There Is A Distinct Difference Between Passed By and By Passed by Scott Graham

He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them...this passage brings out another point which we need to hear. On either side of this passage Jesus is found feeding the 5,000 (6:30-42) and healing the sick at Gennesaret (6:53-56). Yet, in the midst of these passages where God in Jesus Christ is healing us and meeting our needs, we catch a glimpse of the inner life of Jesus Christ apart from us. We catch a glimpse into the mystery of God apart from us. In the study of theology, this is known as the aseity of God. It refers to God as He is in Himself, independent from us. It was Job who declared, “He treads on the waves of the sea.” Job, as much as any writer in the Old Testament, understood through his own trials and sufferings that God is unfolding purposes much bigger than us, and far grander than the limits of our imaginations.

The Jewish people identified the sea with the primordial chaos out of which the world was brought into order by the creative act of God. The sea is a symbol of chaos. This whole miracle is surrounded by the chaos of the Fall. Before and after this passage we find people who are sick, ill and oppressed by demons. Mark does not shy away from giving us a full glimpse into the horrible plight of the human race. But Jesus is not consumed by these tragedies or by the enormity of the Fall. He was about to pass by them because this miracle was not about them. It was much grander than that. Jesus was asserting His very reason for coming to earth at all. He was asserting His divine prerogative over the weight of human sin, the Fall, and the chaos of our existence. To walk on the water or, to use the words of Job, to “tread on the waves of the sea” is to demonstrate Jesus’ authority over the entire chaos of human existence.

Sometimes things happen in our lives which we do not understand. Our prayers seem to go unanswered. God does things which don’t seem to make sense. Sometimes when we expect him to come directly to us, we find that He is treading on something else which we don’t understand. Sometimes God appears to be passing by us. However, in those times, we should remember that God is unfolding a plan which is greater than anything we can imagine. In the end, Jesus did come to his disciples. He did calm their fears. He did speak his word to them. However, the real lesson which Mark conveys to us is that God is much bigger than the disciples’ fears. He is unfolding a plan much bigger than anything we can imagine. So, learn to wait upon the Lord. Be patient. Know that God is unfolding His plan in His own time, and in His own way. We can trust that when the canvas is fully pulled back and we see the full workings of God in our lives and in the world, we will see that even when God seemed to be absent, or silent, He was working powerfully on our behalf.

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