22 Immediately he
made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while
he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds,
he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there
alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far
from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the
morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the
disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a
ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke
to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28 Peter answered
him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He
said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and
came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became
frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Jesus
immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little
faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind
ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you
are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:22-33
is the story of the miracle of Jesus walking on the sea. The source is Mark,
but verses 28-31 are unique to Matthew. In Matthew, the story follows the
rejection of Jesus at his hometown of Nazareth (13:54-58), the death of John
the Baptist (14:1-12), and the feeding of the five thousand (14:13-21). It
precedes the account of his healing of the sick at Gennesaret (14:34-36) and a
confrontation with the Jewish authorities on the nature of tradition (15:1-9).
In addition to being a collection of miracle stories (feeding, walking,
healing), the stories also form a complex of narratives which, when taken
together, speak about those who recognized in Jesus the One promised by
Israel’s religious tradition and those whose doubts or vested interests blinded
them to the miraculous power in their midst.
In this miracle story, Jesus will show his leadership and authority by dismissing the crowds.
He will show his personal need to spend time alone with his heavenly Father. Granted, Jesus may need separation from the crowds. Granted, he may feel the need to isolate himself from the murderous designs of Herod Antipas. However, the key point is that Jesus nourished his relationship with the Father by this time alone in prayer. We assume this time of prayer in the account of the temptation in the wilderness in 4:1-11, along with the explicit statements in Mark 1:35 and Luke 5:16. Of course, Jesus on the night after his last supper with the disciples will have time alone in prayer in Matthew 26:39-44. Although such references are rare, we can assume it was his custom to do so. Jesus experienced the immediacy of the filial relation to his Father. Those who follow Jesus share in this immediacy and filial relation. Paul suggests this familial relation in Romans 8:15, where, as adopted children of God we have the privilege of the immediacy of the presence of the Spirit who inspires us to call out, “Abba, Father.” In I Corinthians 14:15-16, he refers to praying with the spirit and mind. Part of following Jesus will always deal with the quiet prayer of individuals alone with God.[1]
Yet, the most important part of the miracle story is its clear Christological focus. Jesus comes to the disciples while they are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Of interest is that Jesus “came towards them” and “they saw him,” phrases that are similar to the “appearances” of the Lord after the crucifixion. The sea is consistently used in Near Eastern narratives as a symbol of chaos, evil and demonic power. The power to still the sea is an attribute reserved for God, where God calmed the sea (Job 26:12), stirred up the sea (Isaiah 51:15), and the Lord calmed the sea after sailors through Jonah into it (Jonah 1:15). In all near-Eastern mythologies, the sea plays an important role, identified often as both god and serpent. Understanding the Old Testament images of raging waters is important. This passage draws on traditional imagery used by the Israelites to speak of God's divine power over nature. The power to control the seas and subdue storms belongs to God, we see in Psalm 89:8-9, where the Lord God rules the sea, and in Psalm 93:3-4, where the Lord is mightier than the raging sea. Such power reminds us of the passing of the Hebrew people through the Red Sea, commanding the Sea to dry up like a desert in Psalm 106:9. Storms are also metaphors for evil forces active in the world, evil forces from which only God can save. Thus, we see in Psalm 69:1-2, 14-15 that the waters threaten to overwhelm the writer like a flood, where he is sinking into the deep water and mud. Thus, the stormy sea is much more than an uncontrollable, unpredictable action of nature. The sea is a malevolent expression of the power of a destructive force that stalks the created world. The sea is a force of chaos that moves against the divine will. We see this in Genesis 1:1-2, where the Spirit or wind from God hovers over the deep waters of chaos, where God walks calmly on the waves of the sea in Job 9:8, and where God made a road through the raging waters in Psalm 77:19. The chaos creates a problem for the disciples in the boat, but Jesus walking on the water shows he has authority even over the chaos. In spite of this, the disciples are fearful. They wonder if they are seeing a ghost. Did the disciples ask this question when they saw him alive after his crucifixion? Clearly, the disciples have difficulty recognizingJesus . They do not know who walks along on top of the
roaring waves and toward their boat. The words “it is I,” from Jesus are
an echo of Exodus 3:14, the revelation of Yahweh as “I am.” The presence of
Jesus in the chaos is to give the disciples confidence and help them overcome
their fear. In the material unique to Matthew, Peter asks the one who conquers
chaos to command him to walk on the chaotic waters. We learn an important
aspect of discipleship here. When Peter trusted and obeyed the word or command
of Jesus to join him on the chaotic waters, he provided an example for us. The call
to discipleship binds us to the Christ who calls us. Discipleship will not
exist without obedience and trust.[2] Peter
is an example of the stumbling around nature of following Jesus as well,
occasioned by his doubt in the leadership and authority of Jesus in the midst
of chaos. Fear always sinks a person. It
ruins plans and stops all progress. We can identify with Peter's panic attack, for the fear of
falling‑‑of sinking‑‑has hit everyone at one time or another. Yet, in his doubting
condition, he is aware enough to know Jesus could save him. Further, in spite
of the failure of Peter to trust, Jesus does not give up on Peter. He lifts
Peter out of the chaotic waters. When they enter the boat, the disciples
worship him and offer a corporate confession of faith that he is the Son of
God. Such a confession of faith by the disciples becomes a model for an event
that has occurred countless times in the lives of people throughout history. We
as readers have an invitation to allow such a transforming event occur in our
lives as well. If we do, such a moment will be the defining event in our lives.
