48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Mark 6:48-50 NASB
As amazing as this story is, it brings up so many questions. Why didn’t Jesus get into a boat to come to His disciples? Why didn't Jesus announce that it was Him walking on the water. Why didn't Jesus tell His disciples to calm down and He had the storm under control? There are many things that Jesus will keep as a mystery to keep us longing for Him. If Jesus would have demonstrated some sort of "formula" for His disciples to get out of the storm, we would most certainly be abiding by that same formula today instead of abiding in Christ. Jesus knows that as humans we are bent towards formulas, idols, and "programs" where we remove Him from being our constant, moment by moment inspiration and Friend that we walk with. Mystery of what was happening on the sea led the disciples to cry out. Without the mystery there would have been no cry. Without the mystery there wouldn’t have been any hunger. The mystery of how it was possible that a man could walk on the water added to their hunger which was expressed through a cry. Without the mystery they would have never received the revelation that Jesus has power over the laws of nature itself. There may be things happening in your life today that God seems to be withholding information on. You do not need an explanation as to why those things are happening; you need a Person. So, why didn't Jesus use natural means to come to His disciples? Because Jesus wanted to hear their cry, so He concealed what was happening until the proper time. It is okay to lift up a shout, a cry, a wail as we are going through trials in this life. It's okay to cry out to God for Him to intervene. He loves the sound of his people crying out to Him. The disciples knew Jesus as a great teacher, lover of the poor and hurting, and a great Healer, but not as God. Through the mystery and their cry they learned that Jesus is more than a mere man. Living in the tension of mystery and revelation is the hardest place to remain. It can feel like you are being stretched like a rubber band while you are in the "waiting". But we have a promise from Isaiah 40:31 that says: Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. The word for "wait" in that verse is a verb. It means to twist, and stretch like a strand of rope; like braiding a strand of rope together through applying tension. So, while we are "waiting", we are actively being braided together by God into His purposes. These times can become fearful as we sit in the "unknown". But before we know it, Jesus comes walking on the sea towards us, and we have a completely new perspective of who He is that we would have never obtained had we not been stuck in the "mysterious waiting". Questions to Consider: 1. What are some things that you are going through right now that you don't understand? 2. What are some situations that you are waiting on God to move in?
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