Mark 6:45–56

Jesus Walks on the Water

6:45–51pp—Mt 14:22–32; Jn 6:15–21 6:53–56pp—Mt 14:34–36

⁴⁵Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat^w and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,^x while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.^y

⁴⁷Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. ⁴⁸He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.^z They cried out, ⁵⁰because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”^{a 51}Then he climbed into the boat^b with them, and the wind died down.^c They were completely amazed, ⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.^d

⁵³When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.^{e 54}As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. ⁵⁵They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak,^f and all who touched it were healed.