Such a statement reflects the post-Easter affirmation of the church. With this
addition by Matthew, a story in Mark that ended with the doubt of the disciples
ends with a confession of faith in Jesus. We might best think of the story as
Matthew tells it as something like a post-Easter appearance of the risen Lord
and the coming to faith of the disciples, with special attention to Peter.
In this miracle story, Jesus will show his leadership and authority by dismissing the crowds.
He will show his personal need to spend time alone with his heavenly Father. Granted, Jesus may need separation from the crowds. Granted, he may feel the need to isolate himself from the murderous designs of Herod Antipas. However, the key point is that Jesus nourished his relationship with the Father by this time alone in prayer. We assume this time of prayer in the account of the temptation in the wilderness in 4:1-11, along with the explicit statements in Mark 1:35 and Luke 5:16. Of course, Jesus on the night after his last supper with the disciples will have time alone in prayer in Matthew 26:39-44. Although such references are rare, we can assume it was his custom to do so. Jesus experienced the immediacy of the filial relation to his Father. Those who follow Jesus share in this immediacy and filial relation. Paul suggests this familial relation in Romans 8:15, where, as adopted children of God we have the privilege of the immediacy of the presence of the Spirit who inspires us to call out, “Abba, Father.” In I Corinthians 14:15-16, he refers to praying with the spirit and mind. Part of following Jesus will always deal with the quiet prayer of individuals alone with God.[1]
Yet, the most important part of the miracle story is its clear Christological focus. Jesus comes to the disciples while they are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Of interest is that Jesus “came towards them” and “they saw him,” phrases that are similar to the “appearances” of the Lord after the crucifixion. The sea is consistently used in Near Eastern narratives as a symbol of chaos, evil and demonic power. The power to still the sea is an attribute reserved for God, where God calmed the sea (Job 26:12), stirred up the sea (Isaiah 51:15), and the Lord calmed the sea after sailors through Jonah into it (Jonah 1:15). In all near-Eastern mythologies, the sea plays an important role, identified often as both god and serpent. Understanding the Old Testament images of raging waters is important. This passage draws on traditional imagery used by the Israelites to speak of God's divine power over nature. The power to control the seas and subdue storms belongs to God, we see in Psalm 89:8-9, where the Lord God rules the sea, and in Psalm 93:3-4, where the Lord is mightier than the raging sea. Such power reminds us of the passing of the Hebrew people through the Red Sea, commanding the Sea to dry up like a desert in Psalm 106:9. Storms are also metaphors for evil forces active in the world, evil forces from which only God can save. Thus, we see in Psalm 69:1-2, 14-15 that the waters threaten to overwhelm the writer like a flood, where he is sinking into the deep water and mud. Thus, the stormy sea is much more than an uncontrollable, unpredictable action of nature. The sea is a malevolent expression of the power of a destructive force that stalks the created world. The sea is a force of chaos that moves against the divine will. We see this in Genesis 1:1-2, where the Spirit or wind from God hovers over the deep waters of chaos, where God walks calmly on the waves of the sea in Job 9:8, and where God made a road through the raging waters in Psalm 77:19. The chaos creates a problem for the disciples in the boat, but Jesus walking on the water shows he has authority even over the chaos. In spite of this, the disciples are fearful. They wonder if they are seeing a ghost. Did the disciples ask this question when they saw him alive after his crucifixion? Clearly, the disciples have difficulty recognizing
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