Matthew 14:34-36 Crossing Over the Lake
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 14, 2019, Matthew 14:34-36
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
(Understanding the Text) The previous texts were about the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water. From that point, Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, and they continued on across the lake and landed at Gennesaret. Peter must have been dripping wet when he got into the boat, but I wonder if Jesus was dry?
When I put the story from the various gospels together, I start to get a picture of what happened that night. First, there was the initial journey to find a place away from the crowds. Matthew says that it was a deserted place, but Luke says that it was near Bethsaida. “On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida” (Luke 9:10). Thus, the feeding of the 5,000 was in a deserted place near Bethsaida. After the walking on water incident, Matthew says that they landed at Gennesaret, but John tells us that they were trying to reach Capernaum. “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” (John 6:16-17). Thus, in their difficulties, I think that they were pushed off course to the south of their original destination.
Looking at this map, it tells me that when Jesus was trying to get away from the crowds to be alone with His disciples in a deserted place, He was not planning a long journey. He just wanted to go up the coast a little ways to get away from the town. This explains how the people were able to get there ahead of Jesus. If the disciples stayed out on the water enjoying it for a while before going back into shore rather than going directly in, the people would have had plenty of time to arrive ahead of them. Matthew implies that Jesus wanted to get away because of John the Baptist’s death. Luke says that it was when the disciples had come back from being sent out, and Jesus wanted to spend some time alone with them. It was probably a little of both.
(Revelation of God) I’m wondering if this story also demonstrates how Jesus did not know the future anymore than the rest of us who have studied the scriptures and are guided by the Holy Spirit. He did not expect the crowd to follow Him and thought that just floating a little ways up the coast would be far enough away to be alone. On the other hand, I don’t know what Jesus was thinking, and if He knew what was waiting for them on shore, He may have spent the time on the water to be alone with the disciples and have them rest before returning to the shore to fulfill their duties to the people.
(Understanding the Text) Anyway, the map tells me that they were not trying to cross through the middle of the sea but were staying somewhat near the shore as they crossed. This explains Jesus’ ability to walk out to them. The disciples may not have hurried initially because they did not like leaving Jesus behind. Mark says that they headed to Bethsaida, so they may have stopped there for some errand before going further on the sea. “Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd” (Mark 6:45). John gives another piece of the story. “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 frightened” (John 6:16-19).
I’m still trying to understand the time line of the story. “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds” (Mat 14:22). I picture Jesus telling them to get into the boat and go over to the nearest town while He dismissed the crowd and walked over to meet them. (The other side might have been to the other side of the Jordan River) Maybe, they were to inform the town that there might be a lot of people heading their way to stay the night, or maybe there was some other errand. Peter and Andrew were originally from Bethsaida and Mark is the one who mentions this location, so Jesus may have sent them over to greet their family while they were in the area. Jesus might have told them that He would meet them somewhere along the way when they headed back towards the area where He was. (This reminds me of Paul when he sent the others on in a boat, and he traveled overland by himself and met them at a specified settlement.) If Jesus knew that they were visiting family, this may have explained why He knew that He had plenty of time to pray. The disciples headed back to meet Jesus at the appointed time. They may have watched the shore to see if they could see Jesus anywhere there. This anticipation of Jesus meeting them may be why John said that Jesus had not yet come to them. Then they started having troubles with the sea and stopped focusing so much on where Jesus was, and that is when they looked up and saw Him coming towards them on the water. This explanation makes sense to me. They may have been rowing towards the rendezvous place where Jesus was watching for them to come into shore to meet Him, but the sea waves started getting too big, and they were having difficulties rowing. Jesus may have seen that it would be dangerous for them to try to bring the boat to shore with the giant waves that they were struggling against, so He went ahead and walked out to their boat so that they would not have to bring it close to the shore and be unable to get it back out into the open sea because of the wind and waves.
After they landed at Gennesaret, people came to be healed. Did the miracles at Gennesaret come after the healing of the woman who touched Jesus’ robe? That story is in Matthew 9, so I think it came after the woman’s healing. Thus, her healing would have become famous in the area, and the people wanting to touch Jesus’ robe for healing would have had evidence to base their faith upon and a prior example to follow. They may not have wanted to wait in line, so they just pushed forward enough to touch the robe and be healed. It says that they implored to do it, so they were polite enough to ask and being humble rather than grasping when they did it.
The disciples and Jesus may have stayed in the boat and slept after they reached Gennesaret, so that the people did not realize that Jesus was there until the first light. Then, people went around to their friends and relatives who lived throughout the whole area, and they came in to the town and asked to be healed. Thus, the disciples and Jesus may have had a short time to rest and relax before the crowds descended upon them.
(Application) My application for myself is that when I least expect to see Jesus because I am so focused on my troubles is when I usually receive the clearest vision of Him. I need to keep looking for Him and I will find Him, but not always where and how I expect to see Him. Jesus will surprise me again and again by not appearing as I picture Him appearing. I need to expect the unexpected from God, not just because He likes variety, which He does, and not just because I need to be pulled out of my rut, which I do, but also because there are many factors in play, and the best path is usually one that I cannot predict or see clearly, but God can.
(Prayer) Jesus, be with me when my life is like a peaceful sea and when it is full of raging storms. Teach me to walk on the water with You and to have faith that touching the hem of Your robe will heal me. Most of all, help me to have faith when I cannot clearly see the path forward.