Grace and Truth
Bible Ministries

Mark 6:50-52; Jesus disciples had difficulty understanding because of their hardness of heart

In our study of Mark last time we left off in Mark 6:50b where Jesus told his disciples who were screaming because they thought he was a ghost to "be courageous". We then went to the parallel passage in Matt 14:29-31; where Peter took him at his word.

Peter got out of the boat and started walking on water until he began to doubt because the situation was too much for him to believe and he began to sink.

What Peter didn't recognize is that when he was in the boat the doctrine related to the displacement of the water by the boat kept him afloat and when he was walking on water it was the doctrine of the Word of God that kept him afloat.

The doctrine that enabled him to walk on water is actually more enduring than the doctrine of displacement. Mark 13:31; Net note 40 He understood it later because he writes in 2Pet 1:19; that the Word of God is more certain than visible empirical evidence.

When believers understand and actually believe that God's Word is more certain than what they see then they have the capacity to live by means of doctrine because then their reality is in the Word of God not in what they see in the devil's world. Heb 10:38;

We have to come to the doctrinal conclusion that what we see in the devils' world is "true" but it is not the entire reality so it is not "the truth". This is what the disciples had to learn and it is also what we have to learn.

It was true that it was impossible for Peter to walk on water just as it was true that it was impossible to feed the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish but the truth was that both were possible with Jesus Christ. Mark 9:23;

When we know God's word and someone says it something in it is impossible we can tell them yep your right for you it is impossible but it is not impossible for me. We need to learn how to live in the realm of the impossible with confidence and complete tranquility of soul. That is the challenge we are presented with in our life.

However we must always remember that it is not our believing that makes it so it is the Word that makes it so. We must believe the Word that is absolute truth for faith to be honored. Belief is simply non-meritorious positive volition regarding the Will of God that is revealed in the Word of God.

Mark 6:51-52; When the Lord got into the boat the wind ceased. The purpose of the wind and waves was to test the disciples use of faith rest and was unnecessary now that He is with them.

The disciples were completely amazed; The Greek word is "existanto" that literally means they were "out of their minds with amazement" at the revelation of Jesus' presence and power because they had not understood the meaning of miracle of the loaves and the fish that clearly revealed His true identity because they were spiritually imperceptive.

The Doctrine was continuously right in front of them but they didn't get it because their hardness of heart caused them to be unable to recall doctrine resulting in persistent unbelief. In other words they had spiritual amnesia caused by their hardness of heart.

This brings us to the doctrine of hardness of heart but first we must understand the doctrine of the soul in order to understand how the heart functions.

 

© Copyright 2007, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.  This document was created on 10/20/2013