Word@Work 079 - Mark 6:50b-52
Published: Mon, 03/10/08
Word@Work from BeaconLight
Read Mark 6:50b-52 Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (NIV)
Exhausted people don't always make good decisions. The disciples' conclusion that the figure of a man, walking on water, in the middle of the night - must be a ghost - owed more to superstition than reality. As they screamed out in terror, Jesus brought reality a step closer ... as he spoke, and turned to climb into the boat. His "take courage", recognised their immediate need to move from despair to faith. "It is I", identified him as the Master they knew and loved. "Don't be afraid", was a command, not only for that pre-dawn darkness but for every dark moment in the future.
As He moved from the water to the boat, even the howling wind had to admit that it was time to be quiet. The Lord had arrived and was in total control. But the disciples could not work it all out ... because they had not understood the last lesson (feeding the 5000). The lesson was one of identity, "Who is this Jesus?" The mountainside meal should have given them the clue; so should the previous boat-in-a-storm experience (Mark 4:35-41): on that occasion they even verbalised the question, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
The key evangelistic challenge is the always the same, "What do you think of Christ?" (cf. Matthew 22:42). The only way to answer that, is by considering the evidence contained in the Bible. And an essential task for us who are Christians is to tell our friends - where to dig to find the treasure! How about starting a discussion group at work, looking at Jesus' central role in history? You could use BeaconLight's 'CrossCheck' presentation to be found at www.crosscheck.org.uk (the Bible verses are even written out for you!). Just try asking a friend to watch it with you!
Prayer: Dear Lord. I can see how important it is for my friends to discover who you are by looking at the evidence. Help me to have the courage to encourage my friends to look at the Biblical evidence of who You are - even if I cannot answer all their questions! In Jesus' Name, Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
Exhausted people don't always make good decisions. The disciples' conclusion that the figure of a man, walking on water, in the middle of the night - must be a ghost - owed more to superstition than reality. As they screamed out in terror, Jesus brought reality a step closer ... as he spoke, and turned to climb into the boat. His "take courage", recognised their immediate need to move from despair to faith. "It is I", identified him as the Master they knew and loved. "Don't be afraid", was a command, not only for that pre-dawn darkness but for every dark moment in the future.
As He moved from the water to the boat, even the howling wind had to admit that it was time to be quiet. The Lord had arrived and was in total control. But the disciples could not work it all out ... because they had not understood the last lesson (feeding the 5000). The lesson was one of identity, "Who is this Jesus?" The mountainside meal should have given them the clue; so should the previous boat-in-a-storm experience (Mark 4:35-41): on that occasion they even verbalised the question, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
The key evangelistic challenge is the always the same, "What do you think of Christ?" (cf. Matthew 22:42). The only way to answer that, is by considering the evidence contained in the Bible. And an essential task for us who are Christians is to tell our friends - where to dig to find the treasure! How about starting a discussion group at work, looking at Jesus' central role in history? You could use BeaconLight's 'CrossCheck' presentation to be found at www.crosscheck.org.uk (the Bible verses are even written out for you!). Just try asking a friend to watch it with you!
Prayer: Dear Lord. I can see how important it is for my friends to discover who you are by looking at the evidence. Help me to have the courage to encourage my friends to look at the Biblical evidence of who You are - even if I cannot answer all their questions! In Jesus' Name, Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
W@W079 | Word@Work 2008 © Dr Paul Adams | Provided by BeaconLight
Contact us at [email protected]
Your next Word@Work will be sent on
Contact us at [email protected]
Your next Word@Work will be sent on