Mark Vol. 2 - Week 2 (6:45-56)
Mark 6:45-56
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The King Who Walks On Water
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Mark 6:45-56 〰️ The King Who Walks On Water 〰️
When we think of the raw power of Jesus during His ministry on earth, the story of His walking on water and calming the storm might be the front-runners. When I think of this gospel account, this is what comes to mind. There are many examples of Jesus displaying His authority as the Son of God, but this week's passage cranks it up a notch. There are different stories up to this point where Jesus shows His authority over illnesses, demons, and the elements, similar to this passage. In Mark 5, we read the story of Jesus rebuking the wind and waves, calming the storm. Mark likes to draw connections for the readers in his writing, which can easily be lost as we go through the Gospel at such a slow pace.
If we turn back to the end of Chapter 4, we read of Jesus commanding the wind and waves, calming them, and then asking (and possibly rebuking) the disciples, saying, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (4:40). In this week's passage, 6:45-52, we encounter a similar story:
While there are several similarities, the key parallel is that Jesus displays His authority over the elements (namely, the sea) and reveals the disciples' lack of faith. In Chapter 4, during the storm, the disciples woke up Jesus and said, "Teacher! Don't you care that we're going to die?" (v38). In Chapter 6, however, Jesus "got into the boat with [the disciples], and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened." (v51-52). After knowing that Our Lord was on land and not in the boat and seeing a figure walking towards them on the water, their first instinct was that it was a ghost of all things. Not their Lord who fed thousands with a few loaves and fish, or who turned water into wine for an entire wedding, or who released people from the torment of demons. No, the disciples of Jesus mistook Him for a ghost. So Mark diagnoses two problems for the disciples here: the disciples did not understand, and they had hardened hearts, one causing the other. Interestingly, "hardened hearts" was how Mark (and Jesus) characterized the Pharisees in 3:5.¹
After this event, Jesus and the disciples came ashore at Gennesaret, a small region southwest of Capernaum that was known for its abundant plant life and variety of crops.² Upon their arrival, likely much to the surprise of the disciples. They had just seen Jesus and likely had to
confront their own lack of faith, and now they encounter a number of people who, in faith, are seeking Jesus to heal those sick among them (v55-56). Mark tells us that, amazingly, everyone who brought someone to Jesus experienced healing. Verse 56 tells us that "everyone who touched [Jesus' robe] was healed."
As we read on throughout Mark, we'll encounter several stories where Jesus rebukes the lack of faith in the disciples, but here, we don't have a recorded response. Rather, Jesus says, "Have courage! It is I. Don't be afraid" (v50). Immediately after, we see Jesus further displaying His power, both out of compassion for those in need and compassion for the disciples, granting them another opportunity to see His goodness despite the hardness of their hearts. How wonderful is it that our Lord is merciful and gracious in giving us opportunity after opportunity to trust in Him? Jesus saw the lack of faith in the disciples (a recurring theme), and still displayed His goodness for them to see.
Key Terms and Doctrine
Authority of Jesus
In this passage, we again see the authority of Jesus. Again, after all they have seen, the disciples' struggled to trust in Jesus. Just like in Chapter 4, they were at the mercy of the sea. During Jesus' time and culture, the sea was considered to represent chaos, death, and destruction: that which cannot be tamed. Even today, we have only explored ~10% of the ocean with all of our technology. How great must their fear have been with crude wooden boats being tossed by the waves? But Jesus is greater. His power and authority extend to all of creation and beyond! He walks across the waves and enters the boat, calming the waves in the process. There will come a day when our Lord tames all the chaos and death in this world. We can take heart and have hope, knowing that the Lord reigns over all!
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
What does this passage tell us about Jesus?
What does this passage say is the reason the disciples struggled to believe it was Jesus at first?
How might it be encouraging to see the disciples struggling with faith after all they have seen up to this point?
In v49-52, the disciples have to confront their lack of faith in Jesus. Then, in v54-56, they are overwhelmed by the number of people who bring their sick to be healed by Jesus. How do you think the disciples felt seeing the contrast between their faith and the faith of others?
What are some times or parts of your life where you struggle to see Jesus or trust in Him?
How can the faith of others encourage or challenge us when we are struggling? What are some examples you can think of?
1. Ross H. McLaren, Mark in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1570.
2. William McClure Thomson, The Land and the Book Vol. 2 (Los Angeles, CA: HardPress Publishers, 1956), 293, 640-641.