Random Thoughts & Leaps of Faith

Jesus, during His ministry years, made His home in Capernaum - ”Leaving Nazareth He went and lived in Capernaum” Matthew 4:13  Living there also – were Peter, Andrew, James and John – fishermen, in the village – and Matthew the tax collector, too.  Capernaum is one of the three cities cursed by Jesus for its lack of faith – How many of them mistook the true identity of Jesus, for someone other than God, in human flesh?

The miracle of the Walking on Water, happened near Capernaum – in the Sea of Galilee.  The story is told in the Gospels of John, Matthew, and Mark.

It seems to me, that Walking with Jesus – requires that I view Him as He is! not so much as who I might want or expect Him to be.    Understanding the true identity of Jesus, seems to be our highest calling.

John and Mark tell the “miracle story”, in our chapter’s 6 – Matthew tells the story in our chapter 14.  Wanna read ‘em?  Sure, ya do!  Go on ahead, now.  – that’s John chapter 6, Mark chapter 6 and Matthew chapter 14.  I’ll go put some heat on my coffee, and another log on the fire - and meet ya back here in a sec ….

… So, anyway, Mark puts this “miracle story” immediately following the Feeding of the 5000.  He and Matthew wrote their gospels about Jesus, 30 or 40 years before John wrote his gospel – and each of their gospel’s has a little different take on what happened.

In Mark’s miracle story - after feeding the 5000 – the crowds were finally braking up and folks were leaving the grassy countryside.  Whew!  What a day!  Jesus insisted that the disciples leave him alone for a bit and He told them to go on ahead of Him to Capernaum.  However, it seems, that the disciples were, at the very least – “less than eager” – to leave Jesus alone, for one reason or another, as He insisted.  Mark tells us that Jesus, “made them” go on to Capernaum.  I suppose that Jesus may have even had to use a little “persuasion” to get them to leave Him alone and head on to Capernaum.  Perhaps Jesus squinted His eyes a bit – and with a sharper edge in His voice, said something like, “Get-in-the-boat!” – to get them on their way?!?  No matter – they did get in the boat and they started out.  In John’s miracle story - he gives the impression that they may have expected to pick Jesus up somewhere further, along the shore – before it got too late in the evening.  He tells us that it had already gotten dark, as they were working their way along - and he notes that “Jesus had not come to them,” yet?  He also tells us that Jesus had sensed that the crowds might come back and take Him by force – to make Him “king” – -  Christ knew – that he was The King - only a rather different sort, than what most of them imagined – they wanted a king that would put a “chicken in every pot” and put bread on the table, someone to deliver them from cruel Rome.  But, the kingship of Christ – required a cross – and it wasn’t quite time for that, yet.  So when he had sent them on ahead – He hiked up into the hillside – to be alone and pray.  I imagine, He may have even had a view of the sea, from up on the hill?  Perhaps, He even had “one eye” on the disciples - in the boat? …   and if He had a view of the crowds – navigating their way along the paths leading away from the grassy countryside – He may have had “one eye” on them, as well. Sheep do tend to wander don’t we? ….. Anyway, the story goes that …..

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. John 6:16-18

When I consider, that they were on the eastern side, of the northern shoreline, along the Sea of Galilee – to row back to Capernaum was pretty much a “straight shot” along the northern shore – all the way back.  They would have easily, never have to be far from the shore, as they went – except, that trouble was brewing on the sea!  And the story goes, that Jesus just stayed up in the hills alone, late on into the night.

Having been hesitant to leave Jesus alone, in the first place - and having rowed along toward Capernaum, until way after dark – their boat began to be pushed around by the waves of what was rapidly becoming - a stormy, windy and rather scary sea – and they were pushed, some distance from the shore.  In that country – a wind from the north, most often blows, from out of the hills of Lebanon and Mt. Hermon – down the valley and out across the ”little sea”, toward the south.  It is easy to imagine, that with such strong winds and waves, driving them farther and farther south – away from the shoreline - any possible hopes of picking Jesus up – would have been fading, fast.  But faithful to His command – it seems, they were still rowing – trying to get across the lake.  Matthew tells us that it had gotten to be around 3 o’clock in the morning – when the disciples found themselves at the mercy of the waves, far out in the middle of the sea – far south of their destination.

John’s story goes that,

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, but he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.  John 6:19-21

As it was – the disciples’, were understandably afraid – to find themselves in the middle of this small sea, far from the shore - surrounded by darkness - with a storm blowing hard against them – - – - – and unbelievable as it seemed - and to their amazement - they saw Jesus not far away from the boat, walking on the water.  They were frightened.  Hello!?!  Scared silly, I’d say.   They thought it was a spirit, or a ghost, and their hearts ”fell to their toes” - in fear!

Jesus spoke directly to all their fears, with the words, ”It is I; do not be afraid.”  Perhaps what they heard Him say was something like - ”Look, here’s the thing - big things like – this figure you see out here “walking on water” – in the middle of the sea – in the middle of a storm – things that scare the teeth right out of your mouth – that seem absolutely impossible for any man to do – - well, that is I!  And stuff that comes along in your life that shakes the ground beneath your feet and things that are so much bigger than you, push you into a corner – stuff that seems so very, out of your control – like the force of this mighty wind churning up the sea and pounding-again and again, against you  - well, I have come – to put all of those things – under my feet.  I AM - is in control of these events, so there is no need for fear.”

