MARK 6:45-51
OBEDIENCE: THE KEY TO THE
MIRACULOUS
The miraculous account of Jesus
walking on the Sea of Galilee appears in the three gospels of not only Mark but
Matthew and John as well. It does not appear in Luke, however. Examining a
harmony of the gospels can be fascinating (and perhaps might make you think too
much). The first three gospels are similar in many aspects, but John is
drastically different; that is why the first three are referred to as the
Synoptic Gospels. Often, reading the same account in different gospels, we can
quickly realize that perspectives were vastly different among the authors. Much
of the material in Matthew and Luke was likely borrowed from Mark; the same
accounts are often verbatim. There are multiple theories on where the added
material in Matthew and Luke came from, one of which is the Q theory, which
promotes that the common added material in Matthew and Luke came from a source
(or possibly a plurality of sources) called Q. Another theory called the
two-source theory suggests that the added material which is not common to both
Matthew and Luke came from their own sources, which have been creatively named
by scholars as M and L. * Note the sarcasm. * The account we are going to
examine here is common to Mark, Matthew, and John. I believe, however, Mark, who
was essentially Peter’s scribe, often gets to the heart of the matter in his
accounts so I have chosen to utilize his account of this story.
Jesus performed numerous miracles
during his ministry on this earth, many of which have not even been recorded. His
miracle of walking on the water in Mark’s gospel imperatives that we must
adhere to if we desire to see the miraculous in our own lives and in the lives
of those around us. I will never say that miracles do not exist anymore. There
are those who believe miracles do not exist anymore, but I believe the same God
who walked on the water nearly 2,000 years ago is still capable of the
miraculous today; I have also personally seen miracles happen. God is not
limited, but we often limit miracles by not believing. In this gospel account,
there are four imperatives we need to notice, understand, and live by if we
desire to see the miraculous.
Mark 6:45-51 (ESV)
Jesus
Walks on the Water
45 Immediately he made his disciples get
into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he
dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them,
he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came,
the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 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, 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 And he got into the boat
with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,
The Miraculous Occurs
through Christ (v. 45)
The first imperative is that the
miraculous occurs through Christ and only through Christ. It could be easy to
glance over verse 45, but we should observe the fact that Jesus made his
disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side; he forced them
(if you will). John’s gospel presents the scene as Jesus hurrying his disciples
because the crowd was going to take him by force. Mark, however, gives more of
an authoritative presence to Jesus.[1]
After feeding five-thousand men, Jesus
made his disciples go and dismissed the crowd. We need to understand that
miracles are never of ourselves. Even biblical figures other than Jesus who
performed miracles did so not of themselves. Paul raised a man from the dead
not in his own power. The Lord God, Jesus Christ has all authority (Matt
28:18). Why then do we live life as if there is no living God with all
authority and make feeble attempts in our own meaningless power.
Jesus displays his authority here and makes his disciples
get into the boat, and they obeyed. Had they not obeyed, they would have missed
the miracle. Had they tried to do things according to their own plans, they
would have missed the miracle. How many miracles have we missed because we
selfishly defer to our own plans and desires rather than live in obedience to
Jesus Christ? If we do not die to ourselves and live in obedience to Christ, we
will never see the miraculous because it only occurs through Jesus.
The Miraculous Occurs
through Prayer (v. 46)
The second imperative is that the
miraculous occurs through prayer. How can we be in tune to see Jesus work
miracles through us if the miracle of transformation is not already being
worked in us, i.e. a crucial part of living life aligned with the miraculous
work of Christ is to know him through prayer. Jesus himself, God the Son, went
onto the mountain to pray with his Father immediately after performing the
miracle of feeding five-thousand men, not counting the women and children; let
that sink in. Even after being so aligned with the will of the Father that he
was able to feed five-thousand men by multiplying five loaves of bread and two
fish, Jesus himself still needed to pray. There seems to be a disconnect in our
churches between prayer and action. We should never act until we have prayed.
