John 6:22-25 CSI Galilee_

This almost reads like a detective novel or crime scene investigation. Pull out your notepad and come sleuth with me.

The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

John‬ ‭6:22-25‬ ‭NASB‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

From the context (including accounts from Mark and Matthew)

• It was evening and getting dark
• Jesus sent his disciples to Capernaum on the other side of the lake
• He stayed and dismissed the crowd to their homes
• Jesus went into the mountain to pray. Alone.
• Hopping on a boat after dark was not a smart idea for anyone, is this what Jesus did?

From these verses:

• There was only one boat at the spot that the people were fed
• Jesus did not get into the boat
• The disciples, in contrast, entered that one boat
• … alone (meaning, without Jesus)
• The crowds saw that Jesus was not there
• Other small boats came near the place they ate (could they have picked him up?)
• The crowds hopped into those boats (probably the next morning when it was daylight)
• They went in search of Jesus
• The crowds found Jesus after they landed in Capernaum — with his disciples

Their minds were reeling: “What just happened?”

The fringe crowd, when looking in at a miraculous event with the mind alone, spins wildly with confusion. What happened? Did you see that? We lost the Messiah. But now he is here. Whoa! How did this happen? Trying. To. Connect. The. Dots.

Looking at a miracle from the outside in is never satisfying. Does science support it? Did it really happen? Was it the imagination? A coincidence? A slight of hand? The natural mind is trying to understand what only the spirit-eye may see. Mentally processing a supernatural event will, at best, allow me accept that I saw something truly abnormal (“abnormal” is lack of experience talking) or at worst, will explain it away — tucking it in a nice neat package that doesn’t have any impact on me or my life. Because if it was an intersection of God with the earth, then it means something significant has happened.

At the root level, I must ask, with what heart or motive am I viewing this set of facts? And the question applies not just to a miracle, but to everything. Our disposition matters. It colors what we see. What we understand. It affects our experiences. Those in the crowd probably didn’t realize that they were the cause for this nighttime stealth operation away from the area. Jesus was trying to create some distance between with them. They were the ones about to take him by force — clearly this is not what Jesus wanted or what he understood that God wanted either. To exacerbate things further — not having the self-awareness to realize there was a reason Jesus was not cooperating with them— they chose to confront him. They demanded an answer to something for which they didn’t have “spirit-eyes” or a heart willing or able to see. In the next verse, Jesus went straight to the heart of the issue and answered the question they did not ask. But imagine for a moment if Jesus answered directly? “I walked on the water, ignored the storm, met up with the disciples in the middle of the lake, briefly watched Peter walk on water, and calmed the storm. Then, as soon as I was in the boat we wasted no time and altering the laws of physics transported the boat immediately to where it was headed.” Uh, really? The people would have heard… “blah, blah, blah, blah.” There was no context in which this would make sense. None.

These followers were action-oriented, for certain. They were doing something about their “faith” even though it was misaligned. They are about to get a chiropractic adjustment.

There are two things that make me pause and self-reflect from this narrative:

My behavior affects His response. Just like Jesus’ actions were a response to this crowd’s insistence and intent, others, including the Holy Spirit, work with me where I am, not where I think I am or wish I could be. If someone is avoiding me, maybe it is really because I am being unreasonable. Maybe I am being unfair, demanding, self-serving, without empathy, or without the bigger picture. I impact others. But do I own that impact? Do I have enough humility to listen to him tell me that my desire, efforts, and behavior are misaligned with his kingdom? His presence will answer that, if I listen. At times, distance, silence, and evasion communicates, but closeness and humility of heart is better. It is best if I “get a clue” when he starts taking a boat AWAY from where I am.

What I hear is colored by my motive. Timing, my personal level of growth, and my maturity affect what I am able to hear. A five year old is unable to understand the nuances of romantic love. A new believer may not understand the value and place of suffering and perseverance. An employee affected by layoffs may not see the company in the same light as the executive making the tough decision to cut the workforce. I may not understand why this person I love behaved badly toward me, or worse, no longer wants to continue in a relationship when even when I do. Get my point? I hear and see with a limited perspective.

John 6 now embarks on some very difficult topics. But what is impacting me is that Jesus actions are an expression of love to those confronting them. He’s giving the sons of Abraham an opportunity to draw closer or push further away. At the heart of what follows is this: Do I trust him? Have I seen enough to give up my agenda and hop into his whether I understand or not? Proverbs contextualizes it the best:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs‬ ‭3:5‬ ‭NASB‬‬‬‬