Jesus Walking On Water

I can’t remember very many times that I’ve laughed while reading scripture. But last night I chuckled and then straight up laughed while reading the accounts of Jesus walking on water.

I first read the account out of Mark and chuckled:

“When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and [Jesus] was alone on land. He was the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.”

Did anyone catch anything sort of funny in that excerpt?

It’s noteworthy that Jesus saw the disciples struggling in the evening but didn’t go out to them until the fourth watch of the night—between 3am and 6am. That’s a lot of time that Jesus let the disciples strain at the oars.

What’s funny to me, though, is that this account says that he was about to pass by them! Like…he was on a casual stroll on the lake and was just going to walk right by the boat if he wasn’t noticed! 😊 I wonder if he’d have kept going if the disciples hadn’t thought him a ghost. I wonder if he’d have passed right by them, left the disciples straining at the oars, walked to the other side of the lake, and waited for the disciples to arrive. I’m not sure how else Jesus was planning to get to the other side anyway. And I’m not sure why it took the disciples so long to get across the lake. You’d think that maybe they were hanging out in the middle of the lake so that they could go and get Jesus the next morning…

And then in John, I straight up laughed:

“…By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.”

Did anyone catch anything funny in that excerpt?

It’s noteworthy that the disciples had only rowed three to three and a half miles. There was no reason for them to be hanging out in the lake all night unless, maybe, they really were waiting to go back and get Jesus from the shore—or, maybe, they were clueless without him.

What’s funny to me, though, is that “they were willing to take him into the boat!” They were willing! Hahahaha! Imagine the scene. Jesus was standing in the lake in the middle of a storm, wet from head to toe, and they knew it was him, yet they had to decide if they were going to let him into the boat! Or at least that’s how this passage makes it sound. THEN, they were WILLING to take him into the boat. Did they really consider just leaving Jesus, a friend, their master, in the middle of the lake?! Probably. Because, when we’re scared, we do stupid things…

Dear God: When we’re straining at the oars and the storm doesn’t calm and you don’t seem to be coming to save us, help us to keep straining at the oars until we realize that you are beside us…and then help us not to be so ignorantly afraid that we consider anything other than being willing to let you in the boat. Thank you for being creative enough to walk on water. And thank you for being patient with us when we are just plain dense. Amen. And Amen.