When Wonder Brings Hardening: Mark 6:30-52
February 1, 2013
Jesus fed the 5,000, then sent his disciples ahead of him in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. Late in the night he walked out to them on the water, and then calmed the wind. “And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”
Three miracles in the space of one evening, but they didn’t understand and their hearts were hardened.
I’ve been there. Well, I haven’t seen three miracles like that – I can’t even claim to have seen one! But there are things I don’t understand. Sometimes those are good things, but good that didn’t come soon enough. Why didn’t Jesus calm the winds earlier in the night? The disciples had worked hard all night, to the point of pain. Then, Jesus walked out on the water and intended to walk right by them? They were petrified when they saw him, but he calmed them and the wind. Perhaps the winds were more easily calmed, because the disciples remained astounded. Of course they did. They couldn’t make sense of it. “They did not understand about the loaves.” They’d toiled all night, fighting against the wind at a time they would have preferred to sleep. They see that Jesus has the capability to make things easy. No need to go into town to buy 200 denarii worth of bread, just bless five loaves and two fish. No need to row against the wind, just walk across the lake, or better yet, just tell the wind to ease up.
Maybe that’s not what the disciples were thinking at that point, and maybe that’s not why their hearts were hardened. But I can imagine if I’d been there I would have pretty quickly gotten around to asking, with more than a hint of complaining, why the pain, why the fear, why the intention to pass by? I can imagine my heart being hardened that night.
Hardening, at the very time when worship should be natural.
And this wasn’t Pharaoh.
It was Jesus’ own disciples.
It’s me.
Let’s not lose our sense of wonder, such that we demand answers. There will be a time and place for answers, for perfect justice, when all will be set right. For now let us rejoice, in spite of corruption, in the good we can see. Let us trust a good God, who works things for our good (Rom 8:28) and who remains faithful even when we are faithless, because He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13). Let us not be hardened when wonder beckons.
Don’t Let Me Lose My Wonder
Keith & Kristyn Getty
I've seen days melt into nights
In circles of lights
I've watched a spider spin a star
Between the window box flowers
I've heard you laugh and cry
In a single sigh
And a story form within
Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder
I saw her broken dreams inside
But helping others fly
I saw his eyes without a doubt
Though other lights faded out
And though her calling roared
Such graciousness poured
From the vision of her soul
Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder
A baby cried through the dark
Beneath a jeweled spark
I knew Your voice upon the hill
And heard my lostness still
I found my home in the light
Where wrong was made right
And You rose as the morning star
Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder
Three miracles in the space of one evening, but they didn’t understand and their hearts were hardened.
I’ve been there. Well, I haven’t seen three miracles like that – I can’t even claim to have seen one! But there are things I don’t understand. Sometimes those are good things, but good that didn’t come soon enough. Why didn’t Jesus calm the winds earlier in the night? The disciples had worked hard all night, to the point of pain. Then, Jesus walked out on the water and intended to walk right by them? They were petrified when they saw him, but he calmed them and the wind. Perhaps the winds were more easily calmed, because the disciples remained astounded. Of course they did. They couldn’t make sense of it. “They did not understand about the loaves.” They’d toiled all night, fighting against the wind at a time they would have preferred to sleep. They see that Jesus has the capability to make things easy. No need to go into town to buy 200 denarii worth of bread, just bless five loaves and two fish. No need to row against the wind, just walk across the lake, or better yet, just tell the wind to ease up.
Maybe that’s not what the disciples were thinking at that point, and maybe that’s not why their hearts were hardened. But I can imagine if I’d been there I would have pretty quickly gotten around to asking, with more than a hint of complaining, why the pain, why the fear, why the intention to pass by? I can imagine my heart being hardened that night.
Hardening, at the very time when worship should be natural.
And this wasn’t Pharaoh.
It was Jesus’ own disciples.
It’s me.
Let’s not lose our sense of wonder, such that we demand answers. There will be a time and place for answers, for perfect justice, when all will be set right. For now let us rejoice, in spite of corruption, in the good we can see. Let us trust a good God, who works things for our good (Rom 8:28) and who remains faithful even when we are faithless, because He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13). Let us not be hardened when wonder beckons.
Don’t Let Me Lose My Wonder
Keith & Kristyn Getty
I've seen days melt into nights
In circles of lights
I've watched a spider spin a star
Between the window box flowers
I've heard you laugh and cry
In a single sigh
And a story form within
Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder
I saw her broken dreams inside
But helping others fly
I saw his eyes without a doubt
Though other lights faded out
And though her calling roared
Such graciousness poured
From the vision of her soul
Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder
A baby cried through the dark
Beneath a jeweled spark
I knew Your voice upon the hill
And heard my lostness still
I found my home in the light
Where wrong was made right
And You rose as the morning star
Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder
