain that I need to give all of the believers who read this account that warning. It is so easy to have a hard, unbelieving heart. They'll need the warning.