About To Pass By

Mark 6:48-52
Contemporary English Version

He could see that the disciples were struggling hard, because they were rowing against the wind.  Not long before morning, Jesus came toward them.  He was walking on the water and was about to pass the boat.  When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost, and they started screaming.  All of them saw him and were terrified.  But at the same time he said, "Don't worry!  I am Jesus.  Don't be afraid."  He then got into the boat with them, and the wind died down.  The disciples were completely confused.  Their minds were closed, and they could not understand the true meaning of the loaves of bread.

I was reading this passage of scripture this morning and I noticed something about this story that I hadn't seen before.  It says that Jesus was walking on the water and about to pass the boat.  But they noticed him and actually thought he was a ghost, which basically freaked them out - clearly they weren't expecting him, or looking for him.

He, of course, said it’s me, don’t be afraid.  He then got into the boat with them and calmed the wind.

It dawned on me that maybe in our own lives, Jesus is passing by and we don’t even notice.  Are we sometimes too distracted by our “storm” to see him?  Do we not expect him, or look for him?  Is it because we so easily forget all the times he has been there before?  I suspect we all have missed him when he was right there.

The Bible says they cried out, and I can only image that they were calling his name. Once they did this, Jesus came into their situation, and he calmed it.  I think we could apply that to our lives today, invite him into our situations, call his name - I think he waits on us.  Don’t let him pass by.