“Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. And after He had taken leave of them, He went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and He was alone on the land. And He saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’ And He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.“
(Mark 6:45-52 ESV)
This story always makes me laugh. Why in the world would Jesus walk past the boat? It sounds like Jesus is out for a casual stroll across the lake, and maybe He’ll just wave at the disciples as He passes them up on the way to the other side!
Compare that attitude with the poor disciples. They’re terrified! They’re having trouble with the boat, it’s three or four o’clock in the morning, and now they think they’re seeing a ghost. Of course they freak out.
Mark says, “They didn’t understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” I think He means they didn’t recognize who they were dealing with. The same God who took a few loaves of bread and fed thousands of people with them—well, He can certainly go for a stroll on the lake if He wants!
But they’d been living with Jesus for months by now. They’d seen Him eat; they’d seen Him sleep; they’d talked and prayed and lived entirely human lives with Him. And they forgot who He was.
But maybe there’s more to it than that—because the miracle of the bread was more than just a chance for God to show off. It shows us God’s heart. Jesus did it to help hungry people with a long walk home ahead of them.
So what about this miracle—this walking-on-water thing? What does that mean?
This time Jesus is making it clear that there is nowhere His people can go that He won’t find them. If we are in trouble, absolutely He will come to us—and it doesn’t matter if He has to walk on water to get to us. He knows our needs and our worries and our fears, and He comes to us every time—because He loves us.
What should we expect? After all, He came to us when we were in such deep trouble before—broken people under the power of death and evil. Of course He became our Savior! That’s the kind of God He is—one who even lays down His life to save His people, and then rise again. Why? So that we who trust Him will also live with Him forever. That’s Jesus for you.
We Pray: Lord, when I’m in trouble, come to me and help me! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on July 25, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. Have you ever tried to walk on water?
2. Name another miracle Jesus did. What does that miracle tell you about His heart?
3. When have you been in trouble and Jesus came to you?