Christ Comes in Christ’s Perfect Time! Mark 6:47-56

Text: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”

Psalm 46:1-3.

Good morning, impatient Christian!   There is a great degree of hypocrisy that fills the author’s mind as I write this opening addressed to ‘impatient Christians’ – for of all Christians on this 21^st Century earth today, the author of this Marching in Mark’s Gospel exposition must be the most impatient man of all! 

A prayer I once prayed, before realising the profound depth of my own impatience, was, “Lord, please grant me more patience – but grant me it NOW!”  I had not even the patience to wait for the Lord to grant me the patience that I needed.  “O wretched man that I am…” (Romans 7:24-25)

Seriously, patient waiting upon the Lord’s perfect timing in all things pertaining to personal life; personal service to Christ; and personal enduring of tribulations, can be a wearying experience for folk like thee and me, who are short of the grace of patience. 

Yet, we can also more easily relate, perhaps, to the Psalmist David, when he expresses versed Scripture like this: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”  (Psalm 40:1-3)

When impatient servants of Christ receive the Divine help, provision, and direction we earnestly pray for; what a wealth of rejoicing fills our very souls, that the Lord has, once again, fulfilled the promises of His Word to us.  He IS a very present help in trouble to us.  Praise and all thanksgiving unto His Holy Name!  Amen.

With our use of sanctified imagination, let us commit our thoughts to empathy; empathy with the tired disciples who, after a long, hot, dusty, and absolutely wonderful ministry to the large multitude who were miraculously fed with the contents of a boy’s packed lunch, were now obediently rowing a ship across a stormy sea to Bethsaida. Can we imagine it?  Tired, working hard on an oar, putting our backs into rowing against a storm, wishing we were at the other side, perhaps in a nice comfortable bed, on dry land.

Then, SUDDENLY, upon looking up, we see a man, actually walking calmly across the stormy waters, so unconcerned that He would have walked past us as we toiled?  My heart is quickening today merely thinking about the scene!  What shock!  What opening of the eyes wide!  Is it any wonder at all that the disciples cried out in fear and confusion?

“But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: for they all saw Him, and were troubled…”  (Vs. 49-50)

Christ’s timing is always perfect.  Wait on His coming and His always-given aid.

I love the Spirit-inspired words that Mark now uses: “And IMMEDIATELY He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” (V.50)

When God’s perfect time has come, His hand works in an immediate manner to grant us help; comfort; guidance; and renewed faith to overcome all our fears.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“The event first recorded in these verses, is a beautiful emblem of the position of all believers, between the first and second advents of Jesus Christ. Like the disciples, we are now tossed to and fro by storms, and do not enjoy the visible presence of our Lord. Like the disciples, we shall see our Lord face to face again, though it may be a time of great extremity when He returns. Like the disciples, we shall see all things changed for the better when our Master comes to us. We shall no longer be buffeted by storms. There will be a great calm.

There is nothing fanciful in such an application of the passage. We need not doubt that there is a deep mean­ing in every step of His life, who was “God manifest in the flesh.” For the present, however, let us confine our­selves to the plain, practical lessons which these verses contain.

“Let us notice, in the first place, how our Lord sees the troubles of His believing people, and in due time will help them. We read that when “the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land,” He “saw His disciples toiling in rowing,”—came to them walking on the sea, —cheered them with the gracious words, “It is I, be not afraid,”—and changed the storm into a calm.

“There are thoughts of comfort here for all true believ­ers. Wherever they may be, or whatsoever their circum­stances, the Lord Jesus sees them. Alone, or in company, —in sickness or in health, by sea or by land, —in perils in the city, —in perils in the wilderness, —the same eye which saw the disciples tossed on the lake, is ever looking at us. We are never beyond the reach of His care.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Sunday school choruses reflect the Scriptural content of this Bible passage: “With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm…smile at the storm…smile at the storm.  With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm, as we go sailing Home.”  (John Newton 1725-1807)

“And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.” (V.51)

Thought: “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:5) “Even so, Come Lord Jesus…”