We all know the story of Jesus walking on the water, indeed maybe we know it so well that it becomes overfamiliar. Nonetheless, I find that there is always something fresh to discover in a study of Scripture. I’ve been looking at Mark’s gospel and, among other things, seeing all the signs that Jesus used to demonstrate who He was. So, this is the first of several studies of Mark 5-7 – though not entirely in order.
We begin with the story, taken from the related texts in Mark and Matthew:
Like Ships in the night
At once, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and start back across to Bethsaida. But he stayed until he had sent the crowds away. Then he told them goodbye and went up on the side of a mountain to pray. Later in the evening he was still there by himself, and the boat was somewhere in the middle of the lake. He could see that the disciples were struggling hard, because they were rowing against the wind. Not long before morning, Jesus came toward them. He was walking on the water and was about to pass the boat. When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost, and they started screaming. All of them saw him and were terrified. But at this same time he said, “Don't worry! I am Jesus. Don't be afraid.” He then got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. The disciples were completely confused. Their minds were closed, and they could not understand the true meaning of the loaves of bread. (Mk 6:45-50)
Peter replied, “Lord, if it really is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him. But when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and started sinking. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. At once, Jesus reached out his hand. He helped Peter up and said, “You surely don't have much faith. Why do you doubt?” When Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the wind died down. The men in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, “You really are the Son of God!” (Matt 14:28-33)
What came before? Setting the context
The back story to this is pretty extensive, beginning in Mark 5 and running through Mark 6, some of which we’ll touch on in the coming weeks. There’s the story of Legion, the rejection of Jesus in his hometown, the sending out of the disciples to minister across the country, the retelling of the story John the Baptist, and the feeding of the 5,000. The mission must have been an overwhelming success because people are agog with it and projecting where Jesus and the disciples will land, and get there ahead of them to form a welcoming party (and it does become quite the party!).
Rather than being put-out over the disruption of his plans, Jesus actually feels sorry for the people and his shepherd heart reaches out to them, so he begins doing what he always did – providing teaching and insights into the Kingdom. The day stretches out, evening comes, and the disciples get their sensible heads on and advise Jesus to send the crowd away to eat. However, as he often does, Jesus turns the situation on its head, telling the disciples to give the crowd food. Again, with a sensible head, they respond that feeding the crowd would take over a year’s wages. They are frozen by the challenge of scarcity, but Jesus simply asks what is at hand and is given five small loaves and two fish.
Sitting the crowd down, after breaking bread and giving thanks, the food is distributed and the crowd eats all they want – the text is anxious to point this out; there is no lack, no scarcity. So much so that, when it is all done, twelve large baskets of leftovers are gathered up. Just as God had done in Exodus 16, so has Jesus in this episode – the people are fed.
Passing them by?
Immediately, Jesus packs the disciples in a boat bound for Bethsaida whilst he wraps up things with the crowd, then taking time by himself to pray. A storm arises while the disciples are still rowing across the Galilee, and at some point, in the dog watches of the pre-dawn, Jesus decides to meet them on the water. Yet, as Jesus travels toward those at sea, the Gospel writer adds that “he meant to pass by them” (Mark 6:48). It is only when the disciples see him and react in fright that their teacher turns to speak with them. But if Jesus is walking on the water to save his struggling disciples, why does Mark tell us that he intends to pass beyond the boat? I would suggest that the Gospel includes this curious information in order to further extend the connection of Jesus’ actions to what God had done in the past.
The Glory of God
Mark tells that as Jesus “came to [his disciples], walking on the sea, he meant to pass by”, using the Greek (παρελθεῖν; parelthein) (Mk 6:48). This level of detail may sound a little odd, but it is crucial for our understanding of Jesus as the one through whom God works on earth. Back in Exodus 33, Moses asks God if he can see His divine glory (כבוד; kavod). The Lord tells him that no human being “can see my face” (Exodus 33:20). But by way of a compromise, God puts Moses in the cleft of a rock and tells him to look once the Glory has gone by.
In the Greek Septuagint, in this passage, God tells Moses, “When my glory passes by (παρέλθῃ; parélthe), I will place you in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by (παρέλθω; paréltho). And I will remove my hand and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen” (Ex 33:22-23). Moses gets to see God’s “back” (אחור; achor), but the Lord protects Moses by blocking his view of the divine visage.
God puts Moses in the cleft of a rock and tells him to look once the Glory has gone by.... It is this narrative that Mark is recalling as he describes Jesus walking on the stormy sea.
It is this narrative that Mark is recalling as he describes Jesus walking on the stormy sea. Reading this Hebraically, we can take this reference and apply Jesus ‘passing by His disciples’ as a clear indication that Jesus is replicating this very act of God with Moses.
Jesus – ‘I Am’
Indeed, the words Jesus uses when speaking to His disciples’ underscores this. Our English translation of this – “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid” (Mk 6:50) – is a significant piece of misdirection of what the Greek really says. Whilst ‘it is I’ is a reasonable translation, the best translation would be ‘I am’ (ἐγώ εἰμι; ego eimi)—the same phrase with which God responds to Moses at the burning bush according to the Septuagint: “And God said to Moses, ‘I am’ (ἐγώ εἰμι; ego eimi)” (Ex 3:14 LXX). If walking on water weren’t enough, the Gospel includes subtle linguistic cues to show that Jesus re-enacts the words and deeds of God.
It is when the disciples see Jesus, who they think might be a ghost, walking on the water, that they are afraid... Yet it is in the hearing, where Jesus declares, ‘I Am’ that courage and faith returns.
It is also worth noting the confluence of ideas around seeing and hearing. It is when the disciples see Jesus, who they think might be a ghost, walking on the water, that they are afraid, and we read in Matthew’s account that when Peter sees the strength of the wind, he is afraid. Yet it is in the hearing, where Jesus declares, ‘I Am’ that courage and faith returns. It brings to mind Paul’s teaching that faith comes from hearing the word of God (Rom 10:17).
Little faith?
I want to draw your attention to this aspect. Once they heard Jesus’ words, the disciples' faith increased. I sense that our translators have missed the point, when Peter is described as “you of little faith”. Traditionally, the Church views Jesus’ words ‘little faith’ as an admonition, indeed, one that is overused in some of today’s faith ministries. However, let us consider two elements: first, Jesus has just demonstrated God’s glory to these disciples and, second, Peter has truly demonstrated enormous faith in actually getting out of the boat. I don’t think they really had such little faith.
My sense, and suggestion, here is that Jesus is engaging in the gospel equivalent of banter, and that ‘little faith’ is a nickname, a kind of ‘O little faith, why are you doubting’. I am suggesting this is an affectionate gee-up from a teacher to his disciple as He reaches out and takes Peter’s hand and they walk back to the boat. Immediately they get in the wind dies down, and the disciples declare their faith in Jesus: “You really are the Son of God” – a further indication that Jesus really is the great ’I Am’.