THE KING’S BUSINESS
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he pray ed , th ro u g h th e flashes o f lig h tn in g , he saw H is disciples o u t on th e sea d is tre sse d w ith row in g a g ain st th e sto rm . T h ey h ad been in n sto rm b e fo re b u t th e n Je su s w as w ith th em ; now th ey w e re alone (Jo h n 6 :1 7 ), H e d id n o t go to th em a t once, H e left th em to b a ttle w ith th e w aves w h ile H e ^continued in p ra y e r; b u t H e w as helping th em by H is p ra y e rs a n d H e helps u s to d ay by H is in te rce ssio n (H e b . 7 :2 5 ), even th o u g h H e m ay delay long b efo re H e com es, m an ifestly an d openly to o u r rescue. T h e disciples w ere m en n a tu ra lly com p eten t to co n ten d w ith w in d a n d sto rm an d Je su s w o u ld let th em le a rn th e ir u tte r h elp less n ess w ith o u t H im . In th e d a rk e st h o u r ju s t b efo re daw n. (v . 48) as th e ir b o at w as helplessly to ssed ab o u t, Je su s H im se lf cam e to th e d esp airin g disciples, H e cam e “w a lk in g on th e sea” (cf. Jo b 9 :8 ) ; b u t th e d is ciples w ere n o t a t first reliev ed by H is com ing, b u t m o re tro u b le d th an ever at th e sig h t o f H im , T h ey d id n o t reco g n ize H im , b u t fan cied th a t H e w as an a p p aritio n an d th a t th e ir tim e w as com e a n d “cried o u t” fo r fear. O u r L o rd o ften ap p ro ach es u s in such a w ay th a t w e do n o t a t first reco g nize H im , an d w e are terrifie d in stead of being com fo rted . H e d id n o t leav e th em lo n g in su sp en se an d fe a r : “stra ig h tw a y ” H e talk e d w ith th em . H e spoke th e m o st com fo rtin g w o rd H e can e v er u tte r, “I t is I.” T h e “be o f good ch eer” a n d “B e n o t a fra id ” w o u ld n o t have helped th em w ith o u t th e “it is I.” A s soon as Je su s w as in th e b o at, “th e w in d ceased .” A ll th a t m an y a tem p est- to ssed soul needs is to tak e Je su s o n b o ard a n d it w ill find calm an d sa fety a t once. T h e disciples w e re g re atly “am azed ” at w h a t h a d h appened. T h e d em o n stratio n th a t th ey h ad a lread y seen o f Je su s’ D ivine p ow er sh o u ld h av e p re p are d th em fo r th is fu rth e r one (v . 5 2 ). T h é m iracle o f th e loaves h a d been a creativ e a ct an d H e th a t can créât, can certain ly , if H e w ill, p ro v e Saturday, June 26. Mark 6:51-56.
su p e rio r to th e o rd in a ry fo rces an d law s of n a tu re . T h e w hole e x p la n atio n o f 't h e i r b lin d n ess w as th a t “th e ir h e a rt w as h a rd en ed .” T h e re a re m an y p ro fesse d disciples to d ay w hose h e a rts a re so h a rd en e d th a t th ey a re n o t only “a sto n ish e d ” a t th e m ira c ulo u s b u t w ill n o t believe in it. Je su s w as v e ry c o rd ially received n ow in G ennesaret. T h e people h ad d isco v ered th a t H e could help. T h ey sh ow ed th e ir w isd om in b rin g in g all th e ir sick to H im ; th ey sh ow ed th e ir I eag ern ess in th a t th ey "ran" ev eryw h ere h u n tin g up th o se w h o n eed ed H is h e lp ; th ey sh ow ed th e ir w h o le-h earted n ess by c arry in g in beds th o se w ho co u ld n o t w alk. W h a t a sig h t it w ould be to d ay if people w o u ld go ru n n in g ev eryw h ere search in g o u t th e lo st a n d b rin g in g th em to Jesu s, no m a tte r w h a t to il it m ig h t re q u ire on th e ir p a rt. “V illag es,” “cities,” arid “c o u n try ” vied w ith one a n o th e r in b rin g in g th eir n eedy ones to H im . N o n e w ere d isap p o in ted , “A s m an y as to u ch ed H im w ere m ad e w h o le” : no m a tte r h ow help less o r ap p are n tly hopeless th e case m ay be, if th a t on e can only to u ch H im , h e w ill be m ad e w hole. T h e P h a rise es an d S crib es h ad com e a lo n g w ays, even “from Je ru sa lem ,” b u t th ey h ad com e w ith n o g o o d pu rp o se. T h ey -h a d com e n o t to lea rn b u t to criticise. T h ey had displayed th e ir h o stility to Je su s on m any occasio n s ; a t th is tim e, th e P h a rise es and S crib es to o k special n o te o f th e fa ct th a t som e o f H is disciples n eg lected th e p re scrib ed cérém o n ial w ash in g s b efo re th ey ate. T h is ap p eared to th em v ery o u tra g e o us, because it v a ried from th e alm o st u n i v e rsal p ractice o f stric t Jew s. T h e w ash in g s om itted by th e disciples h a d n o t been com m an d ed by th e law o f M oses b u t by th e tra d itio n o f th e elders. I t w as n o t o rd i n a ry d irt o f w hich th ey w ere afra id , b u t possible cerem o n ial defilem ent. T h e w ash in g w as n o t f o r. hygienic p u rp o ses b u t fo r cerem o n ial ex clu siv en ess. T h e P h a rise e Sunday, June 27. Mark 7 rl-5.
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