Have you ever been going along enjoying life? I am talking about everything just going great. The kids are all doing well, no problems there. The boss seems to think you are the greatest, no problems there. The car is running perfect, in fact getting the best gas mileage it has ever gotten, no problems there. Your mother in law even acts like she likes you, no problems there.
Then suddenly, out of no where, troubles come pouring in! The kids are in trouble with the teacher, problems there! The teacher is in trouble with the principal, problems there! The boss isn’t happy with anything you try to do, problems there! Even if you stood on your head they wouldn’t be happy, problems there! The car no longer is your friend, problems there! Your mother in law has decided you are just as bad as she said you were before you married your spouse, problems there!
The sun has gone behind more than a cloud. It has totally disappeared and the bright sun shine is gone. In its place is a dark dismal gloomy day! Have you ever had this happen to you? Do you know what I am talking about?
Most folks started nodding their heads in agreement at the start of the second paragraph. That doesn’t mean that they are pessimist. It doesn’t mean that they are always looking at the doom and gloom. It does mean they are living life. This is the way that life is. One minute you are going along thinking life couldn’t get any better. The next you are going along and thinking life couldn’t get any worse. That is life!
A while back, I was involved in an “on-line” discussion. Now this was a Christian discussion so the blood was only flowing as high as the “horse’s stirrups,” it hadn’t gotten as high as the bridles yet. One participant said, with great emphasis, “I am screaming READ MARK 6, READ MARK 6!!”
Well instantly I am interested in what Mark chapter 6 has to say about our discussion. I reach over to my trusty mouse and take it in my delicate little hand. I click, and then I click again. I wiggle it and click again. Then I type a few strokes on the keyboard and wallah! I am reading from Mark 6 on my Bible. (I love computers!)
Now try as I might I never did figure out what Mark chapter 6 had to do with what we were talking about in the discussion. After reading it a couple of times I realized that the discusser must have made a typo. I also realized, at the same time, that God had probably allowed it to happen because He had something to say to me from Mark chapter 6.
The disciples have been ministering. Jesus had taken them with Him as He went from town to town. They had observed Him as He had ministered. Then Jesus had sent them into the surrounding area in groups of two.
Their efforts and works were blessed. Devils were cast out. They anointed the sick with oil and they recovered. They preached a message of repentance that resounded all of the way to the king’s house. Their missionary tour has been blessed.
Yet when they returned the disciples are very weary. Life hasn’t been treating them all that well. The pressure has been great. In fact, the emphasis of their report to Jesus is the death of John the Baptist.
Seemingly, just in the nick of time, Jesus steps on the scene and tells them it is time to take a vacation. In fact, let’s make it a little cruise. He tells them to get in the ship and they go to a desert place. It was just Jesus and His disciples.
Well, that was the way the travel agent told them it would be. You know, take this trip and get away from all of the pressure. Just enjoy life at a faraway place. So off they go and when they got there, they were met by the crowds. In fact, they were met by large crowds that wanted their attention.
Instead of resting and being able to refresh themselves, they must again work. Rather than a time of relaxation it became many hours of serving. Instead of having a time alone with the Master they had to share that time with a multitude of people.
Jesus begins to teach those who have come to learn from Him. The day passes and the crowd grows. The disciples realize the people need to eat. It is also at this time they realized the local McD’s isn’t going to work. In fact, there is not a place close enough for the people to find food.
It is interesting as you read this passage the disciples realize the lateness of the day and the fact they do not have any food with them is a big problem. They actually tell Jesus to send the people away so they can find food.
We need to realize that Jesus has set the scene for a miracle. He says to His disciples, “Why don’t you feed them?”
Not totally “with it” the disciples ask Jesus, “Do you want us to go get food for everyone?” They aren’t following His thought pattern at this time.
Jesus then asks “How much food do you have? Go ask the people.”
