BIBLE STUDY: WALKING on WATER
A. BACKGROUND... All four Gospels are personal attempts to introduce us to the Jesus that each Gospel writer had devoted themselves to. Devoted isn’t strong enough. They followed, dedicated themselves, committed to, sacrificed for, adored, worshiped. In short, they turned their lives upside down for Jesus; and yearned to turn the world inside out for Jesus, too. These stories and sayings of Jesus are the brick and mortar upon which they build their world-challenging, world-changing faith. We apply them to ourselves, and our times. But first we experience them as they did. .
C. SUMMARY. After a day of teaching and feeding the multitude, an exhausted Jesus went to a mountain to pray. He sent his disciples on a boat to cross a large lake. They battled a storm. Observing this, Jesus joins them by “walking on water.” Appearing like a ghost, the disciples are scared. To prove his presence, Jesus invites Peter to do the same – jump out of the boat and walk on water toward Jesus. Peter tries it, walks on water, realizes what he’s doing, loses courage, and sinks. Jesus saves him, questioning Peter’s faith. MEANWHILE, some of the crowd from yesterday’s miracle of feeding the 5,000 show up, wanting another miracle. Jesus explains the vital importance of faith/belief to trying, understanding, experience, and embracing what Jesus offers. He contrasts the temporary with the eternal.
D. KEY POINTS
1) Driving atheists crazy (meaning no disrespect). I have a ton of experience with would-be atheists. I emphasize that in my experience I have only met two thoroughly sure, well thought out atheists. Most who claim atheism are angry at religion or a church or some clergy. Many confuse two terms: agnostic (I don’t know) and atheist (I don’t believe). Among my many conversations with atheists and agnostics a common thread is to point to some miracle story in the Bible and say “You can’t believe that!!”, referring to Moses parting the Red Sea, the Virgin Birth and today’s story of Jesus walking on water. “It stretched credulity,” people say—which is precisely the purpose of faith, to stretch our boundaries of imagination and belief.
2) “Something Happened That Day” is the title of my most popular and oft-repeated poems. I run through dozens of miracles from the Bible and bracket them with:
“Something happened that day
something “passing strange”
as they used to say
happened that day
Something outside the normal range
of whatever
human endeavor
finds acceptable.”
It’s still fair to ask, “What DID happen?” My go-to Biblical Scholar, William Barclay, notes that in the oldest Bible versions in Greek, that exact same phrase is used by John two different times. Here it is translated “walking on the water” and elsewhere “walking along the shore.” Fair enough. But that doesn’t explain the disciples’ fright, Peter’s successful attempt, followed by a loss of faith and sinking. Still, the point of the story seems larger than the inexplicable miracle. Barclay draws four lessons: Jesus watches (he sees their distress), comes (whether by normal land or miraculous sea, he got to them), helps (when Peter sinks, Jesus lifts him up) and saves (brings them to safe harbor to continue their discipleship). Every miracle Jesus does points to a larger purpose that includes us. That’s why a lot of popular Bibles nowadays are called “Life Application” Bibles. Unusual miracles, powerful words, legendary people are all there for us to learn from.
3) People love a good SHOW. Entertainment. Amusement. A sermon of my father’s reminded us that “amusement”, from the Greek, means “without thinking.” Jesus was, in part, one of the amusements of his day, a break from the routine. A popular speaker, charismatic leader, wonder-worker. So, when the crowd pursues him (verse 25) he knows they are confused about their expectations. Are they looking for another miracle? More free, even supernatural, food? Further proof that he was the Messiah to save them from the Romans? But vs 28-35 makes clear – his purpose is eternal, the long range, the Big Picture. When the crowd asked what “work” they should do to please God, he told them “the work of God is to believe” in him. Later he will add, the proof of believing is in the doing.
