Mark Study 30
The One Who Walks On Water
Mark Study #30 by Michael Spencer
Step into the study, pour yourself a cup of coffee, get comfortable and let's enjoy the Gospel of Mark.
Our scripture again this week is Mark 6: 45-56 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,
50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,
52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.
54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.
55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
56 And wherever he went--into villages, towns or countryside--they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
I love the X-Files. As a philosopher, I see a great epistemological struggle in almost every episode. Mulder's openness to a worldview that includes the supernatural (or at least, the unknown and little understood) versus Scully's scientific positivism and natural skepticism. It sets up many interesting and entertaining episodes, as these two very different characters experience the same events, yet interpret them in line with their underlying presuppositions. When I read Mark 6:45-56, I can't help but wonder how Mulder and Scully would interpret this incident. Mulder would sense that something existed in the person Jesus that was beyond the normal; powers and abilities that bent and defied the normal laws of physics. Scully would be looking for rocks just below the surface of the water or drugs in the disciple's bloodstreams. Mark, however, has a greater truth in mind than either the possibility of the weird or the certainty of the explainable. As always, Mark is unveiling the identity of Jesus and the nature of real faith in him. To see this, we need more than Mulder and Scully; we need the illumination of the Spirit. Otherwise, it all simply appears bizarre.
The causal student may say that this story simply repeats another, namely Mark 4:35-41. There may be some relationships here, but this is certainly a different story. Schweizer mentions that some form critics believe this is a misplaced account of a resurrection appearance, but there is no evidence for this at all. It is quite intentionally related to the previous material. That is not to say, however, that the passage does not bear evidence that Mark is adapting the story into his Gospel for certain purposes important to him, namely to portray the disciple's unbelief and lack of comprehension regarding Jesus, whose identity is increasingly unfolded for the reader. The final result is enigmatic on some levels, but finally beautiful and powerful.
"Immediately..." Mark's favorite word takes us out of the feeding of the five thousand and into a very strange, and obviously quite intentional, boat trip for the disciples. The original language keeps a sense of urgency in the NIV's "made", leaving several commentators to say that Jesus must be reacting to something Mark hasn't told us about, namely some sort of spontaneous effort to make Jesus a king or political messiah. This is one of the elements John adds to his use of this story in John 6:15. Mark does tell us that Jesus has dismissed the crowd, sent the disciples away from the crowd and himself, and gone away for a time of personal prayer. It seems that something is "in the air" causing Jesus to respond and react.
A puzzle here involves just where Jesus sends these disciples. The location of Bethsaida is unclear, though some scholars believe the archaeological evidence is there for the city referred to by Josephus as Bethsaida Julius. The real uncertainty comes in the fact that 6:53 says they landed at Gennesaret, not Bethsaida. This could be evidence of editing or, more likely, a simple change of destination after Jesus came into the boat. Bethsaida is not mentioned again until 8:22.
The image of Jesus withdrawing for personal prayer is an abiding one, having great influence over the church in art and in practice. Mark has three occasions when Jesus withdraws for solitary prayer: after the initial excitement over Jesus in Capernaum (1:35-39), after the feeding of the five thousand (6:45f) and following the Last Supper (14:26-42). Luke 5:16 says that Jesus often withdrew to pray alone. One can not expect scholars to be as drawn to this image as believing Christians, so it is no surprise that so little is said about it, but it speaks volumes to the Christian. Here is the Son of God, who lives a life of love and service, yet must withdraw to be alone with his Father before he faces the needy, the hungry and the hostile. If such a one as this needed to withdraw and pray, what can we say of ourselves and our prayerlessness? It is a deep mark of secularism upon the personality of modern Christianity that we are so prayerless, and even those Christians that make rather sensational public displays of praying for the miraculous would have to confess that personal devotional prayer is rare in those circles as well. We have somehow come to the conclusion that spiritual power grows out of loud worship music or entertainment oriented church services or large doses of Christian television. Yet here is the model life and the model child of God, looking to none of these things, rather living deep in private prayer. Here we glimpse the roots of Jesus' life and realize, as Packer said of the Puritans, we stand as scrub brush in the shadow of Redwoods. I remember several years ago hearing Pastor Gregory Nichols of Trinity Baptist Church teach a series of lessons on "The Sin of Prayerlessness." What a searching subject, especially as we think of one who prayed for forty days before launching his ministry, one who rose early while others slept to seek God's face, yet one whose disciples could not stay awake with him one hour.
