Daily Lesson for February 1, 2019

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 6 verses 45 through 53:

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.

I have lengthened this mornings prescribed reading to make a point. This is often the problem with abbreviated readings (scholars call them “pericopes” meaning “cuts) as they actually cut out important things. 

Notice first and important detail, Jesus sends the disciples out by themselves on the lake to Bethsaida.  

Jesus himself remains on the land to dismiss the crowds, intending to then later meet the disciples at Bethsaida after (secretly?) walking across the water to get there. But while walking across the lake, Jesus sees that the disciples have hit an adverse wind and are straining to make forward progress at all. Knowing they may not make it, Jesus chooses not to pass them but to get into the boat with them.  Immediately the wind ceases. 

Then they come to land at a place called Gennesaret.

But wait a minute; I thought they were going to Bethsaida.  Are they the same place?  No; they are not. They are miles apart.

And maybe in this often overlooked little detail, we see something important. That maybe it is more important to get to the other side together than separately. Maybe efficiency is less important than togetherness. Maybe passing the rest by will get me where I want to be but it isn’t quite the point without the rest. Maybe patience, and assistance, and getting the whole heavy and labor-some boat across to the other side is more important than just getting one — even if that one is Jesus. 

Eventually, the disciples will get to Bethsaida.  They’ll get to what the Bible calls “the other side”.  But it’s going to take longer. And it’s going to be harder. And it’s not going to be this morning. 

But they will get there.  And they’ll get there together. The whole boat and all it’s disciples will get there . . .