Mark 6:45-52

Mark 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,

Jesus made his disciples get into the boat

and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,

while he dismissed the crowd. 

And when he had taken leave of them,

he went off to the mountain to pray. 

When it was evening,

the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. 

Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,

for the wind was against them. 

About the fourth watch of the night,

he came toward them walking on the sea. 

He meant to pass by them. 

But when they saw him walking on the sea,

they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 

They had all seen him and were terrified. 

But at once he spoke with them,

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 

He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 

They were completely astounded. 

They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 

On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I have been tossed about by the sea of life. I have had my ups and downs, my victories and failures. Without you, I can do nothing lasting or of eternal value. But with you, I can do all things and merit the reward of eternal life.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Who is it that Walks on the Sea? On Monday and Tuesday of this week, we contemplated the epiphanies of Jesus as King and Prophet. Today, we contemplate the epiphany of Jesus as God. In the Gospels, Jesus speaks and acts in a such a way to show that he is not merely a human being. This is seen in his ability to still the Sea of Galilee and walk upon it. “Like the stilling of the storm, Jesus’ act of walking on the sea is widely identified … as an ‘epiphany miracle’” (Pitre, Jesus and Divine Christology, 66). The Book of Job held that God alone was able to walk upon the waves of the sea as on dry ground (Job 9:8). In the Gospel, Jesus is doing what the Book of Job says only God can do. “When we interpret Jesus’s act of walking on the sea in the light of Jewish Scripture, a strong case can be made that it is epiphanic: that is, it reveals that Jesus is equal in divine power to the Creator. For without assistance from anyone, Jesus does something that only the creator God can do” (Pitre, Jesus and Divine Christology, 70). Jesus’ disciples responded to him walking on the Sea of Galilee with the typical human reaction to a theophany or appearance of God: they were terrified (Matthew 14:26; Mark 6:50; John 6:19).

2. The Lord Passing By: Mark notes that Jesus intended to “pass by” his disciples in the boat. This simple expression calls to mind at least five times in the Old Testament when God is said to “pass by.” First, God passed through the animals sacrificed by Abraham (Genesis 15:17). Second, God passed by Moses when he revealed a glimpse of the backside of his glory (Exodus 34:6). Third, God passed by Elijah in the gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:11). Fourth, we read that the Beloved bridegroom passed by the bride in the Song of Songs (5:6). Fifth, it recalls the passage from Job that speaks about the Lord God walking upon the sea: “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea. … Should he come near me, I see him not; should [the Lord] pass by, I am not aware of him” (Job 9:8, 11). By walking on the sea and “passing by,” Jesus manifests his equality with the God who made a covenant with Abraham, who called Moses to lead his people, who inspired Elijah, who sought out his bride, and who challenged Job.

3. The Divine Name “I AM”: Not only does Jesus do what God alone can do, but Jesus identifies himself using the divine name, “I AM.” When the Lord God revealed himself to Moses, he revealed his name, “I AM WHO AM” or “HE WHO IS” (YHWH). The name emphasizes that God is eternal, without beginning or end; he simply is. “Jesus takes for himself the divine name ‘I AM’ that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This claim to divinity is corroborated as Jesus does what only God can do: he treads upon the sea (Job 9:8)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1799). “Just as the God of Israel reveals the divine ‘I am’ to Moses while displaying his power over the bush that burns but is not consumed, so now Jesus uses the divine ‘I am’ while displaying his power over creation by walking on the sea” (Pitre, Jesus and Divine Christology, 75). The episode in today’s Gospel is, then, a theophany in which Jesus reveals his divinity by manifesting divine power over creation and by taking the divine name of the one God of Israel as his own (see Pitre, Jesus and Divine Christology, 76).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe in you, but help my unbelief. I know that you are true God and true man, and I confess this in faith. But I can always grow in my faith and welcome your Truth more fully. Increase my faith and instill your wisdom within me!

Living the Word of God: Do I truly believe in Jesus’ divinity? How can I proclaim Jesus as true God and true man to those around me?