Too often we see our problem as a road block. We view it as the end of the line. We are ready to bail out, to jump off. We are seeing a train wreck about to happen. Yet at the same time God is seeing it as an opportunity for a miracle!
We see the multitude that needs to be fed. We recognize the need and are very concerned that it be met. Then we are ready to give up on the situation right then. In our opinion it can’t get any worse. Jesus sees the need and recognizes the multitude needs to be fed and in his opinion things are just perfect, it is a miracle setting.
They inquire of the people and come up with five loaves and two fish which they present to Jesus. He takes them, breaks them in pieces and feeds a multitude of people. What an incredible miracle. It is a miracle that many times we brush over because of the familiarity of the story. From nothing he feeds a multitude of people. Five thousand men and maybe two or three times that amount of women and children. Jesus feeds them, friend this is truly a miracle of colossal proportions.
It doesn’t matter the magnitude of our situation, He can meet the need. It doesn’t matter if there seems no way to take care of it. He can take care of it and bless others while He is doing so.
The next part of this story I want us to pay close attention to. I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to gloss over things in the Bible that I have read or heard told a lot. Let’s consider a few things here.
The Bible tells us that Jesus constrained His disciples to get in the ship and told them to go to the other side of the lake to Bethsaida. He was going to get rid of the crowd. After getting rid of the crowd, Jesus went to the mountain to pray.
The word constrained in the Bible means to compel. In our vernacular it means to require. In fact, every translation that I read this passage in says that Jesus “made” them get in the boat to go to Bethsaida. He put them in a place where they would encounter a situation that would be an opportunity for another miracle. He left them to deal with that opportunity on their own, enabling them to recognize their need for Him.
Jesus then goes to the mountain to pray. When the dark time came He saw them on the sea. This is the part that really caught my attention. The Bible says that Jesus saw them in the midst of the sea toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them.
They were in a situation. It is about three o’clock in the morning. They are very tired. They have been through some great difficulties in the past weeks. They had a very strenuous day of ministering to a multitude of people. Now they have been on the water for some time working in a very adverse situation. Things were not going their way at all.
I find myself in these types of situations. I feel I have carried a heavy load for a long time. I have spent time giving of myself. Even still, I am struggling with all my might and seemingly I am going nowhere.
It is in this scene that Jesus shows up. He comes walking to them out of their storm. Walking on what they are struggling with. It was a miracle right before their eyes. He is in total control of the whole situation. A miracle in the midst of a storm, and they almost missed it!
Jesus would have walked on by if they hadn’t called Him. Someone told me one time, “God is a gentleman, and He doesn’t force Himself on anyone with out an invitation.”
How many times have I allowed Jesus to walk past in the midst of the storm? I get so busy! I get so involved! I fail to look around for Him to help me. I am toiling! I am giving it everything that I have got! I am putting my all into it! What I really need to do is look for my miracle. It is passing me by walking on my storm.
When Jesus enters the boat the disciples are amazed. They could not believe what had just happened. As we would say, “Their minds were completely blown!”
The Bible tells us the reason for their astonishment. I really think this is something that we need to pay close attention to. The reason for their astonishment was they did not consider the miracle of the loaves and fish. They had been blind to what had really happened. They failed to understand what Jesus was showing them. He was saying, “No matter where you are and no matter what the situation, I will meet the need.”
Have we considered our miracle? Do we understand that God can and will meet every need that we have in our lives? Do we forget the miracles of the past? Do we remember what God did yesterday or last month? He we considered our miracle?
We need to recognize that God allows us to be in a situation where He can show His power. Not too much further down the road he is going to allow us, or even put us, to be in a situation where we will need to remember our miracle in order to get out of the situation.
I pray that when I am in my next storm, which I know will come, to remember my miracle. I pray that I will remember that God has allowed me to be there because he has confidence in me, confidence that I will go to the other side. The last verses of the story tell us the disciples saw some of the greatest miracles of their lives when they reached the other shore.