Jesus' withdrawal for a night of prayer leaves the disciples out on the sea. The picture is of the disciples straining against the wind and the waves, while Jesus prays alone. This is not accidental. Lane points out that Mark repeats scenes of the disciples without the master, filled with fear and not faith (4:35ff, 6:45ff, 9:14ff). If Mark is writing to an audience of persecuted Christians, many of whom had experienced gripping fear and a loss of faith, then this presentation is a way of reaching out and including the reader. And it certainly does that today. On orders from our master, we find ourselves fighting to simply survive. While God seems to be taking care of the universe, He seems to have forgotten us. Wouldn't it be nice to have a transcript of what they were saying in that boat? What questioning of motives; what blaming of one another; what cursing and despair. The fourth watch of the night would be between 3 and 6 AM, so the disciples had been fighting the water and the waves- and the battle of faith- all night.
Mark says "He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them." This is certainly a miracle, since Jesus had no physical view of the disciples who were by now miles away. And then, rather matter of factly, Mark tells us that Jesus went out to them "walking on the lake." This is such a startling suspension of the laws of nature that it almost seems too bizarre to take seriously. Why would Jesus choose this particular demonstration of power? Some scholars will point out that heroes in other cultures demonstrate similar powers (though I have never read of citation of this.) I believe, however, that Mark is quite purposeful in this description. Listen to Job's description of God in Job chapter 9., verse 8-11 "He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him." What such a passage suggests is that Mark is relating Jesus to the Old Testament theme of God as the victor over the chaos of the waters, a power demonstrated in Creation and the Exodus. This is a theophany; a demonstration of the divinity of Jesus. (Any New Testament student should do a computer search of this theme of God's power demonstrated over the waters and the seas, especially in Job and Psalms. It is a rich study, and quite helpful for New Testament study.) Can such an isolated illusion really hold the key to this event? Is this really Mark's way of saying that Jesus is the very God who holds back the primordial chaos and is ruler over the waters? Keep in mind the question of the disciples- the unanswered question- of 4:41: "Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?" I believe Mark is answering that question in this similar incident.
Further evidence for this connection comes from the statement (NIV) that "He was about to pass by them." This may be the most unpopular sentence in the Gospel of Mark. Many interpreters express frustration at the difficulties this seems to create- Jesus walking on water, but passing up the very people he supposedly intended to help. Hendriksen, normally fairly sober and dependable, creates an entire theological application that Jesus intended to pass by unless invited into the boat by the disciples! (Not much chance of that not happening!) Lane suggests that this may be a translation issue and retranslates the phrase to "He was about to pass their way." Though Lane is confident, he doesn't have much company. I am much more persuaded by the reference in Job 9:11 mentioned above. But, even more so, I am persuaded by the similarity to Exodus 32:22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. And to Exodus 33:6-8 " And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped." This well known story describes God revealing his name and his character as he passed by Moses. I believe Mark is echoing the Old Testament theme of God as conquerer of the waters and the one who, in passing by, reveals himself to the one he has called. Out on the lake, Jesus demonstrates both these passages. His fearful disciples encounter one the waters must obey and the one who, in this miracle, reveals his Godness, even as he passed by.
The reaction of the disciples is important. They are transported from frustration into utter terror as the image of a man comes across the waters. Ghosts of some kind are part of the folklore of every culture and the disciples, devoid of any other explanation, believe they are seeing a ghost on the water. Mark's language is very strong at this point, as the disciples are "terrified" and "cried out," which means they screamed in terror. A short exercise in the imagination should allow anyone to appreciate what the disciples were feeling. It is a good place to note that Christianity's source materials do not portray the founders of the faith as heroes. Far from it. They are slow, often cowardly and many times without faith. This is quite a testimony to a kind of Christian realism that is the heart of the Bible's portrayal of the relationship between man and God. In God's presence, we are terrified; we do not know or understand the wholly other. The New Age movement's idea that man is comfortable with divinity is the polar opposite from Biblical religion. These sorts of passages are no mistake. The disciples reaction is directly related to Old Testament's truth that no one can see God and live. There is more than the terror of the lake and of the night.
The words of Jesus follow. "Immediately" Jesus spoke to them and said "Take courage!...Don't be afraid" Throughout Mark the opposite of faith is fear, so the encouragement here is a call to faith. Mark's audience certainly struggled with fear as they were persecuted, but part of the timelessness of the Gospel is the existential haunt of fear that stalks so many human lives, and the call of faith is to acknowledge a God whose very existence is the death knell of fear. A study of the word fear in the Bible is a major study, well worth anyone's time. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the evil one keeps humanity in chains through the fear of death. But perfect loves casts out fear and the fearful will have no place in the New Jerusalem. In the midst of the Bible's teaching are the constant words of Jesus: "Peace be with you." Or as I Peter 3:14 says "...do not fear what they fear." But it is important to remember that the disciples have not come to know Christ in this way. As his divinity is revealed, they have no way to interpret it, and their reaction is consistently confusion and, at best, amazement. At no point in Mark's Gospel does this ever really change, right down to 16:8. In my own Christian experience, it is important to remember that the fruit of Christian truth in the human personality is the work of the Holy Spirit. Until the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples continue to misunderstand and struggle with the meaning of Jesus Christ.
