Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marvelled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. (Mark 6:45-52).
In brief, the context of the above passage is that Lord Yeshua the Messiah has just miraculously fed over 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fishes His disciples had on hand, after the time of teaching by the Lord. While He dismisses the multitude, as stated above, the Lord sends His disciple over the sea in a boat to Bethsaida.
Reading through the passage I was struck by the straining of the disciples in that boat in that sea. Specifically, that period of time between the Lord, still on the land and seeing His disciples straining against ‘the wind [that] was against them’ to the moment His disciples, in their distress, saw Him coming to where they were. What was going through their minds: were they wondering where the Lord was? When He would be coming? Wishing He was there with them? Were they praying to God for help – to send Yeshua to help them? Probably so and more besides but whatever else may have been going through their minds, they were busy ‘straining’. Clearly, they had no other choice in the circumstances but to keep on straining against the wind, otherwise it would have prevailed against them. (But, they would not have perished – for it was the Lord Himself who had sent them, in that boat, upon that sea, at that time. And He is in control of all).
Pondering on the passage brought to mind the word of God through His prophet Isaiah:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:8-9)
The Lord chose to come when He did ‘in the fourth watch of the night.’ Why then? We are not told – although there does seem to be a hint at verse 52, that it was in aid of their faith in Him, in God. Perhaps. The fact is, we are not told why the Lord chose to come at that time or in the way He did – clearly unexpected by the disciples! What we do know is that they had to keep on straining against the wind until Yeshua came.
This speaks to the need we have of reminders to keep trusting in Lord Yeshua, to have faith in God, leaving the ‘whys’ in His hand. Lord Yeshua saw His disciples were straining. The Lord came to His disciples in their need. The Lord dealt with what was against them – and led them safely to their destination.
At times we too desperately cry out to God for help – and sometimes when it comes, it is not in the way we expected. We may even be fearful at first, just as the Lord’s disciples in this passage when He first drew near, walking on the sea. All things considered, as Spirit-born children of God – beloved children (see 1 John 3:1A) – we would do well to recall those words of our Lord to His disciples: “Be of good cheer! It is I! do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50B).
While this edifies and encourages on many levels and speaks to varying difficult circumstances we experience individually as the Church of Lord Yeshua (‘the called-out ones’) throughout the nations, ultimately it is a bright light in these end of days. Though we do live in ‘perilous times’ (see Timothy 3:1-7) and see the approach of a time of unprecedented darkness as the word of God through His prophets and apostles teach us (consider also, e.g. the Lord’s word at John 9:4) – Yeshua is coming to save us. However bad it gets, following Lord Yeshua in trust, being certain through the promises of God that we will never perish, is our safety in perilous times and in this ‘last hour’ (1 John 2:18). Here are just a few of the precious promises of God which come to mind just now:
- “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
- “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)
- “But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls.” (Luke 21:18-19).
We have to believe that Lord Yeshua is going to lead us Home, whatever that journey may look like – and in doing so, fit us to appear before God in our due time. We may now be in, or soon will be heading into a time of unprecedented straining against the “winds” of the spirit of lawlessness ruling this present world system – but we need to keep going, keep straining against it, remembering that all the Lord’s people are having to (or will have to) do the same. Let us then recall what God teaches us through His word about battling on through to our victory in Him:
- Consider the trials and afflictions of our Lord Himself throughout His earthly ministry, culminating in His sufferings on the cross – for our Recall His words at Luke 22:28 to His disciples, “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.” Note ‘trials’ – plural. Consider this as you read through the accounts of His life in the Gospels. Consider this and read, for example, Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Consider the word through the writer of Hebrews at Hebrews 12:3, ‘For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.’ Consider the word through Peter at 1 Peter 4:1, ‘Therefore as Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind..’
- Consider for example the word through Paul at 2 Timothy 3:12, ‘Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution’ and in Acts 14:22, ‘..strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
- Consider the glorious account of those who through faith battled on to victory recorded at Hebrews chapter 11.
Understand then what is meant by the term ‘straining’ and let us not overlook the key in these things given to us by the Spirit of God: that it is not by our own power or strength that we are being enabled and will be further enabled to do this, but by God’s grace through faith in ‘the greatness of His power towards us who believe’ (Ephesians 1:19, note also e.g. Ephesians 6:10-18). Peter puts it in this way, that every Spirit-born believer in Lord Yeshua are those ‘who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time’ (1 Peter 1:5). The disciples of the Lord in that boat, in that sea, at that time in the account at Mark 6:45-52 were also kept by the power of God’s word – it was the Lord Himself who sent them to Bethsaida over the sea. Their straining was not in vain. Be encouraged therefore – ‘looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith‘ (Hebrews 12:2) we are not and will not be straining against ‘the winds against us’ of this present world system in vain. Don’t give up – press on through to the victory of Lord and Saviour Messiah Yeshua which is not in this world but in His everlasting kingdom to come. He sees. He knows. Yeshua is coming. The words of Jude verses 24-25 come to mind just now:
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Saviour,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
Until He comes or calls, Shalom & God bless.
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