Wednesday 22 October 2025

Psalm 85

Background
There are very different views about the significance of this passage (see parallels in Mark 6:45-56 and John 6:16-21) and how we should understand it.

One view is that it proves Jesus is the son of God: only the Son of God could control nature in this way, and the disciples recognised this and for the first time worshipped him as the Son of God. While I have no problem with this literal interpretation if Christians find it helpful, my experience is that we tie ourselves in knots if we present it as 'proof' to someone who does not believe.

If we say Jesus is the son of God because "he walked on water, enabled Peter to do the same, saved Peter when he doubted and then calmed the storm", the typical response is "Why do you believe that is proof?" To which we say "Because it is in the Bible." They say "I don't believe the Bible" and then launch into problems of consistency, or our lack of understanding of scientific proof, etc.

Another approach is to explain away Jesus' ability to walk on water with science. The BBC tried to do this in 2006 suggesting that it was possible for there to be 'spring ice' that Jesus was able to walk on.

However, this does not meet the scientific method. There have been no careful observations of this happening, no testable hypothesis, no experiments and analysis. It fails to consider how people might be fooled; it doesn't take account of the whole text, for example, that Jesus came right up to a boat with experienced fishermen who knew the place well; and that one of them would also walk on the ice without realising that is what they were doing.

I believe we should not be shy about the impact of science on the Bible. We have a much better Bible text today thanks to the work of scholars piecing together ancient manuscripts, checking for authentic documents, analysing texts and comparing them to sources, etc. As a result, I want to be very clear that the Bible is unique. No other ancient text includes so many early texts, no other has been so closely examined and scrutinised. We can be far more confident about the text of Scripture than we can about any other ancient text (something they did not admit when I studied Julius Caesar's Gallic wars and Virgil at school).

The middle ground in how to interpret this Bible story is to look for spiritual interpretations that claim that it contains lessons such as that Jesus comes to us in times of trouble and that we need to show faith by metaphorically stepping out of the boat, etc.

I believe that the Bible speaks to us in many ways and there are helpful truths beyond a literal reading. These might speak powerfully to us. But the gospel writers were not fools: if that was the key lesson they wanted to pass on then why write it this way?

My conclusion for today? Don't ignore the complications and challenges of interpreting this passage. Don't look for a single right answer. Dive in, explore the options, live with some uncertainty and then prayerfully consider what it means for your relationship with God, with Scripture and your discipleship. At the end I believe Jesus is Lord, he died on a cross for me and God raised him from the dead. All these interpretations can strengthen those beliefs and deepen my discipleship.

To Ponder:

• Which interpretation of this story do you normally hold to? Why? What might you learn from other interpretations?
• What does our faith depend on? A proven text? An encounter? Great teaching? ... Do we dare examine and explore?
  

Prayer
Holy, awesome God, there is so much we don't understand and that we struggle with. There is so much of you, that is beyond what we are capable of comprehending. Be with us in the power of your Holy Spirit as we seek to be faithful disciples. Give us peace and encourage us on our journeys. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Dave Warnock
Dave is now a Methodist minister without an appointment. He and his wife Jane are finishing a very extensive refit of a 1977 sailing boat so they can sail around the world for five years as sustainably as possible. The intention is to model sustainable living and help encourage connections between sustainability and faith. He wants to move from negative to positive impacts of sailing on vulnerable coastal communities. See their blog and YouTube channel