This text is all about contrary winds - really opposition; those things that come into our lives and make us wonder if we will EVER get anything accomplished.
What kinds of contrary winds did Jesus face? Mark’s gospel (v.1) tells us that Jesus had just been rejected in his home town, Nazareth. It’s rough when your kinfolk and neighbors won’t accept you.
Jesus had national problems too (6.7). King Herod had put Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist to death, and he wasn’t too happy about Jesus’ ministry. Another contrary wind was the difficulty of Jesus’ popularity (6.31). He couldn’t get a day off.
Perhaps the most contrary of the winds facing Jesus was within his own camp. His disciples had so little faith, every time Jesus wanted to demonstrate His Lordship over this world, it was his own followers that gave him the most grief. It is said that Walt Disney was such a visionary that he would only give his time and energy to a project if his ENTIRE board of directors was unanimously AGAINST the idea. He must have gotten the idea from Jesus!
Life is indeed an uphill battle! Family life, career, school, relationships, ministry - it is all a daily, living, breathing challenge to keep things under control. It is sometimes tempting to adopt the philosophy according to Murphy: WHATEVER CAN POSSIBLY GO WRONG WILL...GRIN AND BEAR IT!
If we applied that to ministry it would be really simple to focus on the fact of current contrary winds; we could focus on the obstacles to ministry -- never enough money for projects, never enough volunteers, sickness, time constraints -- the lack of interest the community seems to have towards church. Contrary winds!
On the home front the contrary winds have caused many folks to give up on marriage (it doesn’t last), fidelity (everybody else does it), loyalty (nobody’s gonna look out for #1 - I got to!), and integrity (so what if it is cheating - those big companies won’t miss my little bit).
Even when it comes to the Bible there are contrary winds of criticism and doubt. Some quite liberal commentators say Jesus really didn’t walk on the water in this account. It is proposed that He walked along the shoreline, and the boat the disciples were in had drifted close to the shore in the fog.
Some say that the water at that part of the lake was only ankle-deep, and it just looked like Jesus was walking, while He was really wading. Well, the Bible itself (not what I THINK about the Bible), says that the boat was in the "middle" of the lake. It wasn’t close to shore. And Jesus "climbed into the boat." That would’ve been difficult if He was on the shoreline, and they were in the middle of that huge lake. And if the water was only ankle deep, how in the world could a boat, large enough to hold a dozen fully-grown fishermen/disciples be tossed around in a storm with water only 3 inches deep? They must’ve been some pretty "wimpy" fishermen!
No, beloved, this was a real storm in a raging sea, and a real Christ, walking on deep, deeply troubled waters. I submit that if God MADE those waters in the first place, He could WALK on them, or UNDER them, or He could PART them and make a dry path through the water. And if He wanted to He could’ve done like He’s going to do....He’ll make the waters and all of heaven and earth flee from His very presence (Rev 20.11).
Contrary to the contrary nature of doubt, this is a miracle! Jesus walked on the water. And it tells us something about our own problems with contrary winds.
The main question is, "WHO’S IN CONTROL?"
Let’s notice four realities about the incident of the disciples’ problems with contrary winds, and how our own contrary winds have an answer... Have you got any problems?
#1. JESUS WAS THE ONE WHO COMPELLED THEM INTO THE CONTRARY WINDS Mark 6.45,46
Immediately, the question comes as to why Jesus would have sent the disciples on ahead. He most always travelled with them. Well, we know that Jesus took time to pray (and the text says this too 6.46). But it seems the likelier probability is that after the feeding of five thousand men and their family with only a few loaves and fishes, there was a move on to elevate Jesus to an earthly king. This wasn’t in Jesus’ plans, and He certainly didn’t want his fledgling protoges to get mixed-up in the commotion.
So Jesus sent (literally "FORCED") them by boat to the next stop. The NIV says, "made," while the KJV "constrained" is closer to translating a verb which can have the meaning of accomplishing something by force....but out of deeply-felt conviction. Did Jesus know something here? Was there something in this little boat ride that the disciples were going to need to face?
In John Bunyan’s "Pilgrim’s Progress," one scene has the main character, Christian, brought by Interpreter to a wall, where fire is blazing from a grate. A man is trying to douse the fire with water. Then Interpreter shows Christian the other side of the wall, where another man is secretly pouring oil on the fire to keep it going. This is Bunyan’s classic picture of the work of God in our lives. Satan attempts to put out the fire of our spiritual life, but secretly, quietly, behind the scenes, God’s Spirit keeps pouring on the oil. Jesus compelled the disciples out into the stormy water because He could see the other side of the wall. He knows what we need, what we must face.
Some Christians revel in the fact that everything is going right in their lives. Beloved, that may not be the sign of God’s blessing on you. It may simply be that you’re not willing to get in the boat and get involved with where He’s trying to take you.
