With Jesus in the boat

But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  - John 6.20-21

It is interesting that Caleb spoke on Mark’s account of this event in church just yesterday. I love it when I learn from my children and yesterday was one of those days.

Caleb and Karen brought a group of the lads from Tiglin for the day. Caleb only preached a brief message from Mark on the account to the storm and Jesus walking on the water. The guys in the boat were understandably troubled. Apparently the storms there are fierce and life threatening. And then, and they struggled to keep the boat afloat, they saw a ghost walking across the water. They must have been terrified!

But then Jesus spoke out ‘Don’t be afraid, it is I.’

In the Mark account the storm is still. In this account the come to land. People differ, but I think they were two different events. But either way the lesson is the same. When they let Jesus in the boat the situation was sorted.

That is what Caleb pointed out yesterday. The problem was solved when the disciples let Jesus into the boat.

I think sometimes we can be so busy trying to bail the water out of the boat that we don’t even think to let Jesus in. We ignore His presence as we keep trying to sort things out ourselves.

What kind of storms are we facing today? Might we do well to follow the example of the disciples and let Jesus into the boat and give Him control?