Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In the Gospel of Mark 6:52, we see a verse that we likely just read over without meditating it. There are verses before and after that have miraculous acts of Jesus recorded. So, we tend to pay more attention to these verses.
Mark 6:52
For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
This verse is speaking of the disciples who are in a ship toiling in rowing against the winds and waves of a terrible storm. There is a lot that can be unpacked from Mark 6:45-52. But we are going to focus on Mark 6:52. Setting the stage, Jesus and the disciples had fed 15-20,000 men, women, and children with five loaves of bread and two fishes earlier in the day. What an amazing example Jesus provided us of how to use the Spiritual Laws of The Kingdom of God and operate in the earth. This definitely impacted the disciples and others of Jesus’ ministry that were traveling with Him.
Mark 6:45 tells us Jesus had to “constrain” His disciples to get them to board the ship and head across the sea to Bethsaida. The word “constrain” in Greek is the word “anagkazo” which means “to necessitate, to compel, to drive to, to constrain whether by force, threats, etc., or by persuasion, entreaties, etc.” Why did Jesus have to compel His disciples? Many of His disciples were professional fisherman or grew up around the sea. They were able to read the signs in the skies and the winds and could tell there was a storm brewing that would likely impact them. However, while they knew a storm was coming, with Jesus’ urging, they boarded and begin rowing. Does this remind you of Peter when Jesus asked him to let down his nets during the heat of the day when in the natural fish normally did not bite? Peter’s response was to let down one net, and not his nets, and said (paraphrased by me) to Jesus, “we’re professional fisherman as is our fathers. We know this sea, and fishing at this time of the day is fruitless. We fished all night, when the fishing is good, and we caught nothing. Nevertheless, at Thy Word I’ll let down a net.” Peter was obedient but not willing. The disciples entering the ship were obedient but not willing.
Isaiah 1:19
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
We’ll come back to Isaiah 1:19. Let’s journey to Mark 4:5-6 and Mark 4:16-17. Jesus told the parable of the sower. Jesus explains the sower is sowing The Word of God.
Mark 4:5-6
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mark 4:16-17
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Reading Mark 6:52, Mark 4:5-6, and Mark 4:16-17, we can assess from God’s Word The Word of God had not yet taken deep root in the disciples. As soon as the disciples had the affliction of the storm, immediately they were offended. Why did the storm come? It was a tempest brewed by satan himself. Why? Mark 4:17 tells us why: “…when affliction or persecution ariseth for The Word’s sake….” Because of The Word, satan sent affliction against the disciples. And the disciples bought it hook, line, and sinker. The Word had just performed an incredible miracle in the eyes of man, but it was nothing unusual in The Kingdom of God. Twenty thousand or so people were fed a few hours earlier with five loaves of bread and two fishes blessed by Jesus Christ, The Anointed One, and twelve baskets of fragments were gathered after everyone was FULL. And every single disciple had witnessed it, heard it, and participated in it.
The disciples had missed a very important principle of The Kingdom of God during the feeding: Jesus blessing the food and speaking the outcome in faith had changed the entire dynamic. They had also witnessed other miracles Jesus performed. But this feeding was fresh in their minds. However, with affliction, their hearts were hardened. What does it mean their hearts were “hardened.” In simple terms, it means their hearts considered not the spiritual, only considered the physical.
The challenge to us as Believers is not to allow our hearts to harden. Especially when affliction or persecution comes. In other words, we are not to consider the natural, only the spiritual. If we consider the natural, we will be like the disciples in the ship, toiling and rowing against the winds of satan’s system, the world. Notice as soon as Jesus entered the ship, He calmed the winds and the seas. How? With the spoken Word of God in faith. Simply put, Jesus, just as we do through Jesus, had mastery of the world, and satan’s system, through the faith filled Word of God. Words have outcomes: good or bad. And WE have the free will to operate in the spiritual or the physical.
Back to Isaiah 1:19. We shall eat the good of the land if we are willing and obedient. If we are willing to trust The Word of God and obey it, we WILL eat the good of the land. Now, God is just what Psalm 145:8 tells us about Him: gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. God was gracious to Peter when Peter was obedient but not willing. Notice the blessing God bestowed upon him and his partners. Imagine if Peter had let down his “nets” and not just his “net.” Just letting down his net filled up two ships to the point of sinking. Those ships, in that day, held six tons of cargo. There was 24,000 pounds of fish between the two ships. Again, can you imagine if Peter had let down his nets.
We must strive to become “willing and obedient” in all we do for Christ. When affliction and/or persecution comes, we need to stand against it with The Word of God decreed in faith. This will prevent our hearts from becoming hardened. The outcome will be miraculous to us at first, then it will become expected when we learn to speak The Word of God in faith. We, then, will become what God has called us to be in Genesis 12:2-3 – a blessing to the families of the world.
Much love to all in Christ,
Larry