Another little airport meditation:
“Again Jesus began to teach beside the lake. And a very great crowd gathered about Him, so that He got into a ship in order to sit in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the lakeside on the shore. And He taught them many things in parables (illustrations or comparisons put beside truths to explain them), and in His teaching He said to them:
Give attention to this! ……
And as soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, with the Twelve [apostles], began to ask Him about the parables.
And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is, [b]the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [[c]of our circle] everything becomes a parable…(a riddle to trip them into an encounter of the spiritual Kingdom)…
(Things are hidden temporarily only as a means or trigger into revelation.)
For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known….
If anyone has ears to hear, let them be listening and let them perceive and comprehend.
The earth produces [acting] by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] andputs in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.
With many such parables [Jesus] spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear and [n]to comprehend and understand.
He did not tell them anything without a parable (a riddle, a symbolic story, a little poem of being); but privately to His disciples ([o]those who were peculiarly His own) He explained everything [fully]….
 On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake].
 And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, [just] as He was, in the boat [in which He was sitting]. And other boats were with Him….
They came to the other side of the sea…
And as soon as He got out of the boat, there met Him out of the tombs a man [under the power] of an unclean spirit.”(Amplified-pump it up-version)
Jesus on a boat (among other boats, which makes you wonder who all saw Him teaching, and calming storms, controlling nature!) in the water teaching the masses of people (that’s enough for pause for consideration); and then breaking his teaching and methodology down afterwards to his inner circle (those who were peculiarly His!), at the same time as training them experientially during the storm, increasing their faith and understanding, and preparing them for what was on the other side of the body of water—a deliverance situation with a demonized man.
What a great story and scene from the life of Jesus while on earth! What an existential experiential teacher as well!
Again, if we enter these vignettes as little windows of understanding, the bible becomes so very rich and personal. This story is lots about how to teach and train as well. If we approach it as just a religious text or propaganda, we miss the inner meaning of the great tales in the book.
“I could meditate on any of these stories forever.” one great early desert father said. “If you just gave me half of one of the stories in the bible, i could build a mountain of truths and art.” Again here, Jesus’ most often used practical metaphors—farming, finances, fishing and family…what a great teacher! Very down to earth with his metaphors. Wanting to be understood clearly. Hard to ignore what a master teacher He was, even if you, as many have said, “have problems with His followers!”