Mark 6:47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
One of the big things that strikes me in this passage is that even though Jesus sent the disciples ahead and stayed back to pray, He knew what was going on with them. He knew they were straining at the oars because the wind was against them. I feel certain that He knew they were afraid, which is why he went out on the lake to them.
Mark 6:48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them….
What I don’t understand is that little bit in verse 48, “He was about to pass by them….” Why was He going to pass by them? Did He need an invitation to stop? Should His presence–walking on the lake, no less–have been enough to quell their fear? He was so acutely aware of their distress that He walked out to them. I struggle with the rationale behind “He was about to pass by them….”
Mark 6:49 …but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out…
Lord, There is so much that I don’t understand. Help me not to get lost in those things. What I know is that You love Your children fiercely, that You know what’s going on with us, that You come to us, are with us when we struggle. Be with me as I ponder the things that I don’t understand. Give me wisdom and guidance. Draw me closer to You. Amen.
Mark 6:50 …because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Have a blessed day.