I suppose, that the disciples were starting to “get it” – and that they were finally beginning to figure out who “Jesus really was”!  And what He was capable of doing.  This was truly God’s Son!  Matthew’s story tells us that it was just then, when Peter saw that it was the Lord, he called out to him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me to come to you on the water.” Matt 14:28  Jesus immediately called back to him, “Come.”  I can relate to Peter, crawling - perhaps a little nervously, even - out of the boat - gathering every ounce of faith in Christ that he could muster from within himself – thinking over and over to himself – that he has finally identified who the real Jesus is! - and he begins to “sheep walk on the water”, toward the Lord.  And much like my own daily walk – Peter started out – bold and confident – but it wasn’t long before the rocking of the waves and the cold-wet wind against his face chipped away his confidence and his faith began to fade, and he began to sink, into the water.  I suppose Jesus may have let him sink right down till the waves reached his bottom lip - I don’t know, but soon, Peter - like a sheep that finds itself, lost or losing site or sound of its shepherd – prayed what some call – the shortest prayer in the Bible: “Help!”  Jesus reached out to him, took his hand, and said, “Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt?”.

In Matt 14:33 the disciples say, “You are certainly God’s Son!”  Mark says that when the wind stopped and all was well – they were astonished! – because until then – they still hadn’t “gotten it” – just who Jesus really was – even after the feeding of the 5000+ – they were still confused about the identity and purpose of Jesus - Mark says, because their heart was “hardened”.  Mark makes note that they did not understand who He was before now.  Now they are beginning to understand!

Now, I suppose – it really is all about True Identity.  We are asked to put our “faith” in most everything – from car and appliance dealers to celebrities and stars – preachers and priests – airlines and presidents – parents and spouses and friends … astronomy, horoscopes and healers - wanting to believe they are the “REAL DEAL!”  Perhaps you have put your faith in someone or something, too - that turned out not to be the Real Deal – once or twice - and perhaps even, you’ve stopped counting – some time ago. 

Faith seems to be – something we all want to have more of – and I reckon’ – we want it so much that we too often place it – too quickly – in things or people that turn out to be, at the very least - less than what we expected.

I suppose, this miracle story serves to teach us that when we identify Jesus as God’s Son and put our faith in Him - He enables us to tap in to the incredible resource we have in our Lord - Jesus Christ – that of bringing us into an intimate relationship with His Father.  He is “I AM” – He is The Great Shepherd.

Stay with me here,   … Consider that very often, it is the things that are missing in our lives – things we have come to want or need the most – that tend to determine the sort of choices we make about where we place our faith.  As well, we tend to expect those “missing things” – from the object of our faith.  And when the object of our faith, fails to deliver, we can become very confused and frustrated about where we should redirect our faith – we may even question if the hurt is worth putting our faith in to action ever again.  Christ Jesus – God’s Son is our most precious resource!! – Not for the reasons we might expect – but because He is God’s Son – who came to be our Savior – from Sin and to bring us back into a relationship with our Father, God.  John describes that immediately, “they were glad to take Him into the boat” with them!  Hello !?!  They immediately realized that He was in control of all events – He was the true Messiah – come to Shepherd His Sheep – into the presence of The Father – - – and their confusion about Christ’s identity was beginning to “clear up” and they were not only willing and glad – but eagar, I suppose – to take Him into the boat! with them.

In the closing verses of John 6 – (take a few more minutes to read ‘em)   – some among the crowds began to leave Him – because they felt that Christ was “failing to deliver”.  They wanted a king that answered their selfish expectations.  They were willing to “buy in” to the bread and other miraculous signs that included their ideas about an earthly king – but they didn’t seem to want a Savior.  More often than not – that seems to be where the “rub” comes – between our “rock-hardend” hearts and Christ, the Rock of Salvation.  I mean, we are so very self-righteous – and we tend to avoid the idea that we might actually need – a Savior.  Like the crowds who followed Christ around – we are too often, only willing to place an amount of faith in Him that allows us to remain – in control and we are unwilling to see sin, as being serious enough for God to send His Son to die.  Some of us don’t think  that we are all “that bad of a person”.  We seem to be easily able, to find other folks who are worse than we are.  “Don’t get me wrong, I do some wrong things, but they aren’t all that bad”.  It seems to take humility - a “poor in spirit”, spirit - to admit it.

Not so very much unlike ourselves – their problem with the the identity of Christ – seems to have been - their view of “kingship” – it was physical - and their view of Jesus, much like ours, too - was incomplete.  They mistook the true identity of Jesus.

Consider that beyond the miracle of walking on the water – the story goes on that when He got into the boat with them – the wind stopped – and John says, immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going!   Now I suppose, that Jesus – “walked on water” and walked among us, at all - so that we might be able to see His true identity!  When we invite Christ - I AM – The Great Shepherd-Savior-King – into the circumstances we find ourselves in – (the BIG ones and the small ones) , we suddenly find ourselves on the other side of “troubled waters”, steadied against the battering waves – and strengthened by His peace.  We find – that we have arrived at our final destination - walking with Jesus.

God sent His Son Jesus – to make it possible for us to enter into a level of relationship that rises beyond, our greatest expectations – and propels us into the eternal presence – of the “I AM”.  I too, desire to have an intimate relationship with my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

In order to clearly see the True Identity of Jesus Christ – I suppose that the real “trick”   – is being willing to admit, that I am a sinner – who needs a Savior!

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This entry was posted by timdadeelee on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 6:11 pm and is filed under Random Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.