This passage is so well known that the phrase "walking on water" is now part of everyday use, though not everyday practice! This was the passage for the sermon used in last week's online service. In fact there are three parallel passages in Mt 14:22-33, Mk 6:45-52 and Jn 6:15-21 - the sermon was based on the Mt passage.
Only Mt records the vignette of Peter getting out of the boat to walk toward Jesus. Mk does not record this even though traditionally Mark's gospel is associated with Peter. This vignette is often used to teach about stepping outside your comfort zone for God, and looking to Jesus rather than earthly difficulties to overcome in life. But I wonder whether such messages were intended by the gospel writers. Focussing on this part of the account misses the elephant in the room: Jesus walked on water but that is something human beings cannot (naturally) do.
Mark and Matthew record that Jesus compelled the disciples to get into the boat and go across the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida/Gennesaret/Capernaum while Jesus dismissed the crowd and went up a mountain to pray. The difficulty over the actual route over the lake is discussed here: Was Mark Confused Pertaining to the Location of the Feeding of the 5,000? - Risen Jesus, Inc.
Another issue is did Jesus know the storm was coming and so deliberately set the disciples a trial of their physical strength and the strength of their faith? Mark seems to be saying that Jesus came to them over the lake because he saw them struggling against the strong wind. The image below of the lake from the Golan Heights show this to be feasible - in moonlight?
I think this indicates the answer is no. Jesus reacted to a situation that arose in the natural course of events. Elsewhere we read that Jesus did not have complete knowledge in his humble state, for instance asking the father of an epileptic boy "how long had he been like this" (Mk 9:21 NIV).
I don't think I've ever heard anyone consider how was this for Jesus? Nazareth is not near any large body of water. Jesus spent some time in Egypt as a small child but is it likely he tried this out there? Rather I think we should envisage Jesus stepping out in faith. Jesus heard the voice of his heavenly Father at his baptism but I still think this act required great faith on Jesus' part.
In Mk 6:48 we have the odd comment "he (Jesus) intended to pass by" when he reached the disciples. This is hard to understand given that it is Mk who gives the strong wind as the reason for Jesus to walk on water towards the boat. This situation is hardly like the road to Emmaus!
Peter's action is sometimes represented as boastful or even stupid but I think there is another logical reason for Peter's action. All three accounts have the disciples thinking Jesus to be a ghost. Peter asks Jesus "if it is you, command me to come to you". Had Peter worked out (from the earlier mission maybe) that the disciples could do what Jesus did. If so, this would be how to prove whether this was Jesus or a ghost. Given they could hear and see Jesus he must have been fairly close to the boat.
I think the key to the message of this passage comes at the end. In Matthew the disciples worshipped Jesus saying "truly you are the son of God". In Mark we are told they were "astounded" because their hearts had been "hardened" over the miracle of the "loaves".
Jesus is trying to impress on his disciples that he has authority over nature. They didn't receive this message in the feeding of the five thousand so Jesus has used this opportunity to press the message home. Jesus' earthly ministry is drawing to a close and he wants to make sure the disciples really understand who he is. it is not long before Jesus asks the disciples the big question about who he is (e.g. Mt 16:13-16).
This is often presented as "don't do this at home". I wondered whether there had ever been any short lived sect of water walkers but I haven't been able to find any evidence of such a sect. Even so, should this account have been recorded by the gospel writers given the danger of literal imitation of Jesus. After all, Christianity is very much not a religion of common sense.
Only Mt records the vignette of Peter getting out of the boat to walk toward Jesus. Mk does not record this even though traditionally Mark's gospel is associated with Peter. This vignette is often used to teach about stepping outside your comfort zone for God, and looking to Jesus rather than earthly difficulties to overcome in life. But I wonder whether such messages were intended by the gospel writers. Focussing on this part of the account misses the elephant in the room: Jesus walked on water but that is something human beings cannot (naturally) do.
Mark and Matthew record that Jesus compelled the disciples to get into the boat and go across the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida/Gennesaret/Capernaum while Jesus dismissed the crowd and went up a mountain to pray. The difficulty over the actual route over the lake is discussed here: Was Mark Confused Pertaining to the Location of the Feeding of the 5,000? - Risen Jesus, Inc.
Another issue is did Jesus know the storm was coming and so deliberately set the disciples a trial of their physical strength and the strength of their faith? Mark seems to be saying that Jesus came to them over the lake because he saw them struggling against the strong wind. The image below of the lake from the Golan Heights show this to be feasible - in moonlight?
I think this indicates the answer is no. Jesus reacted to a situation that arose in the natural course of events. Elsewhere we read that Jesus did not have complete knowledge in his humble state, for instance asking the father of an epileptic boy "how long had he been like this" (Mk 9:21 NIV).
I don't think I've ever heard anyone consider how was this for Jesus? Nazareth is not near any large body of water. Jesus spent some time in Egypt as a small child but is it likely he tried this out there? Rather I think we should envisage Jesus stepping out in faith. Jesus heard the voice of his heavenly Father at his baptism but I still think this act required great faith on Jesus' part.
In Mk 6:48 we have the odd comment "he (Jesus) intended to pass by" when he reached the disciples. This is hard to understand given that it is Mk who gives the strong wind as the reason for Jesus to walk on water towards the boat. This situation is hardly like the road to Emmaus!
Peter's action is sometimes represented as boastful or even stupid but I think there is another logical reason for Peter's action. All three accounts have the disciples thinking Jesus to be a ghost. Peter asks Jesus "if it is you, command me to come to you". Had Peter worked out (from the earlier mission maybe) that the disciples could do what Jesus did. If so, this would be how to prove whether this was Jesus or a ghost. Given they could hear and see Jesus he must have been fairly close to the boat.
I think the key to the message of this passage comes at the end. In Matthew the disciples worshipped Jesus saying "truly you are the son of God". In Mark we are told they were "astounded" because their hearts had been "hardened" over the miracle of the "loaves".
Jesus is trying to impress on his disciples that he has authority over nature. They didn't receive this message in the feeding of the five thousand so Jesus has used this opportunity to press the message home. Jesus' earthly ministry is drawing to a close and he wants to make sure the disciples really understand who he is. it is not long before Jesus asks the disciples the big question about who he is (e.g. Mt 16:13-16).
This is often presented as "don't do this at home". I wondered whether there had ever been any short lived sect of water walkers but I haven't been able to find any evidence of such a sect. Even so, should this account have been recorded by the gospel writers given the danger of literal imitation of Jesus. After all, Christianity is very much not a religion of common sense.
