Mark 6:47-52. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
The twelve disciples saw me feed thousands with a few fish and loaves of bread. They saw me perform many miracles. They then saw me walking across the turbulent water to them and climb into the boat. Even then they did not understand the meaning of it all, they did not understand who I am. So it is today. At times your faith is not as strong as it could be. At times you forget who I am and what I can do. At times you don’t trust me as much as you could. It’s ok. You have believed and trusted without seeing me, without sitting and eating with me, without touching me physically. Your faith is there. You are just human, and sometimes it ebbs and flows. Just keep working on it. Yes, it does take work sometimes in the world in which you live, a world that would do everything possible to deny my existence, to make anyone who believes in me seem to be an idiot, brainless and weak. It does take work to believe in someone you can’t physically see and touch and hear. But you do believe, and I will honor that.
Notice that many people who only saw me once or twice immediately recognized me and brought their sick to me for healing. How interesting that sometimes those who walked with me did not recognize me, but those who hardly ever saw me did. Familiarity can lead to blindness, or at least to a lack of vision. Keep your eyes open, and fixed on me, that you never lose your vision.
Remember that all it took for healing was to touch the hem of my garment. Just a little faith, that’s all it takes. I will take care of the rest.
I will always turn to you and hear your cry. I will always deliver you when you ask. Look always to what I have already done in your life, and doubt will leave you. (2003)
Amanuensis 