What Makes You Brave – August 9, 2024

Read: Mark 6:45-56

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He 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, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed.
Mark 6:45-51

What Makes You Brave

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sometimes, people are afraid of things that make sense. If it’s dark, you are more likely to bang your toes on something you would have seen if the lights were on. It makes sense to be afraid of the dark. Sometimes, people are afraid of things that do not make sense. Nobody has ever seen a monster in your closet. You can check a hundred times in one night and never find one there. Closet monsters are not real, but some people are afraid of them, even if it doesn’t make sense.

Whether it makes sense or not, what makes you brave when you are afraid?

One night, Jesus’ disciples learned the answer. They were by themselves on a boat in the middle of a lake, and a scary storm blew in. The waves were big enough to sink the boat, and the wind made it hard to get to dry land. It made sense to be afraid of the storm, and they were afraid. But when they saw Jesus walk out on the water toward them, they were afraid of something that didn’t make sense. They thought Jesus was a ghost. They could check the lake for a hundred times in one night and never see a ghost. Ghosts are not real, and spirits do not walk on lakes. The disciples were afraid of some things that made sense and some that did not make sense, but one thing made them brave: Jesus.

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid,” he said. Because Jesus is really in control, he could calm down the scary storm, and he did. Jesus could get rid of their fear of ghosts because he was with them to teach them the truth and take care of them no matter what.

Jesus is with you when you walk in the dark. Jesus is able to keep you safe and help you when you are not safe. Jesus can make you brave when your fears don’t make sense because he works through parents, teachers, and the Bible to help us know when scary things aren’t real. Jesus makes you brave.

Closing Prayer:

Almighty God, the protector of all who trust in you, strengthen our faith, and give us courage to believe that in your love you will rescue us from everything scary. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• What were the disciples scared of?
• Who is able to make you brave?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• From your life, give one example of something scary that makes sense and something scary that doesn’t make sense.
• True or False. When Jesus told his disciples, “Don’t be afraid, it’s me,” he was standing on water.

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Describe what the disciples looked like before Jesus was in the boat. Then describe what they looked after he climbed in the boat with them.
• Pretend you are one of the disciples who was in the boat. Your grandparent asks, “What happened?!” In your own words, retell the story of your rescue.