Seeing them laboring at the oars – for the wind was against them – about three hours after midnight Jesus came towards them, walking on the water, intending to join them.
a wind block
raises frustration
exhausts energy
traps thinkingwhat else can be done
we might as well
sail into wet concrete
that sets around usstuck just stuck
whether too much headwind
or too large a drag
just stuck stucktrapped in persistence
an option to retreat
in place
passes us byso caught
even our own
lives
pass by
To see in the dark at the designated distance would indicate sight beyond the usual human range—telescopic and infrared.
Of course there is sight beyond visual stimuli. One of the unappreciated aspects of prayer is its connection with aboriginal Dreamtime, astral projection, particle entanglement, and any number of additional extra-sensory connections that can extend for untold distances.
However one goes about understanding this scene, we are on notice that something spooky is going on.
Our lives are very easily stuck with all our energy going into rowing against whatever force is blocking our progress. We are forever trying to find ways around, under, or over an opposing wind.
Finally, between 3:00 to 6:00 A.M., Jesus wanders out to see what is going on. Finding a normal human situation, our best efforts coming to naught, Jesus appears to simply pass by.
καὶ ἤθελεν παρελθεῖν αὐτούς (kai ēthelen paralthein autous, pass them by) is unique to Mark and is difficult. —“It can reasonably be translated by ‘began to pass by them’ or ‘made as though he would pass by them.’ Equally, the verb without a direct object can be rendered ‘join,’ ‘come to…’ Why Jesus would have passed them by we cannot know. We can only record the tradition.” [Mann305]
Of course readers are not limited by a tradition of a deus ex machine, a yellow submarine, or other way to avoid being stymied.