Often, we strive to satisfy our own goals and desires and then ask God to bless
it when he is telling us to pray first and then act upon the leadership of the
Holy Spirit. If we do not know God, if we do not commune with him continuously,
and if we do not seek his kingdom and righteousness first, we will never see
the miraculous.
The Miraculous Can Be
Difficult (vv. 47-50a)
Thirdly, the miraculous can be
difficult. It doesn’t just happen. For the disciples to see the miracle happen,
they had to first face a storm. Perhaps many of us are facing storms right now.
A miracle might or might not happen, but it certainly won’t happen if the storm
causes us to lose our faith in the one who controls the wind and rain. There
are times when we must toil to see the miraculous. This is not something
churches like to discuss. We are not perfect; our faith is not perfect; and our
sanctification process often requires work that we do not want to do. Jesus
never promised an easy life for Christians. On the contrary, we are guaranteed
difficulty.
Besides the difficulties we may face
as the result of being Christians, if we are honest, often, it is also
difficult to obey. Jesus commanded the disciples to get into the boat while he
went onto the mountain to pray. I think the disciples might have wondered what
he was doing when Jesus was not with them and a storm came; they might have
wondered why Jesus had given such a command. At that moment, it was probably
difficult to obey. Even when they saw the miracle of Jesus walking on the
water, they were terrified; they thought it was a ghost because they could not
explain it. There are times when God calls us to actions that are difficult and
that might not make sense. Consider biblical examples of God’s calling and how
often it made sense. Rarely (if ever) did it make sense. If we are not careful,
in our Western minds, we can wrongly believe that if an action is God’s will,
he will absolutely provide and take care of us (at least according to our
standards). What if God calls you to a closed country and his entire purpose is
for you to die as a martyr? Did he take care of you? Was it God’s will? Yes and
yes. John Piper would say that risk is right. When it is reasoned out, we might
take risks to obey (at least in our minds), but God does not take risks. For
him to take risks would imply that he is not in control. For that reason then,
we should understand our obedience not necessarily as a risk (although we may
not know what is ahead) but rather as a commitment. Sometimes we must go
through difficulties and difficult decisions before we see the miraculous.
Notice the expectation of Jesus and the surprise of the
disciples. Jesus was taking a casual stroll on the water and meant to pass by
them (v. 48); the disciples, contrarily, were afraid of what they could not
explain. Perhaps we don’t see the miraculous because we don’t expect it. If we
truly believe God can do anything and that he is the same yesterday, today, and
forever, why then do we not expect him to do anything? The greatest miracle of
all is the salvation of wretched sinners through the mediation of Christ and
his atoning sacrifice on the cross; yet, a miracle (such as healing or
financial provision when we have no clue where it will come from) is something
that utterly shocks us. We must acknowledge God’s sovereign control in all
circumstances and act according to his will and the Holy Spirit’s guidance no
matter how difficult it may be. Then and only then will we see the miraculous.
The Miraculous
Demands Obedience (vv. 50b-51)
The fourth imperative (and a common
theme throughout this scripture) is obedience. The miraculous demands
obedience. After the terror the disciples faced, Jesus commands them to take
heart and not be afraid. Then they were astounded (v. 51). They had to obey
first though. How many miracles do we miss because of our lack of obedience? Obedience
is not an option but an obligation if we want to see the miraculous occur. The
key then to the miraculous is obedience. Obedience speaks volumes to our love
of God, to our commitment to him, and to our understanding of who he is and who
we are in him. The miraculous demands obedience because Jesus demands
obedience.
What miracle is God working in your life right now? You may
not be raising anyone from the dead (although God can still do that), but if
God is working in your life, you are an example of a miracle. The fact that you
are his child is a miracle so do you see evidence of his work in your life. If
not, why? Obedience is the key to the miraculous.
[1] R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on
the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids,
MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2002), 271.
