Making The Journey Alone

Were the disciples going to leave Jesus alone?

When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." -  John 6:15-27

We don't know why they chose to go ahead without him. They must have thought he would join them at some point, maybe by taking another boat.

At its widest point, the Sea of Tiberius, or Galilee, is eight miles from shore to shore. They had gone half that distance when they found themselves in trouble.

Because they didn't feel the presence of Jesus, they were afraid.

We, too, have no problem going it alone. We don't think we need God along for the ride, until something happens that scares us. Then, we cry out to God for help.

Here is where I believe we see a distinction in the role of the persons of God.

The Father is always watching over us. As Jesus told us, He knows every hair on our heads. And Jesus also said that when two or three are gathered in his name, He is there also.

But it is the Holy Spirit who is always there with us, in us, for us.

When Jesus asks the disciples why they were afraid, he could easily have asked, "Is not my spirit with you?"

If the disciples had braved the storm on their own, relying on the Spirit within, they would have boasted upon arrival at the far shore that they had done it alone.

But we know that isn't so. They are never alone. We are never alone. It is always God's Spirit who is with us.

That is why when someone turns to us and says, "Thank you," we reply, "Thank God."

More to come...