Questions
AM Psalm 55 • PM Psalm 138, 139:1-17(18-23)
Gen. 18:1-16 • Heb. 10:26-39 • John 6:16-27
I am in year two of Education for Ministry (EfM). Year Two is a study of the New Testament. We have read the four Gospels so far this year and the corresponding chapters in our textbook, Introducing the New Testament by Mark Allan Powell. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John differ in how they present Jesus, which illustrates just how complex Jesus was. It has been interesting to compare the four Gospel accounts. Each author has his own distinctive writing style. Each Gospel book contains content that is common to one or more of the others, and each presents some unique content. The differences and similarities between the four Gospels set the stage for an almost magical sense of wonder.
Today’s reading in John contains a miracle story. This account of Jesus walking on water is also found in the books of Matthew (14:22-33) and Mark (6:44-52). In all three books, this miracle follows the feeding of the 5000, after which Jesus sends the disciples on their way across the lake. The stories all contain differing details. Mark points out how baffled the disciples were by Jesus. Matthew tells us the disciples declared Jesus to be the Son of God. John’s version is pretty succinct, Jesus never gets into the boat at all. Though these three versions differ from each other, I do not think that they are contradictory; each reveals a different aspect of the miracle of Jesus walking on water.
Reading the Bible over the years invites new questions with each reading. Is it just a coincidence that each of these “walking on water” accounts follow feeding the 5000? Why does Matthew recount Peter giving walking on water a try when the other two writers do not mention this detail? Why does John include a detail about why Jesus withdrew to the mountain (the crowd wanted to force him to be king), when Matthew and Mark don’t? What do these passages say about the relationship between Jesus and his disciples? In Matthew’s version, is Jesus making the point that faith and fear are opposites? Is there a symbolic meaning of water? And why is it used so many times in the Bible in so many different ways?
To me, part of the absolute beauty of reading and studying the Bible lies in the fact that it evokes a sense of wonder. No matter how many times I read a passage, new questions bubble up. When I can contemplate the questions without being attached to having definitive or static answers, I rest within the mystery. And I wonder if this is a part of faith—being willing to rest within the mystery, not knowing answers, yet still asking questions?
Written by Deborah Griffin
...who is grateful to be part of EfM and our loving and supportive community.