Significance

“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 6:50-52 ff)

Hard hearts can block our minds from understanding a lot of important things about our Savior.

The disciples had just witnessed the miraculous feeding of five thousand men, plus their wives and children from five loaves and two fish, then the Lord instructed them to get into a boat and meet Him on the other side of the lake.

We have no way of knowing how far the Lord had walked on the water in the midst of the strong winds and high waves, the Bible simply says: “About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 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.” What’s going on here?

Was Jesus simply confirming they were doing well and would not need His assistance in navigating the strong winds and waves? Was His intention to see if they would even consider speaking His Name? “If only Jesus were here!” But there’s no indication that any of them gave that a thought.

How like us in the storms of our lives. The “wind is howling” and “the waves of terror are crashing over the sides of our life,” yet Jesus rarely, if ever, enters our mind. Have we not learned the significance of the loaves?

Who can multiply loaves from a single loaf of bread? Or multiply fish from a single fish? No one, but Jesus! God’s Son, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-capable! Who can calm the storms of your life and mine? No one, but Jesus! Like the disciples we too often look to Jesus with terror, not realizing He can do ANYTHING!

He can defy the laws of nature because He created nature. He rules over everything that is. The Lord gave Paul insight into this as He guided his thoughts about Jesus in Ephesians 1:21: “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”

Like the disciples we’re blind to who our Savior really is, but that’s not the greatest tragedy. We’re blind to who He can enable us to be. Fortunately, Peter, as unpredictable and, at times, unreliable as he could be, stepped up to give us hope. In Matthew’s account of this storm, he records that it was Peter, seeing the Lord, who like the others may have been terrified at first, but then shouted to the Lord: “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” And Jesus responded, “Yes, come!”

What’s terrifying you in this season of your life? What “storm waters” are crashing into your life, threatening to drown you? Call out to the One who can enable you to walk through those frightening waters to the security of His holy embrace. He IS with you! Trust Him. Let Him guide and guard you. Respond to His invitation to you to come to Him in this frightening season.

Once we begin to grasp the significance of who Jesus is, not simply in Biblical terms, but in terms of who He is to you and me, everything in our life will look, feel, and be different, because we’ll finally understand Who is really in charge…and it’s not you or me.

Knowing that, my friend, is significant!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