Posts
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."
And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into the all the surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
- Matthew 14:22-36
In yesterday's reading, when Jesus heard of the beheading of John the Baptist, He departed from Nazareth by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." He said, "Bring them here to Me." Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. My study bible tells us that this miracle shows the divinity of Jesus because He expresses dominion over nature by walking on the water. In some sense, it's more powerful a statement than the feeding via the fish and loaves in yesterday's reading. He defies gravity, the laws of physics; nothing limits Him. In yesterday's reading, Jesus had sought a place for solitude and the multitudes had followed Him. Here He prays on the mountaintop in His solitude, after having sent everyone deliberately away -- but even at 3:00 A.M. or thereabouts (in the fourth watch of the night), He is cognizant of what is happening to His disciples, to the ones who love and depend on Him.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. My study bible says here: "In saying to the disciples, be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid, He is also assuring us He will be with His people in the midst of the storms of life. Come is the call of Christ in the midst of turmoil."
But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" My study bible points out that "Lord, save me!" is the shortest prayer in the bible. Short, but effective and immediately answered, it remains the basis for the liturgical refrain, "Lord have mercy." This is a prayer we can pray always. It says that "the Greek term for doubt here means wavering, hesitation, or vacillation. Peter is not denying the faith, but he hesitates and weakens because he has taken his eyes of Christ and focused on the storm."
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God." My study bible tells us: "This is the first time the Apostles confess faith in Jesus as the Son of God. They know, as did the wise men before them (2:11), that only God should be worshiped."
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into the all the surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. Back on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, away from the deserted places and in a place that was known known for its fertile fruit-producing valley and its remarkable fishing (its Hebrew name meant "garden of riches"), the multitudes come to Him and are healed, the harvest of an abundance of faith.
What does it mean that Jesus comes into a "garden of riches" and heals the multitudes? Certainly it is evidence of a great faith there. We've already been told that Jesus can do no "mighty works" where there is unbelief. The abundance of the harvest, of the "fishing for men" is also clear in the declared faith of the disciples, the recognition of Jesus' divinity ("Truly You are the Son of God"). But that this harvest of abundance of faith comes in contrast to the experience just before it forms a kind of a pattern. Jesus has just been in a deserted place, to which He withdrew deliberately after hearing of the death of John the Baptist. But there, the multitudes follow Him. When there was nothing to eat, He provided the increase of what was on hand. Now, sending the disciples and the crowds away, He remained to pray on the mountaintop. But the great winds that pass over this lake put the disciples in danger. In the great darkness of these earliest hours of the morning, Jesus comes to them. This is an intensely private setting, in the middle of the lake (otherwise known as the Sea of Galilee), in the middle of the night -- this is a scene only His close disciples experience. But the revelation is there, in the midst of their isolation, danger and fear. This is not the place of great abundance, but it is the place of what we could call the greatest revelation. The understanding of Jesus' divinity here could well be called "the light shining in the darkness." And really, when we're struggling and feel alone, and it just may be three o'clock in the morning, when fears so easily take hold, that may be the most efficient time to pray. It may be the time we're given the greatest mercy and make the most effective prayer. If we can but remember what we are about, we don't know the productivity of the prayer that is possible in those times. We can't yet see the harvest we may reap on the shore, in the daylight. But let us remember that He knows what we go through, and teaches us to take courage. "Save me" or "Lord have mercy" is a good way to pray, anytime, and a powerful prayer that reaches to God. Our focus may be on the storms, but He draws our consciousness to Himself. We just don't know how He will answer; in this case, in the most surprising way of all!
