45 Immediately [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. 49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; 50 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.” 51 Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:45-52)
Almighty God, you tell us in your holy word that “16 All scripture is inspired by [you] and is useful for teaching…for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to [you] may be …equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16) O Lord, in the speaking, hearing and responding to your word today, make it so. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Back in 2001 a new stunt and dare game show originated on NBC called Fear Factor. Maybe some of you remember that, or have seen an episode or two. Maybe there are some fans of the show here? I remember seeing it when it first came out, and I admit I was intrigued by what people were willing to do for money. I was surprised to recently learn that it’s beginning its 9thseason, but it has now moved to the MTV network.
Well, the premise of this show is that it pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a grand prize of $50,000. The host tells the viewers, and I quote: “The stunts you’re about to see were all designed and supervised by trained professionals. They are extremely dangerous and should not be attempted by anyone, anywhere, anytime.”1
He goes on to say:
“Imagine a world where your greatest fears become reality. Welcome to Fear Factor. … These stunts are designed to challenge the contestants both physically and mentally. If the contestant is too afraid to complete a stunt, they’re eliminated. If they fail a stunt, they’re eliminated. But if they succeed, they will one step closer to the grand prize, $50,000.”2
On this show people have jumped from one building to another and hung upside from helicopters. They have eaten living bugs and immersed themselves in containers of spiders and snakes. And they’ve completed stunts involving heights, water, and vehicles the likes of which we only see in action films.3
I wonder, did the contestants only do it for the money? Was that the only prize? Or was it for other reasons as well? Did they want to conquer their fears? Confront their doubts? Push themselves beyond their limits and be all that they can be? Looking at it this way, no wonder why so many over so many years have said, “Challenge Accepted!”
Well the Bible has its own share of stories about people placed in improbable situations, against great odds, who face their fears and are better for it. Although the rewards aren’t financial, they’re life-changing. Today’s scripture includes one such story. And since most of Jesus’ ministry took place on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, many of these types of stories include water.
Our text today is rare. In the three year cycle of the lectionary—a prescribed rotation of scripture—we don’t encounter it. The other, more popular Jesus-and-the-disciples-on-a-boat stories make the cut but this one doesn’t. It’s why I wanted to share it with you today- it’s unusual, even a little perplexing. But I believe it offers us some powerful lessons as well: it demonstrates that while discipleship isn’t easy, God use our challenges, and especially our doubts, to grow our faith.
What makes this Jesus-and-the-disciples-on-a-boat-story different? Let’s review. This story takes place after Jesus takes five loaves and two fish and feeds five thousand. Right after this we hear:
45 Immediately [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
Jesus “made his disciples get into the boat and go to the other side.” He commanded, not suggested or recommended, the disciples get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake without him. As Jesus has shown us before, a pattern of work and rest, doing and being, after feeding five thousand he needs to, wants to, be alone with God in prayer. And, I believe, he wants to provide an opportunity for his disciples to learn a few important lessons.
The scripture goes on to say:
47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and [Jesus] was alone on the land. 48 When he saw that [the disciples] were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by.
Now I’m not sure what stands out to you—Jesus walking on water is certainly remarkable! But the statement that most catches my attention is “Jesus intended to pass them by.” What?! We don’t see that in other Jesus-and-the-disciples-on-a boat stories! How can that be? What does that mean?
Let’s explore this a bit more. The disciples begin their trip during the day, but the trip lasts through the night. They’ve been in the boat a long time. I wonder what they talked about on the way?
How could they begin to process how Jesus was able to take five loaves and two fish and feed five thousand—with twelve baskets of leftovers besides? All he did was take the bread, bless the bread, and break the bread—but somehow such a small amount fed so many. Is it any wonder that somewhere along the way, late into the night, the further they were from Jesus back on land, they begin to “strain at the oars against in adverse wind.” And unlike the other Jesus-and-the-disciples-on-a-boat stories, this isn’t exactly a storm. It’s an adverse wind.
An adverse wind. Winds that were in opposition to the disciple’s purpose—getting to the other side of the lake as Jesus commanded. The disciples are trying to do what Jesus asked them to do, to be good disciples, but they’re facing some challenges along the way. Doubts begin to creep in. Maybe they’re thinking: “Who is Jesus? How can he do these things? Why are we on this lake in the middle of the night by ourselves while he’s back on land? Does he care about us the way he does for those people back there?” I can just imagine their fears escalating as their doubts deepen, and each pull on the oars seems harder than the last.
