Walking on Water - Mark 6:45-56

Walking on Water - Mark 6:45-56
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 7, 2009 AM

Over the years, I have heard Christians lament over the fact that they have never experienced the same kinds of miracles that they read about in the Bible. However, I suspect the problem is not one of miracles actually occurring but rather one of people's spiritual blindness to their happening. Plus, we forget why Jesus did many of the miraculous things he did at the time. Jesus was trying to garner the attention of his Hebrew brethren that God's kingdom had come and that he was indeed the promised Messiah they longed for. Jesus never did miracles for the sake of performing a miracle and in fact, he bluntly warned that only "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." (Matthew 12:39) Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection was that "sign."

Here in Mark's Gospel we find Jesus does something so extraordinary that the event is recorded in several of the other Gospels as well. I am not like some who concern themselves with how Jesus did it, but I am curious as to why would Jesus do this kind of miracle? I believe it was a "teachable moment" for the disciples and now for us as well. Here in this wonderful account we find Jesus strolling along, right before sunup, walking on the surface of the lake and scaring the pants of the disciples. It is both humorous and extraordinary. Let's find out today why Jesus was walking on water and how this can encourage us to look for and do the same kind of miracles in our lives today.

READ: Mark 6:45-56

Why is it that we often overlook the miracle of prayer? Is it because we easily dismiss its effectiveness in our lives or the lives of others? We learn from Scriptures that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16) This is why I believe that...

I. Walking on water requires prayer! (Vv. 45-46)

1. We find that prayer strengthens the participant to do great things for the Lord! Why would I say that? We find that Mark selectively portrayed Jesus at prayer on three crucial occasions, each in darkness and alone: near the beginning of his account (Mark 1:35), here, at the middle (Mark 6:46), and near the end (Mark 14:32-42). All three were occasions when Jesus was faced with the possibility of achieving his messianic mission in a more attractive, less costly way. But in each case, he gained strength through prayer. The crowds wanted to make him their king. He had provided food for them and they were willing to give themselves over to anyone who would give them a free lunch. Now, doesn't that sound oddly familiar? However, notice what Jesus does. He goes off alone to pray. We often forget that Jesus was just as dependent upon his prayer life as we are to be. Interestingly we find that Jesus literally "compels" his followers to get into the boat and leave. The greedy crowds would come back and he needed to get away to pray. Personal prayer was that important to Jesus. He prayed often alone and he prayed long. We discover he heads up into the mountainside and prays almost all night! Whenever an important part of Jesus' ministry is about to happen, we find him alone in prayer. This is the case here as well. If you, dear child of the Lord, desire to "walk on water" like the Lord, you had better spend more time in personal prayer! Walking on water requires prayer!

EXAMPLE: Philip Yancey asks, "Does prayer have any real impact on our world? Or is it merely a private conversation with God?" He goes on to relate, "When a New Jersey couple learned that, a man had been released from prison, and that he had moved into their area and they started praying for him. Then they paid him a visit and opened their home to a weekly breakfast for ex-offenders like him. Now, 22 years later, the area's most despised men have one place to go where they are welcomed and treated respectfully." Their concern turned to prayer that turned into a miracle. Now, that is walking on water! But notice that it all began when they started praying! Walking on water requires prayer!

We are told that, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) and that is an apt description of what faith is, but how do we participate in it and how do we practice it? Or rather, how do we live it out daily in our lives? When Jesus stepped out on the surface of the lake, he teaches us that...

II. Walking on water relies on trust! (Vv. 47-52)

1. Faith is trust in God displayed in the lives of believers! When evening comes and the disciples are out on the lake alone, Jesus sees "the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them." Evidently, Jesus gained some insight from his quiet time alone with God and without any fear whatsoever he heads out walking on the water. Through his personal prayer tie Jesus had gained the trust he needed from God to do what was required. Notice that Jesus does not head out to help the disciples necessarily, but I believe, to show them the power of God. It was very early in the morning, about the "fourth watch" of the night -- the last watch right before dawn. The disciples were not expecting to meet Jesus in this manner and were frightened by his sudden appearance on the surface of the water. Anyone would be. People do not walk on water. They immediately think that Jesus is "a ghost" and they cry out in alarm because they are "terrified." It was a case of little faith big fear. "Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.'" They had not understood the previous miracles, and so their hearts were hardened to the miraculous. They were full of fear instead of trust! And this may explain why we often do not see the miracles of God occurring around us today! Walking on water relies on trust!

EXAMPLE: Vernon Grounds relates, "Few of us are traveling to heaven in a state of freedom from all fear. Who can honestly testify that they always practice this verse: 'In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid?' (Psalm 56:11). We do trust, and yet we may be troubled at times by gnawing worries. Our common experience is that our trust in God is mingled with episodes of worry." This kind of trust does not result in the faith it takes to walk on water. In fact, it is more related to the fear Peter expresses when he jumped over the side of the boat, looked at the waves instead of the Master, and began to sink into the sea! Jesus calmly strolled across the sea because he trusted God to keep him dry. The disciples feared what they did not understand. What about you, are you trusting in faith or hardened by fear? Walking on water relies on trust.

When Christians express their faith through their prayers and actions, the result is miraculous. Lives are changed, ministry is started, and people are saved. We find the very same thing occurring here in Mark?s Gospel. In fact, we discover that...

III. Walking on water results in people seeking Jesus! (Vv. 53-56)

1. People become interested in Jesus when they see Jesus working through you! The winds have died down and the boat is now safely on the shore. They landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. The disciples for all their hardness of heart are thrown back into exactly why Jesus does the miracles he does because, "As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. And wherever he went -- into villages, towns or countryside -- they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed." Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to give people hope where before there had been none. The work of Christ is not finished. We, his church made up of his disciples, are to seek and save the lost as well. We are to continue the work of the marketplaces Jesus began until he returns. People are touching Jesus as we touch their lives with his good news of salvation. People are healed by Christ as we hold out the power of the risen Lord for their lives. Changed lives for the Lord are a far greater miracle than walking on the water. Jesus told his disciples, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) Jesus prayed and trusted his heavenly father to do great things through him, and we are to do the very same thing. When we do, it is walking on water for the Lord. And, we discovered that walking on water results in people seeking Jesus!

EXAMPLE: What are people seeking today? Some want fame, fortune, or some kind of recognition. Television shows like American Idol have become a global phenomenon. Millions wait anxiously to find out who will be the next singer eliminated in the musical talent hunt. Some call it "a new concept in entertainment," but it's hardly a new idea. As a boy, I remember watching Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour. In the 70's it was The Gong Show and then in the 80's it was Star Search. It is an ongoing theme of television to search for some unknown and make him or her famous. Dreams of fame and fortune, however, are not at the heart of the search that is truly timeless. That search is God's own pursuit of hearts that are available. When we trust the Lord and walk out on the water for him, people will want to know in whom we believe. Why? Because walking on water results in people seeking Jesus!

Conclusion:
There is a story told about an avid duck hunter who was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him. He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog. As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. They fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. The friend saw everything but did not say a single word. On the drive home, the hunter asked his friend, "Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?" "I sure did," responded his friend. "Your dog can't swim!" Some of us are just like that man as far as our faith is concerned. We do not see the miraculous around us because we do not expect God to be working. We are just dogpaddling instead of walking on the water. Now, let me ask you, "Are you just dogpaddling or are you walking on the water for the Lord?" Walking on the water requires prayer, walking on the water relies on trust, and walking on the water results in people seeking Jesus!
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Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission. You now have my permission...