October 11
October 11
There is a significant difference between amazement and faith. You can be amazed by God while not actually putting your faith in him.
You should read your Bible with an inquisitive mind. You should ask questions of each passage. Why are these details here? Why did God respond in that way? Why has this passage been preserved for me? What is God telling me about himself and how he works? What does this passage tell me about the nature of sin? How do these words reveal Jesus and his grace? What does it look like to live in light of what is recorded here? Let’s ask those questions of Mark 6:
Immediately [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him 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. (Mark 6:45–52)
In this passage, Jesus sets up a situation to reveal his messianic glory to his disciples. We can observe much from these verses, but I want to focus on one particular point. Jesus demonstrates that he is Lord Creator, able to do anything with his creation that he wishes—including walking on water. The disciples’ response is utter amazement. Now, this is not necessarily a complimentary remark about the disciples. We know this because Mark tells us that the disciples didn’t fully understand the identity of Jesus that was revealed by the feeding of the five thousand, and their hearts were hardened. Mark is pointing out that there is a significant difference between amazement and faith. You can be amazed by the biblical story and biblical doctrine, yet not live by faith. You can be amazed by the worship and preaching of your church, yet not live by faith. You can be amazed by the loving community of your small group, yet not live by faith.
Though walking on water was a glorious messianic sign, there was no mature faith in the boat to receive it. As Mark remarks, their hearts were hardened. May God grant us the grace not just to be amazed by him but, by faith, to trust him in a way that gives us rest, even when the storms come.