Belonging (S2) : WK 2 - TUE
(John 6:19-21 NLT) They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, [20] but he called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here!" [21] Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!
To refresh our memory a bit about the situation the disciples found themselves in, remember it was evening, so it was dark. They had waited for Jesus to join them down by the shore because they were going to cross the lake toward Capernaum. The plan seemed to be that Jesus was going to go with them. “But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum.”
I often wonder when I read this story about what might have happened had they waited for Jesus. However, that is not the case, so we will continue with the story as it stands. We are told that a gale swept down upon them and that the sea grew very rough. A gale of wind can range anywhere from 32 to 63 miles per hour in gusts. Anything above this amount enters hurricane level. Some think given the context of the passage and the other accounts in the synoptic gospels, it was probably somewhere between 32-54 mph. The word is translated from the original Greek text, which describes it as a great, large, and powerful wind. Whatever strength it was, it was a powerful force that swept them into a sense of feeling overwhelmed and having to deal with a chaotic situation that was out of their control.
What I love about this story is how Jesus shows up. This is the essence of the gospel. God showing up. God showing up when we don’t have a fighting chance. (While we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us.) As mentioned in the introduction to this study guide, the incarnation, in which God became human in the life of Jesus, is the greatest miracle that proclaims God's love for us, showing that we belong to Him. Can you imagine being one of the disciples in that boat, being almost completely overpowered by the wind and the waves, and suddenly seeing Jesus walking on the water toward you? I would have expected the disciples to feel overwhelmed now with joy and excitement, but the text says they were terrified! Upon further investigation of the text, it becomes apparent that the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus but instead thought they were seeing a ghost, according to scholars. This seems to be why Jesus called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then, it says, they were eager to let him in the boat.
To refresh our memory a bit about the situation the disciples found themselves in, remember it was evening, so it was dark. They had waited for Jesus to join them down by the shore because they were going to cross the lake toward Capernaum. The plan seemed to be that Jesus was going to go with them. “But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum.”
I often wonder when I read this story about what might have happened had they waited for Jesus. However, that is not the case, so we will continue with the story as it stands. We are told that a gale swept down upon them and that the sea grew very rough. A gale of wind can range anywhere from 32 to 63 miles per hour in gusts. Anything above this amount enters hurricane level. Some think given the context of the passage and the other accounts in the synoptic gospels, it was probably somewhere between 32-54 mph. The word is translated from the original Greek text, which describes it as a great, large, and powerful wind. Whatever strength it was, it was a powerful force that swept them into a sense of feeling overwhelmed and having to deal with a chaotic situation that was out of their control.
What I love about this story is how Jesus shows up. This is the essence of the gospel. God showing up. God showing up when we don’t have a fighting chance. (While we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us.) As mentioned in the introduction to this study guide, the incarnation, in which God became human in the life of Jesus, is the greatest miracle that proclaims God's love for us, showing that we belong to Him. Can you imagine being one of the disciples in that boat, being almost completely overpowered by the wind and the waves, and suddenly seeing Jesus walking on the water toward you? I would have expected the disciples to feel overwhelmed now with joy and excitement, but the text says they were terrified! Upon further investigation of the text, it becomes apparent that the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus but instead thought they were seeing a ghost, according to scholars. This seems to be why Jesus called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then, it says, they were eager to let him in the boat.
- What do you think Jesus would like His disciples to know about their belonging to Him, given this miracle of His presence with them in the storm?
- Are there times you can think of when you might think God is so distant and question your belonging to Him that when He is revealing Himself to us so we know we are His, that we might even be thinking it is something or someone else?
- How might Jesus be inviting you to let Him give you His peace through His presence of belonging?
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