When Jesus says "It is I," He is likely using the phrase "I AM." The implications of this are clear. The theophany is the same God that appeared to Moses. The question of the disciples at the end of chapter 4 is definitively answered here. As Jesus steps in the boat, the wind died down. Surely the disciples (and the reader) would recall the previous occurrence of the storm being calmed with a word. Now here is the wind stopping at the presence of the one who walks on the sea. The peace of God and the presence of God are highly related in scripture. His command to be encouraged is tied to the disclosure of His nature to the worshipper. (Psalm 115:9ff, 118:5ff, Isa41:4ff, 13ff, 43:1ff, 44:2, 51:9ff). The security and hope of the Christian never rests on circumstances or on feelings. Circumstances are under the reign of God. The enemies of the Christian must obey God's command. Feelings are transformed as God is worshiped. For this one to come to us, on the sea, passing by as we cry out, we can be sure that his encouragement to peace and courage contain within themselves the Rock on which we are to stand.
Mark's assessment of the disciples now becomes more sharp. They had not understood the lesson of the loaves. In this miracle Jesus was revealed, his power demonstrated. The disciples were in a unique position to understand who Jesus was, yet they did not. Mark is beginning to set up the high point of chapter 8, which will begin with a rerun of the feeding miracle and a greater rehearsal of the disciple's inability to understand. (Mark 8:1-21) The language of the hard heart is Old Testament in origin, a constant complaint of God towards his people and illustrated in Pharaoh's refusal to see God's power. Lane mentions that this shows Jesus teaches some parables through events, such as the feeding of the five thousand. But the lessons of these events, though observed in sense experience, do not produce faith. It is a powerful reminder that faith is not less than rational, but it is more than rational. It was unbelief that looked at the undeniable facts and still could not believe. A good reminder for those who believe that faith can be generated through any sort of experience. The disciples had unparalleled experience, yet without faith. Strangely, at this stage of their journey with Jesus, the disciples are not fundamentally different from Jesus' opponents, who see and do not believe.
Mark closes chapter 6 with one of those summary sections describing incredible response to Jesus among the common people. The emphasis here is on the sick. The response is regional and constant. "Wherever he went..." the believing masses were bringing the sick to him (like the men in chapter 2) or reaching out to merely touch him or the edge of his clothes (like the woman in chapter 5). In intentional contrast to the disciples, these people are full of faith. They are begging Jesus for his presence and his power. We have not learned all Mark has to show us about faith, but we can sense the increasing pressure on the question "Who is Jesus?" and the even greater pressure, "Who do you say that I am?"
Questions
Michael suggests that Bible may go beyond science or religion in the way it speaks to us. On what level do you find the Bible to be most powerfully true?
What might have happened after the feeding miracle that would cause Jesus to send his disciples away? Do you think the disciples understood what was going on?
As we read of Jesus' personal prayer habits, what does it say to us about the place of prayer in life? What ideas of prayer does Jesus' example critique?
Prayerlessness is a major problem in the church. What is the result? What is the cure?
Michael mentions that secularism has left its imprint on the church in our attitude toward prayer. What philosophies and ideas do you feel have affected your own practice of prayer?
Michael mentions J.I. Packer's comments that our spiritual ancestors were Redwoods compared to us. WHy is prayer such an effective means of spiritual growth?
How would you counsel someone who said they struggled to focus in prayer? That it seemed useless to pray? That all prayers weren't answered?
What might have been the discussion out in the boat?
What does it mean to the Christian that Jesus is our constant intercessor?
Michael suggests that this passage is a theophany. What Old Testament scriptures and ideas may be at work here?
How does this story relate to the previous "calming the storm" story in chapter 4?
Do you find that fear is the opponent of faith in your life? How?
If you were showing this passage to a person of another religion, for example a Muslim, how would you explain the poor response of the disciples and the conclusion that they were "hard hearted" and unbelieving?
When God asks us to be of good courage, what changes is He asking us to make?
What did the crowds that wanted to touch Jesus understand about him that Mark wants us to see?
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