Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 5 Study # 3
February 15, 2022
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(286)
1901 ASV
6:48 And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them:
6:49 but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;
6:50 for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
6:51 And he went up unto them into the boat; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves;
6:52 for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened.
- I. "And Seeing [literally, "having seen"] Them Distressed [literally, "being distressed"] In Rowing...".
- A. The "seeing" is an aorist participle, indicating the action is past. This indicates the foundation of Jesus' present thoughts and decisions about what to do, having spent some significant time in prayer.
- B. The "distressed" is a present, passive, participle, indicating what is presently happening to them. What Jesus "saw" is still going on (even the woman who had the hemorrhage for twelve years had One Who "saw", but was not quite as quick to respond; all things in their own time for the purposes of God -- shades of the man born blind, who remained blind until he was an adult, "for the glory of God" (and, importantly, for the understanding of men; the manifestation of the glory of God is of no benefit to anyone if it is followed by "no understanding"); John 9: and of Lazarus whose death was deliberately allowed (that "you will see the glory of God" -- for His glory, but for your sake; John 11)).
- 1. This "distress" is called "torment" by the unclean spirits in 5:7; the only other place where Mark uses this word. At issue in their "torment" is Jesus' demand that they come out of the man, and, afterwards, be "sent out of the country" (5:7-10). For whatever reason, these two issues meant a great deal to the "legion" of unclean spirits, thus indicating something rather significant about the "spirits" being in possession of physical bodies by which they could better function in the physical world.
- 2. The issues are obvious: the disciples have an assigned task to accomplish, an agenda to pursue; and they are being significantly frustrated in the pursuit of it so that it is not being accomplished. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 tells us of Paul's experience of this very reality: Satanic opposition in the face of divine imperative.
- C. The "rowing" is a present infinitive, indicating the activity of the disciples in respect to the "distress": their "rowing" wasn't doing much good. This verb is only used here by Mark and only in four other places in the New Testament and only in one of those does it mean "to row". The basic idea is "to force movement in some direction" and three times out of five, the "force" is "negative". In this case, it is oars that are producing the futile "force".
- II. "...For The Wind Was Against Them...".
- A. The "wind" is addressed by Mark in the two incidents of stormy seas and Jesus' absolute dominion over it (4:37, 39, 41; and 6:48, 51) and one time only in 13:27 where "the elect" are presented as scattered "from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven" by the "four winds".
- B. That "the wind was against them", while Jesus was absolute Lord over the wind, is like unto the unclean spirits who are in absolute subjection to Him even though they resist His agendas at every turn. That He allows this kind of opposition creates all manner of reactions in men who fault Him for the allowance because they cannot see the future outcome, nor do they understand the present processes.
- C. The "torment"/"distress" caused by "the wind" had one major characteristic: it was making it impossible for them to make headway in the doing of the will of Jesus Who had sent them to Bethsaida. The frustration of the disciples grew as the hours went by.
- III. "...At About The Fourth Watch Of The Night He Came To Them..."
- A. The majority translation of the word "watch" in the New Testament is "prison" (45 uses in all). Even in Mark's three uses (all in this chapter; 6:17, 27, 48), two signal "prison".
- 1 . The "connection" between a "watch of the night" and a "prison" is the boundaries that exist to keep certain actions "in place". That such boundaries are seen as a "prison" indicates a certain amount of conflict between the "wishes" of the "imprisoned" and the "boundaries" that hold them in place.
- 2. The "fourth watch" meant that the disciples were "forced" to endure the frustrations and fears for several hours of "torturous effort".
- 3. There were four "watches" of the night, being identified by the periods when sentries were on duty. The lengths of these "watches" were somewhat fluid because the lengths of the nights were variable, but "the fourth watch" means at least that the night was far gone and the disciples were "worn out".
- B. NOT "He came"; BUT "He is coming".
- 1. This is no mere record of past events; it is a record of Jesus "coming to them" (Present Tense, not Aorist); admittedly not in their desired timing, but "coming" nonetheless.
- 2. This is a familiar pattern of New Testament "promise"; seldom in our time, but never failing.
- 3. The longer we have to wait, the more our natural selfishness comes to light.
- IV. "...Walking Upon The Sea, And He Was Willing To Bypass Them".
- A. This "walking [Present Tense] upon the sea" is as clear an illustration of Him "putting all enemies beneath His feet" (1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:8) as we will find in the physical universe because the "sea" is a very major "death environment" in Mark's narrative; it needs to be put in subjection so that "feet" can walk upon it -- not unlike the massive crowd of the redeemed "standing" upon the "sea" of Revelation 15:2.
- B. This, however, is a significant increase of the demonstration of Jesus' authority over the wind and sea in regard to the first time He made that authority manifest while "in" the boat (4:36-39).
- C. Mark says "He was willing to bypass them". What does Mark mean if not to imply that Jesus was willing to leave the disciples to their "rowing" if they insisted upon "doing it themselves". This is the veil to which Paul referred when he wrote of the impact of the reading of "Law" (2 Corinthians 3:14). It may well be that the greatest problem in all of creation is the determination of "creatures" to assume to themselves a "glory" that belongs only to the "Creator"; i.e., the ability to act with good impact ("there is none good, but God alone": 10:18).
