“Inexplicable”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, January 11, 2025
John 6: 15-27 (Forward, p. 74) CEV p. 1107
Sometimes we simply don’t have an explanation or a plausible reason for something that has happened. This takes place in our own lives, and certainly takes place on numerous occasions in the Scriptural narrative. Those of the crowd who now spotted Jesus on the other side of the lake when He had not taken the boat were certainly of this mind. But then too, probably Jesus’ disciples had to wonder as well, even though they were closer to what took place. We have the instance of Jesus walking on the water and of the boat suddenly reaching shore despite the strong winds against them. People of a rational turn of mind will often try to explain these things away or simply deny that they happened. And, even for us believers, these things may seem somewhat ‘spooky’ or unnerving.
For me, I think that the best recourse is simply to accept them and not to worry ourselves unduly with how they managed to take place. Some things, like the above events, or like the miracle at Cana of Galilee or the Feeding of the 5,000, are simply beyond our explanations. So, a better course of action, in my mind, is to simply ‘go with the flow’, accept them and wonder about them—and then trust in the One who is able, with whom all things are possible. Such is our God, a God of wonders. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid’” (verse 20).
“This story is sometimes titled ‘Jesus Walks on Water’ or ‘Jesus Defies Distance.’ While these titles can be helpful, they can also distract us from inhabiting the stories for ourselves and listening to God’s message to us.
“When I meditatively enter this story, I am in the small boat, being tossed about by wind and waves on an incredibly black night. The wind roars, and water spray stings my eyes. My heart pounds with palpable fear, and my mind churns with frightening thoughts. It is inner and outer chaos! But then, suddenly, and unexplainably, Jesus is there, telling me not to fear. Nothing else matters as he is all I see, and his loving voice is all I hear. The next thing I know, everything is calm, and I’ve reached land.
“The miracle I experience, then, is the one which occurred within my own body and soul while I was in Jesus’s presence. It is a peace beyond my understanding and not easily captured in a simple title.”
Moving Forward: “Imagine you are in the boat. What do you see, feel, hear?”