BOATS!

Something strange about them in the Gospel of Mark. Not the best place to be; not the safest way to travel. Always a complication. Storms. And tests. Particularly tests. Tests of faith in boats in Mark. Maybe the sea ain’t a good place to be. It’s always a test of faith in a boat on water.

And those poor disciples. They don’t do to well on those quizzes in water. Surprising: “Fishermen fail sea tests!” They do! In all three major boat dramas in Mark.

The first vignette. Jesus is in the boat with them on a stormy sea. The irony: the carpenter sleeps; the fishermen panic. Though, of course, this was no ordinary card-carrying, labor-union-belonging worker of wood. Anyway, Jesus calms the sea in a trice. And asks the stricken disciples:

“Why are you afraid?
Do you still have no faith?”
Mark 4:40

“How come you aren’t believing yet?” You see, in the first four chapters of Mark, they had already seen Christ healing various diseases—nothing seemed too difficult for Him to cure, not even a mother-in-law! The disciples had seen Christ drive out demons. Indeed, they had themselves been given the authority to cast out demons. They—simple, unsophisticated Galilean fishermen—were waging spiritual warfare. This Jesus was no mere spiritual teacher. No prophet had ever done the things he did. Why, He was even going around forgiving people! Now who could do that but God? The disciples had seen it; they had heard it; they had experienced it—the power and presence of God in Christ. They should have put it all together—He was God. But … they had forgotten!

Then, two chapters later, another boat complication. Jesus, not with the disciples when they commence the journey, shows up walking on water, in the middle of their perilous journey in the thick of another storm. And there they go again—they’re scared.

… they all saw Him
and were terrified.
But immediately He spoke
with them and said to them,
“Take courage; it is I,
do not be afraid.”
Then He got into the boat …
and the wind stopped; and
they were utterly astonished,
for they had not
gained any insight from
the incident of the loaves,
but their heart was hardened.
Mark 6:50–52

Just before this incident, Jesus had just multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand. Nope, they hadn’t learnt anything from that.

Two more chapters later. Another vessel episode. No storm though. But these dudes begin to fret. They had only brought one loaf aboard with them and they had 12 +1 people to feed. What were they going to do for food? Oh, dear! They just might starve to death. On a boat. In the water.

And Jesus, aware of this,
said to them,
“Why do you discuss
that you have no bread?
Do you not yet see
or understand?
Do you have a hardened heart?
Having eyes, do you not see?
And having ears,
do you not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves
for the five thousand ….”
Mark 8:17–19

The path of discipleship—Mark’s theme—is strewn with ship situations. Indeed, these watercraft examinations are part and parcel of our lives—our own journeys of discipleship. How will we respond? With faith, trusting in God’s presence, His power? Remembering what He has done? Responding in anticipation of what He will do?

… for we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

And not just walk. We pilot our boats by faith as well.