Slide 2:
Mark 6:45-52
Jesus Walks on the Sea The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.
Slide 3:
He dismissed the crowds and sent his disciples away.
If you were in the crowd and just saw for yourself this great prophet Jesus feed 5,000 men, not counting women and children, with 5 loaves and two fish you would certainly view Him as the promised Messiah.
The Jewish expectation of the Messiah was that He would be a great military leader who would free His people and then conquer the world. At this point the people were ready to begin a revolution against the Roman government and proclaim Jesus as their new king.
Jesus could see their intent so He sent the disciples away in the boat to get them out of the way of a politically charge atmosphere so that they too would not get caught up in the moment.
He then dismissed the crowd on His own and the timing of this event was about a year before the Crucifixion.
Slide 4:
And after He had taken leave of them, He went up on the mountain to pray (v. 46).
Jesus needed the Father’s help to remain on course so He went up the mountain to pray.
The devil was again tempting Him with world domination with the Pharisees, and the people in the lead and the devil in the background.
It is now the fourth watch, between 3 and 6 in the morning. As the disciples row against the wind they see what they believe to be a ghost walking on the water, but it was Jesus catching up to them.
Mark does not tell about the incident of Peter’s walking on the water and beginning to sink.
Verse 52 seems out of place or out of context here.
52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Slide 5:
The disciples were still in the early stages of faith development. Thinking as rational men they:
Couldn’t believe that Jesus was really the Son of God.
Even if He were, why in God’s name would He have chosen them as followers?
They couldn’t understand if Jesus was God why would the Father send Him to earth?
Their disbelief was really their misunderstandings of His teachings. They had just watched Jesus feed 5,000 men yet their humanness wouldn’t allow them to take the next step in faith that Jesus was God’s Son.
It is evident that they needed more instruction from the Master before they could pick up the reins of the Church and ride into the harsh world with the faith necessary to sustain them.
Slide 6:
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.
6:53-56 The Healings of Gennesaret :
6:53-56 The Healings of Gennesaret Jesus had achieved celebrity status.
Wherever He and his disciples showed up, crowds gathered to watch.
The sick flocked in for healing.
Mark’s earlier comment that the people were like “sheep without a shepherd” (6:34) fits this new scene. The places and faces had changed, but the cries for help were the same.
Jesus healed all those who were brought to him. Some who benefited from Jesus’ healing touch went unchanged in other ways (Luke 17:11-19 the 10 lepers), but many were changed forever.