Monday, December 2, 2013

Mark 6:45-56--Walking on the Water

According to Mark's account, immediately after Jesus had fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, he ordered his disciples to get into the boat and "go on ahead to the other side."  He said farewell and went up on the mountain to pray.  As evening came, while Jesus was alone on land, the disciples strained at their oars "against an adverse wind."  Mark reports that as Jesus came toward them, he intended to walk on past them (possibly to meet them at the destination, because they were making so little headway against the waves).  As Jesus was walking on the sea, the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost and cried out in fear.  Immediately, Jesus called out, "It is I; do not be afraid."  When he joined them in the boat, the wind ceased, and the disciples were astounded, "for they did not understand about the loaves."  Why does Mark mention the loaves that had fed the crowd?  What is the connection between this incident and the feeding incident?  Why does Mark keep saying that things happened "immediately"?  In what sense does Mark suggest that the disciples' hearts "were hardened"?

In all events, when the boat landed, Jesus and the disciples were in the land of Genesaret, where people recognized Jesus "at once."  Wherever he went in the region, people brought sick people to Jesus, begging him to heal them.  Mark reports that all those who even touched the fringe of his cloak were healed.  The reference to "fringe" may refer to a prayer shawl, reminding people of the protection of God's "wings."  Recall that in Chapter 5, a woman had sought to be healed by Jesus by touching the hem of his garment, in a manner that might have been intended to avoid a direct contact that could render Jesus ritually unclean.  In what ways does Mark use these sick and desperate people to compare and contrast to Jesus' disciples?  How might their understanding be similarly limited?