Jesus just finished the miracle of feeding 5000 men and their families with 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Really amazing miracle, considering everyone had their fill. Then Jesus INSISTS that the disciples get into a boat and head across lake Bethsaida, and then he tells everyone "goodbye" go home. Then Jesus goes up to the hill to pray ... to finally spend some time alone with God.
Around 3 am Jesus see's his disciples in trouble on the lake, they're rowing against the wind, Jesus walks on the water toward them, but .. check this out in vs. 48 "He intended to go past them" He was just going to go to the other side of the lake, no intention of stopping for them. But when the disciples cry out in terror thinking that they see a ghost, Jesus tells them "take courage" and gets into the boat. Of course then the stormy waves calm and everything's ok. The disciples were totally amazed that He calmed the storm, because their hearts were to hard to take in the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Couple things I'll point out to myself (before I have to shove the snow off my car.) and to whoever reads this. The hearts of the disciples were to hard to take in the miracle of the loaves and fishes. It was astounding the miracle that Jesus performed, but they couldn't understand it ... and couldn't therefore understand Jesus calming the storm in the boat or that Jesus walked on water. They didn't let God take total control of their hearts, and they continued to see Jesus as just a man, instead of the Christ. ..at least, that's what I think.
Another thing that is subtle, is that Jesus was going to let the disciples weather the storm, he was going to walk by. Not because he didn't care, but maybe because he knew that they could weather it.
There is alot to ponder. For me, today, it's not to harden my heart to who Jesus is, and to trust him no matter what the weather or storm is in my life. ... or at work. He is in control!! Awesome stuff.
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