When I was twelve years old I received an early Christmas present. It was early because as soon as school was out for Christmas break our family was traveling from our Indiana home and headed south to the Florida Keys.
My Christmas present was Water Walkers! They were like little rafts worn like shoes for your feet. These inflatable shoes called “water walkers” would enable anyone to walk on water, they claimed.
I thought I would walk on water. I pictured myself with these water walkers on my feet cruising the swimming area along the beach.
When we finally reached the beach I inflated my water walkers and put them on my feet. Everything was like I envisioned. Lots of people on the beach to see me walk on water. I put on these water walkers and I was going across the water just like the Apostle Peter. I mean the part where he sank.
I continually sank and my water walkers kept coming off my feet. It takes the power of God to walk on water.
Mark 6: 45-52
45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46 After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.
47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” 51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.
This account of Jesus walking on the water is directly linked to Jesus feeding the five thousand which was linked to Jesus sending out the twelve to preach repentance. They got back from their journey tired Jesus puts disciples in the boat to get away for some rest and refreshment.
When they get to their destination they find that the crowd beat them there. Jesus looks on the multitude with compassion like a sheep without a shepherd. Jesus teaches them and feeds them and this leads us to vs 45
45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away.
Jesus sends the disciples across the lake. We find out why in the gospel of John 6:14-15.
14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.
After Jesus fed them they were going to make him king by force. Jesus resisted temptation in the wilderness. Jesus was on God’s timetable not the agenda of an overzealous crowd that were moved more by getting their needs met than the truth of Jesus words.
Jesus put his disciples in a boat and sent across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus dismissed the crowd and he himself got alone on the mountainside to pray. This is a challenge to our personal call to prayer. Time and time again we find Jesus having concentrated times of prayer with his heavenly Father.
Jesus never went to his disciples until sometime between 3:00-6:00 AM (the fourth watch). Jesus spent concentrated extended times in prayer and his life challenges us. If Jesus needed to pray this much how much more do we?
The already wearied disciples find themselves in the boat trying to cross. I can almost envision them arguing back and forth, four of them seasoned fishermen as their irritation level rises. They had been rowing for hours and getting nowhere.
Jesus left his time of prayer to go to his disciples in their time of need. Jesus did a miracle. He walked to them on the water! Amazing! Some of Jesus worst critics probably claim he walked on water only because he could not swim.
When the disciples saw him they were terrified. They thought they were seeing a ghost. They had not learned the lesson they just experienced when Jesus fed the five thousand. The disciples still really did not understand. But they were about to see a lesson of Christ demonstrating who he really is they couldn’t forget.
He said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Jesus is using Old Testament language asserting his Deity. This is the language of the “I Am’ phrase used when God said to Moses tell them “I am” sent you. (Exodus 3:14)
Jesus said it is I, The I Am, Jesus is a man and Jesus is God. Only Matthews account gives the familiar account of Peter, “bid me to come” Peter said if it is you Lord tell me to come out on the water. Jesus said come and Peter walked on water. Peter got out of the boat walked on water. Saw the wind got afraid and sank.
Jesus said, “You of little faith,” “why did you doubt?” This is literally divided loyalties. Christ did not rebuke Peter for wanting to walk on water only for losing faith. Christ grieves when our loyalties become divided.
Christ is not rebuking us for attempting too much, but only for trusting him too little. Peter’s downfall was letting his attention off of Christ and on to the potential trouble at hand.
Jesus wants to demonstrate his power through you. He wants you to expect great things. He wants you to attempt great things. Faith is an important aspect for Jesus to do his miracles.
Trust him, God delights when you take a step of faith. It is a call to be a risk taker. All of us are called to step out in faith. Faith is in the one who is worthy, Jesus Christ. We are saved by faith.
When we acknowledge our sin before God, turn from our sin and trust in Christ. Then we put aside divided loyalties and walk by faith. Jesus miracles point to his divine nature. They tell us He is God. Why have divided loyalties?
Jesus calls us to faith:
Mark 2:5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 4:40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
As a believer in Jesus you are called to walk by faith not by sight. Are you focused completely on Christ or are your loyalties divided? What do you see wind or the Lord?
