Miracles

And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he (Jesus) was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:47–52 (RSV)

We call Jesus walking on water and stilling the storm a miracle. We, whose relationships are tainted with sin, would see it so. Sin has distorted our interactions with other people as well as the creation itself.

Our root sin is the desire to be God. When Adam and Eve reached for the fruit, they were reaching for the power to be God. They wanted to become what they were not created to be. As a result, they hid from the Father who created them, and animals would die to cover their nakedness.

The waters and storms are obedient to Jesus, for He is their Lord. They act in accordance with His will and purpose. The disciples only can see the anger in the storm and are fearful of its power. Eyes and hearts infected by sin can do no other.

The day will come when the new heaven and the new earth will be upon us, and we will hear the mountains, the oceans, and all created things praising their Lord. We will add our voices to that chorus in eternal harmonies. It will be natural to us on that day. Until then, it is miraculous to our eyes.