W. L. Totty
Text: John 6: 15-24
The text of our lesson describes events which occurred shortly after Jesus had performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand. The multitude was fed, as Luke says, in “a desert place belonging to the city of Bethsaida,” which was situated on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The miracle of feeding the five thousand is recorded by all four of the gospel writers. Luke, however, omits the account of Jesus’ walking on the sea.
It seems that the people were thoroughly convinced by the miracle of feeding the multitude that Jesus was the Messiah, but they had allowed their patriotism and love for their country to blind them to the real purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world. They had been subjugated to the Roman government for many years; and they expected Jesus to lead them in battle against their enemies, as David of old had done. Thus we have the statement in John 6:15, “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” Just why Jesus did not at this time describe to them his real purpose in coming into the world is not known. For some reason he preferred not to tell them, but to depart from them. We can only conclude from that that the time had not come for Jesus to tell in detail his purpose. However, when he was apprehended and taken before Pilate, he said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” (John 18: 36.)
We learn by Matthew that Jesus sent his disciples by boat to Capernaum, his home, on the western shore of Galilee, before he dismissed the multitude. And after the multitude went away, he went up into a mountain to pray.
The record tells us that “they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs” when they saw Jesus walking on the sea. That would indicate that they had rowed about three miles from the place where they started on the eastern coast of the Sea of Galilee. Their course, however, did not take them across the main body of the sea, but parallel to the northern shore; so, we are not to conclude that they were three miles offshore when Jesus came walking on the water. It is possible that he was following along the northern shore of the sea, watching them as they rowed along. It is a great consolation to Christian people today to know that Jesus is near and is watching us in all of our trials and tribulations. The apostle Peter tells us that “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” (1 Pet. 3:12.)
It is not necessary to conclude that the storm which arose on the sea was a miracle. It was more likely just one of the many things that are apt to cross the path of the children of God. And the point that we need to learn is that when those things come, Jesus is there to help us. In the midst of their trouble, they saw “Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.” Matthew says, “They were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.” Fear always reflects a lack of faith. The disciples so soon forgot the loving care and protection of Jesus when he had performed the miracle to save the multitude from hunger. Now they revert back to superstition and believe that they see a spirit and are afraid. But Jesus calmed their fear by saying, “It is I: be not afraid.” In other words, where Jesus is, there is no cause for fear.
Matthew tells us that Peter asked Jesus for permission to walk on the water; and the record says, “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Faith had dispelled fear, and Peter was able to walk on the surface of the water just as Jesus did. But Matthew further tells us that when Peter “saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” Peter’s faith, though strong enough to enable him to walk on the water, was not strong enough to completely annihilate fear. As long as he looked to Jesus, he was able to walk on the surface of the water; but when he took his eyes from Jesus, and focused them on the boisterous sea around him, he lost his faith; and fear took possession. It manifests a weak faith for us to be afraid when God has promised to be with us.
At that point, the disciples “willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.” How true it is today that when, in the midst of trials and perplexities and troubles of all sorts that come upon us daily, we receive Jesus, we are immediately transferred across the sea of our material troubles.
(Gospel Advocate, August 1, 1957, pp. 482-483.)