Maybe some of you here today are facing an adverse wind, an opposing force. You’re struggling to make faithful decisions in your life, at work, at home, in your relationships. Even at church.
You’re struggling to adjust to a new Pastor.
You’re struggling to be faithful in your commitments to your church.
Maybe like me, you’re transitioning into a new position and you’re trying to balance work and family.
You’re paddling into the wind. Swimming upstream. You’re exhausted with the effort and you don’t seem to be getting anywhere. Maybe, like the disciples, you’re wondering why does it have to be so hard? Where is God in the midst of all of this? Is it even worth it?
The quick answer is a resounding yes- it’s worth it- and God is closer than you can imagine! In fact God is willing to surmount any obstacle to draw near to you!
Let’s return to our scripture. It says:
48 When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea.
Oh! This is so important- don’t miss it! Jesus saw the disciples struggling, and he came near them! He even walked across the water to do so! That’s why he walked across the water- to be close to them in their time of need. In this one act Jesus demonstrates his divinity and his compassion for his disciples. These Jewish men were raised understanding that God dwelled in the temple, and only the high priest could draw near to God.
And here is Jesus, walking on water, just like the “Spirit of God swept over the face of the [chaotic] waters” (Gen. 1:2) in the ancient well-known creation story. Jesus is ready and so willing to help them, to recreate them, if only they ask.
And that’s why I believe he intended to pass them by. He wants so much for the disciples to realize who he is—fully God and fully man—and cry out to him for help. Not because Jesus has a fragile ego, but because by admitting their need and calling out to God for help, it strengthens their faith! Jesus knows that when we call out to God to help us overcome our doubts and fears, when we adjust our beliefs and understandings in light of new and sometimes frightening situations, our faith in God can grow by leaps and bounds!
But alas, the disciples don’t do that. Their situation goes from bad to worse. It’s all just too much for them. The story continues:
49 …when [the disciples] saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; 50 for they all saw him and were terrified….forthey did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
They must have recognized who it was, but they just couldn’t understand what they were seeing—that Jesus had come near to help them instead of harm them. That God cares about the 5,000 and the few.
They had hardened hearts—the same term that Mark used earlier in his gospel to describe the Pharisees, and a term used frequently in the Old Testament to describe “an active resistance, or opposition, against God and his ways.”4 Did you catch that word—opposition—just like the adverse or opposing winds. Perhaps, the winds the disciples are facing in this story are a new way of understanding who God is, and who they are in relationship to God, and instead of embracing it, they struggle against it.
If you’re feeling a bit convicted here today, and are wondering if you, too, have a hardened heart, you’re not alone. Having hardened hearts, or some resistance to God, occasionally doubting who God is and the work God is trying to accomplish, is a human condition. Some might call it sin. Even Paul speaks of this inner conflict in Romans and says, “I don’t do the good I wantto do, but the evil I don’t wantto do” (Romans 7:19). So what can we do? Is there any hope for us?
Yes! Before I’m done here today I want you to know that I firmly believe there’s hope for both you and me when we find ourselves overcome with doubts and fears, straining against adverse winds, with hardened hearts. Because look what happens next in our story today. While Jesus is willing to let the disciples “strain against an adverse wind,” when he sees outright panic set in, his love and compassion for his disciples lead him to “immediately” speak these words of comfort and peace:
“Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Then Jesus gets in the boat, and the winds immediately cease. No wonder the disciples are “utterly astounded.” They might have been thinking, “This Jesus, who seems to be both God and man, cares even for us.” And they would be right. While it took awhile for them to fully comprehend what that meant, and there would be backsliding, I believe the doubt they experienced out there on the Sea of Galilee that night grew their faith.
Friends, if Jesus would do that for the disciples, that vagabond bunch, he will certainly do it for you and for me. We will all face times of fear and doubt, when life throws us into unexpected and frightening situations. It’s how we respond that makes all the difference. Will we use the adverse winds to fill our sails or strain at the oars against it? My hope and prayer is that we will grow closer to God during these times by looking to Jesus “the author and perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). May he speak words of peace and comfort to your souls, even this day, so that you may be bold to say through faith: “fear is no longer a factor for [me].”5