This past Sabbath we explored Mark 6:45-52. I pointed out that Mark finishes the story by adding a detail that neither Matthew nor John include, “And they were afraid, for they did not understand the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” What loaves is Mark talking about? He is referring to the loaves that fed the 5,000 earlier that day (see Mark 6:30-44).

What was there to understand in the loaves? Simply, the miracle resembled the feeding of the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16). Had they understood the loaves they would have seen that the same God who provided in the desert was now providing before their eyes. The power of the story is that it reveals the divine nature of Jesus.

And according to Mark, had the disciples understood this they would have been able to see that it was Jesus walking on the waves. As I have wrestled with this reality I have come to see that many times in my life when I have been afraid and unable to see Jesus in the world it is because I have forgotten the divine nature of Jesus. For in His divine nature lies the assurance of my salvation and a revelation of the character of God.

In Scripture, understanding is not simply an intellectual exercise but a spiritual one (consider Luke 24:15). But “understanding” and “grasping” are different. We may not grasp the divine nature of the Son, but we can understand it. We may not be able to comprehend how God become human or how mortal flesh contained divine glory, but we can understand that it happened.

And according to Mark, understanding the divine nature of the Son is necessary in order to see Jesus walking on the waves. What does it mean for us though? It means that it is necessary in order to see Jesus everywhere we go and in everything we do.

All glory and praise be to the Living Word, our Savior, and King, Jesus Christ.

—Pastor Alex Portillo