Jesus Walked on Water (Jn 6:16-21)
Were the disciples disoriented?
Was Jesus on Shore all along?
(Jn 6:16) When it was evening, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 embarked in a boat, and across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown DARK, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and began to be afraid. 20 But he said to them, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ 21 They wanted to take him into the boat but the boat immediately arrived to the shore to which they were heading.
‘17 Embarked in a boat, and across the sea to Capernaum’ the disciples took the boat and headed to Capernaum. Their destination was Capernaum. After rowing three or four miles, they saw Jesus and then beached somewhere, which they thought was 'the shore to which they were heading' (that is Capernaum). If they were NOT disoriented then their boat should be beached at Capernaum. But this was not the case. The next day, the crowd came and saw that the boat was not beached at Capernaum at all, but beached somewhere between their departure point (where they ate the bread) and their destination (Capernaum).
(Jn 6,22) The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. 23 Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. 24 And when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 And when they found him across the sea they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’
'The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there' they saw one beached boat there. ‘and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left.’ which means that this was indeed the disciples' abandoned boat. Then other boats also came from the starting point where Jesus fed the 5000: 23 Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. This means that now they are NOT at the starting point. 24 And when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. But the crowd still took their boats and continued to Capernaum, which means that the disciples’ boat was not beached at Capernaum after all, otherwise the crowd would not need to row anywhere further. This proves that the disciples were indeed disoriented when they thought that they arrived to Capernaum 'to the shore to which they were heading'.
So How did Jesus appear to walk on water?
Once upon a time, in a dark windy night, there were people on a boat, in the dark, strong winds and high waves (poor visibility). They were near the shore but since they were in the dark with strong winds and high waves (no reference points), they got disoriented and thought that they were in the middle of the ocean. And there was an innocent man walking on the shore towards them. As the man stepped into the shallow waters, he said ‘Hola’ (which is translated ‘Hello’). The people on the boat, who still thought that they were in the middle of the ocean, saw the man and thought that he was a ghost walking on water! Suddenly the boat jerked. They thought that they hit a whale, but when they investigated they noticed that they ran aground. One of them said, “Thank Christ, we have reached the shore to which we were heading”. The innocent man knew that he was on shore all along but it was them who were disoriented. Accordingly, the innocent man did not walk on water and surely did not do any miracle.
Similarly, they saw Jesus and beached somewhere between their departure point and their destination (Capernaum). And they were really disoriented when they thought that they arrived to their destination. Yes, they were really disoriented all along. They were disoriented and rowing near the shore when they saw Jesus walking in shallow waters. All the disciples could have walked in shallow waters too... got hit by a wave, fallen then stood up and walked in shallow waters again... This is not a miracle.
Continue: Christian Rebutals.
