Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in. [Mark 6.45-52]
Based on events and conversations already taken place by this time, what Jesus did and said here in this passage needs to be carefully considered.
Before this "walking on the water" event, Jesus had just fed 5000 men along with women and children with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. But even before feeding this multitude, Jesus taught His men a noteworthy teaching about hard-heartedness:
That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.13-15]
So what was the significance of the miracle of feeding the 5000 as it related to the disciples' amazement with Jesus walking on the water that their hearts were too hard to take it in?
If I can get past my own hard heart, it would seem that the significance of what took place here was not so much that Jesus was above the laws of the universe, but that the disciples should understand their authority in the same realm and act accordingly!
But they didn't.
And we don't.
But we should.
We must not overlook the fact that the only reason the disciples were amazed about Jesus walking on the water was because their hearts were hard. They should not have been amazed, but rather should have taken Jesus' miracle of walking on the water as nothing particularly unusual for one operating in the power of, and in obedience to, God Almighty.
That is why we should not get all hung up on miracles. Miracles should only be a means to the end of revealing the power and love of God to a world in desperate need. But without miracles, that revelation is hindered. We don't worship the vehicles that bring us to church, but they are very important to getting us there.
How then do we become so nonchalant about miracles? GOOD QUESTION! The answer is simply this: we must know the Father as Jesus knew the Father. With this knowledge of God, our view of the world and everything in it changes. To the contrary, with the knowledge of the world, our view of God is changed manifesting most clearly in fear.
The significance of the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 is the same significance of every miracle Jesus performed! God is more powerful than any obstacle we encounter!
Our hearts are hardened when our focus in on the world and not on God.
Father, forgive me for being so knowledgeable of the world and so ignorant of You.
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