Mark 6:47 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

NIV: Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.

NASB: When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land.

CSB: Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.

NLT: Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land.

KJV: And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

NKJV: Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.

Before Jesus dismisses the thousands that He fed with five loaves of barley bread and two fish, He sends the Twelve on back across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. He had meant to give them a short respite after their time spent healing, exorcising demons, and preaching repentance. The five thousand men plus women and children who follow Him require a different response. After the impromptu meal, the crowd makes plans to make Him king. Possibly to shield them from such talk, Jesus quickly sends the Twelve away.

Jesus spends the night on a nearby mountain, praying and communing with God, while the Twelve row south against strong winds (Mark 6:48). By all rights, they should be at Capernaum by now. But the wind protects them as much as Jesus' dismissal. If they arrive in Capernaum before Him, they may get caught up with the same crowds.

Anyone who has been a mindful Christian for any length of time knows that God often takes time to sanctify us. We learn in the waiting. Our patience and faith grow when we are stretched by circumstances. But we don't always stop and think that God can protect us by stalling us. Young believers should generally not be put into leadership roles. Christians who have not immersed themselves in the Bible should not study other religions or anti-Christian arguments. Those who have not learned the basics should not teach.

When we are faced with a brick wall, whether in life or ministry, it may be something that we need to pray away, or it may be God's way of telling us that we're not ready yet. We may lack training or spiritual maturity, or it may be that we are not ready for the dangers and temptations on the other side of that wall. We need the grace of God's milk before we are ready for solid food (1 Corinthians 3:2).

Mark 6:45–52 continues to escalate the scope of Jesus' miracles. From healing illnesses and injuries (Mark 1:33–34) to raising the dead (Mark 5:35–43). From exorcising one demon (Mark 1:23–26) to expelling a horde of them (Mark 5:1–15). From calming the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35–41) to this account, where Jesus walks on its waters. Still, the Twelve continue to misunderstand who Jesus is and what He has come to do. They think He will be king and save Israel from the Romans. By sending them ahead of Him, He shields them from the crowd who believe the same. This miracle is also found in Matthew 14:22–33 and John 6:16–21.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.