CONNECT Worship Gathering: Mark 6:45-52 Jesus Calms the Storm

Perhaps it was a test of faith that Jesus sent His disciples across Galilee without Him. They had already experienced Jesus calm a storm, heal multitudes, and feed the 5000 men with five loaves and two fish. But for the disciples, seeing was not believing, because in Mark 6:52 their hearts are hardened and they don't understand the meaning of it all. Jesus sends them out to weather the storm as He goes up the mountain to pray. About three O'clock in the morning the storm had set in and the disciples had only rowed about halfway across the lake. Jesus walks on the water and walks just past the boat. The disciples don't recognize Jesus and believe they have seen a ghost and they cried out in terror. Jesus responds by calling out to them, "Don't be afraid, The I AM is here", using the name God gave to Moses in Exodus 3:14. We do well to remember that there is no storm God hasn't seen coming, and we need to understand that storms are for our benefit to learn wisdom to help others through their storms, and to experience God's deliverance from the storm. It is sad that their hearts are still hardened even after this experience - the Greek word for hardened literally means "petrified", turned to stone. Help us, Lord, to have our eyes and hearts opened to You even during the storms, knowing that the God of Creation is with us through Christ. Truth is, God has the opportunity to really shine during the storms, and in the wilderness, where we are struggling with life. Smooth sailing produces nothing but complacent Christians. Let's brave the storm, call out to Jesus, and watch God do amazing things!