But when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in. [Mark 6:49-52 (NLT)]
After feeding a multitude with little more than a handful of food, Jesus sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida. He stayed behind to send the people home and then, exhausted, went into the mountains to pray. During the fourth watch (somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM), Jesus looked out at the water and saw that the disciples were struggling against the wind and waves to keep the boat on course. Seeing their distress, he walked on the water toward them. Seeing Him walking on water, they thought Him a ghost and cried out in terror. Phantoms of the night were said to bring disaster and it was thought that the last thing a boatman saw before drowning in Galilee was a ghost on the water! It’s no wonder they were frightened at first.
When Jesus climbed into the disciples’ boat, the wind stopped. He could have calmed the sea any time He wanted, but He chose to wait until the boat was far away, the men had rowed against the fierce wind for hours, and all hope was gone. By walking on the water, Jesus showed the men that the tempestuous sea they feared was nothing more than a path to bring Him to them! Like the feeding of the multitude, Jesus demonstrated His control over the elements—something only God could do!
The disciples failed to recognize Jesus on the water because they weren’t looking for Him. Had they waited in faith, they would have recognized Him, but they waited in fear. By this point in the ministry of Jesus, He had restored a deformed hand, exorcised numerous demons, raised a child from the dead, and healed a paralyzed man, a bleeding woman, lepers, Peter’s mother-in-law, and many others. The disciples just witnessed Jesus feed a multitude with just a few loaves and fish and probably had those twelve baskets of leftovers in the boat with them but they still didn’t get the significance of His provision of food to the multitude. Like so many others, they still were spiritually blind—they saw the miracles but failed to see the one who was God and performed those miracles! They shouldn’t have been surprised by Jesus’ appearance on the water; they should have expected it!
Mark tells us that the hearts of the disciples “were too hard to take it in.” Even knowing all that Jesus had done, they didn’t yet believe. I wonder if the disciples simply were afraid to believe. Just imagine their discussion in the boat that evening as they tried to understand how Jesus managed to feed thousands. They must have wondered what it would mean for them if Jesus really were the Messiah. Would they end up headless as did John the Baptist? Would Jesus’ mission end up as did the failed Messianic movement led by Judas of Galilee with the leader dead and his followers scattered? These men weren’t soldiers; they were common working men and Simon was the only Zealot among them. Did they wonder what Jesus would expect of them? Do we hesitate to accept Jesus because we’re afraid of what He will ask of us?
Almighty God, through the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to your holy truth.
Unbelief is a matter not only of the head but of the heart. The unbeliever’s trouble is that his heart is not right with God. [R. B. Kuiper]
Whenever I asked about her boys, my sister would give a vague answer like, “They’re fine…just doing their own thing” It was several years before I learned “their own thing” meant they were breaking her mama’s heart with their mental illness, addictions, and run-ins with the law. Because she kept her pain concealed, she carried the weight of that burden alone for many years.
Devotions of the Heart 