Mark 6:45-56

Be Still: Lord, help me to be present to you as you are so graciously present to me. Amen

Read: Mark 6:45-56

'As night fell, the boat was in the middle of the lake and Jesus was alone on the land. The wind was against the disciples and he could see they were straining at the oars, trying to make headway.'  (v47,48)

Encounter: I admit I'm a 'wordsmith' and don't like it when once powerful words are emasculated by overuse - like AMAZING and AWESOME. 

'More chips?' 'Yes please - awesome!' 

'New shirt? Amazing!'

When I'm dictator (NoooO! you cry), 'amazing' and 'awesome' will be restricted to describing Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Jesus IS amazing and awesome: he is wonderful, splendid, staggering, astonishing, breathtaking, confounding, incredible, dumbfounding, startling, shocking, mind-blowing, glorious......no words strong enough.

The 'walking on water' episode is familiar to christians and non-christians, and the phrase has entered common parlance - 'oh her, the boss thinks she walks on water!' Jesus crossing the lake on foot, climbing into the boat, and calming the wind is phenomenal. But for me, the most astonishing (amazing and awesome) bit comes earlier. Jesus is on land; it's the middle of the night, pitch-black, no ambient city light, stormy conditions obscuring the moon and stars, and yet Jesus SEES his disciples struggling in the dark.

Jesus sees clearly into the dark. He sees our dark, our struggles and comes to rescue us. Where we are in a dark pit of our own sadness, confusion, loneliness, messiness and can't see the way out, he is waiting on our call to bring light and renewed hope. Darkness does not drive out light. Light drives out darkness.

In verse 51 we read the disciples were 'completely amazed' by the way he rescues them from a desperate situation. Not surprising, I say, so would I be. But then Mark continues:

'for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.' 

What? Criticised for their amazement? Why? Mark points out they had only just seen Jesus miraculously feed 5000 people from five loaves and two fish and yet they had not begun to understand who Jesus was, his power and sovereign authority.

Apply: What about you? Despite all you've seen Jesus do, is your heart still doubting, sceptical of his sovereign power? 

Devote: Jesus, you are amazing. Thank you that you see into my dark places - bring your light and help me to trust you totally.