The Big Picture

The Big Picture
Words of Faith 12-19-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 6
[45] Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. [46] After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
[47] When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. [48] He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, [49] but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, [50] because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." [51] Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, [52] for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Jesus needed to be alone. Anyone who has attempted to feed a large crowd, whether physically or spiritually, will understand. Dealing with a crowd requires time alone with God. Ministry is draining. So Jesus sent the disciples across the lake while He took some time to be alone with the Lord. Did Jesus know a storm was brewing? It is hard to imagine that He did not.
This scene on the lake is almost humorous once we grasp it. The wind got worse and worse as the disciples were straining at the oars. And Jesus, now refreshed from His time with the Lord, came strolling past the boat… walking on the water! It is almost as if He were teasing them by pointing out that He could leave late and still beat them to Bethsaida. It was then that they finally cried out.
So why did all this occur? We find out in verse 52. It was because their hearts were hardened. They had not understood about the loaves. Even with a wonderful miracle, they still were not getting it.
What were they supposed to "get" that they missed? It was probably the fact that this was a messianic event. Something much larger was going on even than vast quantities of food. In truth, everything that Jesus was doing confirmed that He was the Messiah.
As the Twelve were laughing and stuffing their faces with bread and fish, they very likely focused on the physical wonder of the miracle or even on the satiation of their own appetites rather than the bigger picture that this was about the Kingdom of God and Jesus was the Messiah of that Kingdom. Putting on a huge "feed" was wonderful, but even a meal like this did not last long. On the lake, they were straining against the wind in their own strength rather than calling upon the Lord for help.
Jesus calls us to see the bigger picture. A larger calling. The Kingdom is about something other than a big event that comes and goes. It is not even about signs and wonders. Something much larger was going on there on the north side of the Sea of Galilee, and God had much larger things in mind for us.
How about you? Have you been focused on the little picture instead of the big one? Have you hardened your heart to the grander scheme of things that Jesus wants to do? Have you allowed your limited perspective or even your "needs" and appetites to stand in the way of the more significant work God is trying to do? Don't miss the miracle for the loaves. Are you straining at the oars against the storm? Don't let Jesus pass you by on the lake. Today is a day in which He has much for You to discover.

Lord, I don't want to miss anything you have for me. Open my eyes to see not just your hand but your heart-- not just the loaves but your identity. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.