This dense chapter contains so much insight into Jesus and God, we cannot cover it all. The included narratives are Jesus being rejected in His hometown, sending the disciples on ministry journeys, feeding 5000 men, walking on the water, and healing several people. There’s also a section about the execution of John the Baptist.
“And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them… he came to them, walking on the sea… when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost… and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’ And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” (v48-52 abr)
Who among us completely understands everything that God does? Can we explain how Jesus fed 12000+ people with a single bag lunch, or how He walked on water? Who can explain God’s continued miracles in the world today? About the only explanation available to me is that God is God, He is who He says He is, and He has the power to do anything He sees fit. Jesus’ statement in v50 sums it up well: ” ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’ “. God, the great “I am”, simply is, and we don’t need to flee due to lack of understanding Him.
Have we experienced, or witnessed, what the disciples experienced? They reacted to God’s mighty works out of fear and disbelief: it says they were terrified and hardened their hearts. Generally, there are two responses when someone sees God at work – acceptance, or rejection. We can’t control God, and we can’t control others’ reactions, though we can control our own attitudes and reactions to God and His work.
I strongly encourage us to humbly embrace God / Jesus / the Holy Spirit, their work in us and their work in this world. By working with God instead of against Him, we help build Jesus’ kingdom here on earth and soften others’ hearts. Of course we’ll never fully understand God and His work, but we can have faith / trust which trumps understanding. I suggest it’s better to embrace God’s will, than to flee from it.
Father God, thank You for Your word and Your Word living within us. Holy Spirit and Jesus please teach us the Father’s ways, and lead us on the paths we ought to travel, so we may humbly obey our Father’s voice without hesitation or wavering. May we operate on faith and trust more than understanding, and blindly follow You wherever we go, knowing the Good Shepherd will never mislead us. We honor, praise and glorify You, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training