Day 1 – Two stories

Please take the time to read both Matthew 14:22-36 and Mark 6:45-56 as a foundation for this devotional.

I’ve chosen both scriptures from these gospel accounts to study for this devotional: to look at the differences and to understand the miracle as God reveals it to us.

Matthew (the tax collector) was a disciple of Jesus and recorded their journey as closely as he could. He was a meticulous, hands-on writer and concentrated on small details to tell the whole story as best he could. In Matthews’s account, he recorded Jesus sending them ahead and the raging storm. Then he writes about Peter who was brave enough to step over the gunwale and walked to meet Jesus – on WATER!

Mark, on the other hand, wasn’t a disciple and did not have a first-hand witness to this event, but wrote it from gathering information of Jesus’s earthly journey (and probably from the tales from the other disciples.) Mark was a travel companion to Paul and later accompanied Peter to Rome. He was known as Peter’s interpreter, both in speech and in writing. As a fisherman from Galilee, Peter may not have spoken Greek fluently, so Mark interpreted for him. In his book, Mark wrote down the observations and memories of Peter, one of the original Apostles. Mark’s book reflects Peter’s interest in spreading the gospel among the Gentiles. Why the gospel of Mark does not include Peter walking to Jesus, we do not know. But he does tie this scripture with the miracle preceding this one.

Join me, lovely one, as we embark on this devotional together while exploring the revelations the Holy Spirit shares with us.

Prayer: Father, thank You that we have the gospels so we can learn from Jesus and all He did while He was human. Teach us what You would like us to take away from this beautiful account, Amen,