Sometimes the fact that you have no conflict, no mountain to climb, no battle to wage, is because in the Army of the Lord, you may be AWOL! The opposite is also true - great problms do not indicate God’s displeasure. Do you remember Job? Job had everything go wrong in his life; that didn’t mean God was ticked at him. And neither does a quiet, absence of conflicts mean God is blessing.
Some people have much, and some little.
Some people live in turmoil, others seem so serene.
Some people have great affliction, and others
incredibly healthy.
Must we draw the same, rigid conclusions in all cases? Or should we recognize that SOMETIMES Jesus compels us into the storms - those contrary winds that will teach, or condition or strengthen. It is this thought alone that allows us to say with the apostle, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8.28 [NIV]
#2. JESUS COMPREHENDED THEIR TROUBLES
Mark 6.47,48a
It stands to reason and logic that if Jesus was the one that sent the disciples into that storm, He also understood what was going to happen to them. He "saw" them. The word comes from the same root as "know," which, in the Bible, means more than knowledge, having as much the sense of same experience. Jesus understood fully what was happening to the disciples. He saw them "straining at the oars." This word "straining" has its’ basis in what we would call a torturous test. By this time (the fourth watch), between 3am and 6am, the disciples had been fighting the contrary winds of this storm for 6-10 hours.
There is an old song, "No One Understands Like Jesus." It has a line that says, "When the days are dark and grim; no one is so near, so dear as Jesus, Cast your ev’ry care on him."
How does He know, understand my troubles? My friend, Jesus knows your troubles, and my troubles because He has been there. Just like He could see beforehand that the disciples NEEDED to be out on that storm-tossed lake to learn to trust Him fully, HE knew what was happening. Just like He could know me from before the foundation of the earth, and write my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life; like He could look down through the annals of existance, and see the need of my heart, my life - He knows your battle with contrary winds too!
#3. JESUS CAME TO THEM IN THEIR TROUBLE Mark 6.48b-50a
Well, of course! A God who gets you into the kind of trouble you need, and understands all about that trouble, is also going to come to you IN that trouble.
There is an important usage of the words here. The phrase "went out to them" is characterized by the middle voice in Greek. It is only used of the present, or imperfect tense; which simply means there is no end to the action. Jesus went to them, and kept on going to them. He didn’t stop! And He never stops. Whenever you’ve got problems, there’s no stopping Jesus. If He has to, He’ll even walk on water to get to you!
#4. JESUS CONFIRMED THEIR FAITH IN HIM Mark 6.50b-51
When Jesus said, "It is I. Don’t be afraid," he actually used the well-known phrase, "I AM." What problem do you have right now? What fears do you face? Is life fairly a struggle, and more than a little overwhelming? If God were standing next to you right now, telling you not to be afraid, to "cool it" - "chill-out," would you find it easier to get up tomorrow? Well, He is! There is one more in this room than the ushers counted today. His name is Jesus, "I AM."
The disciples at times wondered about this strange rabbi they followed. But when this man (they thought they’d seen a ghost) climbed into the boat, and the winds ceased, and the sea began to calm, and the noise stopped, they realized what you and I need to see, and adopt for our lives: WHEN JESUS IS HERE YOU HAVE ALL YOU NEED!
What winds are against you right now? What peace do you need? You and I can be so like the disciples. The last verse of this text (6.52)tells us that the disciples were amazed. It was because they hadn’t understood, their hearts were hardened. The word is por.os’ meaning "stoney". Stone cold hearts -spiritually morose!
That has a parallel in our own hearts. Physically our hearts are designed with a paper-thin lining called the perricardium. It is a membrane designed to surround the heart, protecting it. Sometimes that membrane thickens, and constricts the heart, reducing its ability to function by 90% or more. Life becomes short and miserable. A surgeon can take a scalpel, open your chest, slit that overly thick perricardium, and instantly the heart begins to beat vitally, strongly.
You and I can be so like the disciples...hardhearted against the plans and blessings of God’s leadership. Without faith, we build walls around our lives, our hearts. We simply won’t take courage, and take our hands off.
What winds are against you? Have you found yourself in the middle of the storm? Is life’s sea rough? Answer the questions....
Are you willing to look past the winds, ignore the noise and the waves of your troubles?
Are you willing to look to the Jesus who wants to come to you? Are you willing to let go of the safety of that boat you’ve built for yourself?
Are you ready to stop the ceaseless rowing against the contrary winds of life and job and relationships...and let Jesus calm the storm in you?
God is behind the storm...God understands your storm...God comes to you in your storm, and He can put the storm to rest if you’ll trust Him. Remember that, beloved!.. ...
