It is I

Hey everyone. It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog, but I'm trying this thing where I blog about what I daily read in the Bible, as a means to hopefully remember what I learned from it. Hope it blesses you too. Granted, I'm starting in the middle of Mark, so it's not the greatest beginning, but oh well.

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to 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, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:45-52, ESV)

So this story took place right after Jesus fed the five thousand men with five loaves and two fish. I wish I wrote down what I learned from reading that one, but I had to sleep. Oops. Anyway, the first thing I found interesting is the fact that Jesus just loved to be left alone to pray, and He often did it on mountains. One thing I learned from the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand was that He depended on the power of God for that miracle. Even though He Himself was God, He still had this sense of dependence on God the Father. So it's interesting that He chooses to pray all the time, despite the fact that He is still God. He sets a fine example on the fact that we too need to have this radical dependence on God, and we should strive for it. We should be willing to abandon things so that we might be with God. Jesus sent His disciples on without Him, perhaps not just to be alone in prayer, but to possibly demonstrate abandoning those closest to Him, so that He might be with God.

The second thing I found to be interesting was the fact that Jesus waited to come to the disciples aid. He noticed their trouble in the evening, but didn't go to them until the fourth watch, which is around 3-6 am. And even then, He only meant to pass by them, not even to go straight to them. Why?

Perhaps it's because He was trying to test the faith of the disciples. After all, He performed many miracles right in front of them. This is the second time He's dealt with them in a boat and mother nature fighting against them. The first time was when He calmed the storm in Mark 4. Here, Mark even highlights the fact that their hearts were hardened, even though the just watched Jesus multiply what probably couldn't fill even one basket to could fill twelve baskets to the brim.

However, the disciples' first reaction is to think that He is a ghost, and they get scared. Only then, Christ goes up to them, and tells them to "Take heart, it is I." The phrase "take heart" means to be encouraged, to to find courage and comfort in some sort of a fact. So Christ calls His disciples to be encouraged, to find courage and comfort, NOT because He can take care of them (which He has done many times) but simply because, "it is I."

So when Christ walks into the boat, the violent winds stop, and the disciples still don't get the fact that Jesus is Lord. They still can't see Him in all of His deity, in all of his God-ness. They apparently didn't "take heart" in Jesus' God-ness. That's what "it is I" means. It is Jesus, the Lord.

What a profound reason to take courage and comfort. Be encouraged, it's Jesus. 

I feel like in so many ways, I am one of those disciples. I find it so easy to completely neglect what God has done in my life. After all, the biggest miracle God has performed for me is that He saved me. He took a heart that was hardened, caged in sin and death, and He freed it. He saw my heart, declared that He loved it and suddenly, I was free. I neglect this all the time, and instead, I choose to be scared of certain circumstances, wondering if Jesus is just a ghost.

And even in those dark times of uncertainty, sometimes, God chooses to simply wait before He intervenes. God chooses to not move immediately. Why? Perhaps, it's because God is trying to reveal to me that my faith in Him needs to persevere through everything. And in all honesty, sometimes, the real struggle isn't even trying to understand and walk through the dark time. Sometimes, the real struggle is simply knowing and believing the truth that God is. No, that's not a typo. God just is. I shouldn't be afraid, because behold,  it is God.

I'm at the end of this post, and I'm still so fascinated by that simple saying. "Take heart, it is I." Be encouraged, not only because God can take care of you, God can provide for you, God can save you from your dark times. Indeed, God can do all of these things, and He probably will. But even bigger than that, even more important that is one simple thing.

Be encouraged, it's Jesus. So don't be afraid.

-simon