Mark 6:50 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

NIV: because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."

NASB: for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, 'Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.'

CSB: because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, "Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."

NLT: 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! '

KJV: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

NKJV: for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

The disciples have seen something they did not expect: Jesus walking on the surface of the water, during a wind storm. As one might expect, their first reaction to this is fear. As such, "heart" here doesn't mean the blood-pumping organ. This comes from the Greek root word tharseo which means "courage or cheer." Jesus means for His miraculous appearance to give the Twelve courage and gladness. That will only be possible if their hearts are softened to His leading. Instead, their hearts are hardened (Mark 6:52) and they react in fear.

It is thought that Mark got much of his information from Peter. This may be why Mark doesn't cover one of the more remarkable events in this story. After Jesus tells the Twelve to "take heart," Peter boldly tells Jesus, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water" (Matthew 14:28). Peter is able to take a few steps toward Jesus, but when he takes his eyes off Jesus and onto the waves, his faith falters, and he starts to sink. Jesus rescues him, and they climb back into the boat (Matthew 14:29–32). Ancient writers, particularly those of the New Testament, seem to shy away from retelling stories that might be misinterpreted as bragging.

Humans are ironic creatures. When we are threatened or confused, we tend to shut our hearts down and try to protect ourselves until we understand the situation better. The trouble comes when we regard God as part of that threat. He may speak against our lifestyle or ask us to do something we're not sure about. When we look at the circumstances, it's easy to get afraid and shut down.

We miss a lot when our hearts are hardened. When we are afraid, we miss seeing God as He is. When He has to constantly remind us to not be afraid of our surroundings or of His power and glory, it sets back our relationship and keeps us from fully joining in His work. God calls us to look at Him, instead. When we keep our eyes on Him and remember everything He has done for us, the fear goes away, and we can obey Him in confidence.

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.