Life in Abundance

The account of Jesus walking on the water to save his disciples is one of the most incomprehensible—and wonderful—miracles recorded in the New Testament. Having just finished teaching and ministering to the people, the Savior told his Apostles to board a ship and cross the Sea of Galilee while He dispersed the crowd. (Mark 6:45.) Christ then went to a mountain to pray, where He saw them “toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them.” (Mark 6:47-48.) It must have been a difficult night, because the disciples were still at it by the fourth watch—somewhere between 3:00 to 6:00 in the morning—when the Savior came unto them, “walking upon the sea.” (Mark 6:48.) Unsurprisingly, the disciples were astonished and “troubled” by what they saw. Thinking they had seen a ghost, they all cried out. (Mark 6:49-50.) Lovingly, the Savior “immediately” talked with them, telling them: “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” (Mark 6:50.) He joined them in the ship, calmed the winds, and saw them safely to the other side. (Mark 6:51.) Describing the disciples’ feelings at this point, Mark records that “they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered, for they considered not the miracle of the loaves.” (Mark 6:51-52.)

Just a few hours earlier, while Jesus was teaching the multitude, the disciples had faced a different problem. Five thousand men, along with their families, had followed the Lord to a “desert place” to hear Him teach. (Mark 6:35, 44.) The day was now “far spent,” and, knowing that they didn’t have enough food or money to feed such a group, the disciples advised the Lord to send the people to their homes for the evening. (Mark 6:35-37.) Instead of sending the people away, Jesus had compassion upon them and asked the disciples to gather food and organize the people in companies on the grass. (Mark 6:38-40.) The disciples brought Him what little they had—just five small loaves and two fishes—and Jesus took the food, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the multitude. (Mark 6:41.) Not only was everyone able to eat, they were able to eat their fill, with 12 baskets of food to spare. (Mark 6:42-43.)

I wonder what the disciples, toiling at their oars in the middle of a windy, difficult night, should have considered about this miracle as they saw a dim figure walking toward them in the night. As I consider the miracle of the loaves, with the benefit of retrospect the disciples did not have, I am reminded of similar situations both earlier and later in the Lord’s ministry where He “manifested forth his glory” to satisfy others’ scarcity with his abundance. (See John 2:11.) In Cana at the start of His ministry, when Mary was faced with a lack of wine at the wedding feast, Jesus satisfied her soul in drought (see Isaiah 58:11), transforming between 130-195 gallons of water into some of the finest wine the ruler of the feast had ever tasted. (John 2:1-11.) In Jerusalem at the end of His ministry, when the Apostles faced the dawning realization of impending separation from the Lord, Jesus transformed bread and wine into a beautiful remembrance of His life, His love, and His coming sacrifice for them—and all of us. (See JST Mark 14:20-25.) Perhaps the Lord’s greatest transformative miracle was performed on the Apostles themselves. These men, who seemed “unlearned and ignorant” to the world (see Acts 4:13), were given power by the Savior “to become the sons of God” (see John 1:12) and to eloquently and powerfully preach his gospel to “all nations” (see Matthew 28:20), including powerful civic (see Acts 24-26) and religious (see Acts 4:5-21) leaders of the day.

At the heart of this pattern that runs throughout the Savior’s mortal and post-mortal ministry is the reality that Christ is the only true source of lasting abundance in this life and in eternity. As we come to Him with our needs—whatever our needs—He will pour out blessings without measure, until our cup runneth over (Psalms 23:5) and there is not room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10.) As we come to Him in our weakness, he will make us strong. (2 Cor. 12:9-10; Ether 12:27.) Those blessings may not come immediately—the disciples toiled a possible 9-12 hours at sea before Jesus came to them. (From even (6 pm) to the fourth watch (3-6 am), see Mark 6:47-48.) And they may not come without us feeling our weakness and our need—sometimes acutely. Miraculous wine was not provided until the guests demanded of Mary wine that was not there (see John 2:3), and Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was overcome rather than removed. (see 2 Cor. 12:7-9.) Nonetheless, whether soon or late, “men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations.) Or, as Christ Himself said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10.)