Christian Faith: Faith to Walk on Water

Some people have asked me about Jesus' promises regarding prayer in the book of Mark 11:12-25. Many disciples of Christ use that passage to justify a “pray and claim it” approach to Christian faith.

From there, a number of important questions arise that need to be answered. Among them are:

• Does this promise apply to everyone, or at least to all of Jesus' disciples?
• Why am I not getting an answer? Is my faith weak?
• Why is God not answering my prayer? What is wrong?

These are big questions, and what I am sharing is part of the answer. I will not say much about the last question, but I do have a number of ideas about it.

Perhaps you will not get a satisfying answer. Even so, please follow through to the end, because for me personally, all of this discussion only begins to make sense with the following division:

1. Storm on the lake (Mark 4:35-41)
2. Why did you doubt? (Matthew 14:22-33)
3. Faith that enables us to walk on water in the present age (Matthew 14:22-33)
4. Faith as small as a mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32)
5. Moving a mountain into the sea (Mark 11:12-14, 20-25)

Christian Faith 1: Storm on the Lake (Mark 4:35-41)

On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." They left the crowd, then set out and took Jesus with them in the boat where He had been sitting, and other boats were with Him as well. Then a very fierce storm arose, and the waves broke into the boat, so that the boat began to fill with water.

At that time Jesus was asleep in the stern on a cushion. So His disciples woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the lake, "Be silent! Be still!" Then the wind died down and the lake became perfectly calm. Then He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Why do you have no faith?" They were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the lake obey Him?"

Jesus Sleeps in the Midst of the Storm

I believe the Lord allowed or designed that event (the great storm, Jesus sleeping soundly), because this was the time for His disciples to grow in their understanding of how powerful He is. Jesus, as God, has unlimited authority over all living creatures. Whenever Jesus sets His will on something or gives a command, all creation will submit.

The boat they were in was not a small boat. We may assume that all the apostles were on the voyage. The boat was large enough to hold thirteen people and had space for Jesus to sleep on a cushion in the stern. The storm must have been extraordinary if even experienced fishermen were frightened. Everyone was amazed that Jesus could remain fast asleep in the midst of the storm. The terror peaked, and finally they decided to wake Jesus: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Jesus then awoke from His deep sleep. He assessed the situation and commanded the storm, “Be silent! Be still!” And the world obeyed. The storm subsided. It is not written how quickly, but it must have been almost in a moment. One instant, a violent storm was raging with strong wind and great waves. The next, calm water, no wind.

The terror returned. This time, the disciples were afraid of Jesus. They panicked and asked one another, “Who then is this? That even the wind and the lake obey Him!”

They knew Jesus was extremely powerful and able to do what was impossible for others. Having total authority over all creation, and being able to command and subdue the weather, showed that Jesus had a power they could neither measure nor comprehend. “Whom am I associating with? Whom am I following? What happens if He is angry with me?”

I personally would be terrified. What about you?

Continued in Christian Faith: Faith to Walk on Water - Part 2

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Related articles: Prayer That Will Move God – Part 1

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