Anchor My Faith

Establishing a Fearful Situation

Scripture: Matthew 14:24, 26; Mark 6:47-48; John 6:16-19

We ended the previous lesson wondering how Jesus was going to rejoin his disciples. Before we find out we need to consider the location of the feeding of the 5000. Luke 9:10 informs us that the feeding occurred at or near Bethsaida. However, in Mark 6:45, Jesus sends his disciples, by boat, to Bethsaida. Then in Mark 6:53, it tells us that they crossed over to Gennesaret or was it Capernaum. This creates a very difficult problem. On the surface we seem to have an error. There are suggestions about solving the problem, but we have lost the details of why Mark recorded what he did. It is interesting to read about possible explanations and see maps that relate.

^{Jn 6:16} “When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.” This would have been the time when Jesus sent the disciples away without him, leaving him to dismiss the crowds, and spend some time in prayer. The disciples are on their way to Capernaum not to Bethsaida, which is where Luke tells us that the feeding took place.

As the disciples spent time in the boat, traveling toward Capernaum, ^{Jn 6:18} “The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. ^{Mt 14:24} The boat by this time was a long way from the land, ^{Mk 6:47} out on the sea, ^{Mt 14:24} beaten by the waves. ^{Mk 6:47} [Jesus] was alone on the land ⁴⁸ and saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.”

As the higher land around the sea cooled in the evening, the warm moist air over the sea began to rise and the cool air of the surrounding land began to move down to the water surface through valleys between the hills, causing at first a gentle breeze which grew into a strong wind as temperature difference increased. This wind caused the sea to become rough as the disciples continued to row across the sea. (Link to a good description of this with photo)

Enough time had gone by to allow the disciples to be a long way from land where the wind was strong, causing the waves to beat against the boat. As the disciples struggled against the worsening conditions, Jesus was alone on the land and understood that the disciples were having a problem making any headway. Jesus had waited for conditions to become fearful in the boat so that he could continue with his plan.

I have often wondered if Jesus enjoyed doing things to his disciples like they are soon going to experience. ^{Jn 6:19} “When [the disciples] had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat.” Put your self in the boat, which was a small boat because they were rowing it and consider how you would feel in the darkness of night as the waves tried to capsize the boat. Maybe lightening provided enough light for you to now see a figure of a man walking on the surface of the water, coming closer and closer to you. How are you feeling now?

^{Mk 6:48} “He meant to pass by them, ^{Mt 14:26} but when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.” At this point, the disciples didn’t know it was Jesus and thought the figure to be a ghost and they, along with you, cry out in fear, terrified over what might soon happen. What kind of power does one have to be able to walk on the surface of a rough sea? This uncertainty along with the danger from the waves results in a very stressful situation.

We will leave the disciples, and you who are in the boat with them, to deal with your stress until our next lesson. Remember, you haven’t yet heard Paul’s teaching on “Be not anxious,” so you don’t have that promise to claim and you haven’t yet learned that faith in Jesus can overcome fear.

Conclusion

Jesus allowed a stressful situation to develop with his disciples before coming to join them and help them. How often does God allow you to experience a difficult situation and how do you respond? Father there may be readers who find themselves in the midst of a difficult situation. I pray that they will soon meet Jesus there and understand the lesson that he is about to teach them.