Walking On Water
Preaching
A BUCKET FULL OF MIRACLES
Preaching The Miracles Of Jesus
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
This miracle, in the three gospels which include an account of it, follows immediately after the feeding miracle which was the subject of the previous chapter (and the lesson for last week). In Mark, Matthew, and John these two miracles are intimately connected, and it would seem that the connection was most likely in the tradition from which the gospels were formed. Thus, the full understanding of both miracles involves understanding the action of each of the miracles.
In this cycle of the lectionary, the miracles follow immediately after each other, preserving the placement found in Matthew's Gospel. In Cycle B, which generally follows Mark's Gospel, the Johannine account from John 6 is substituted for Mark's account. The Johannine account involves more detail and theological freight than the Marcan account.
Walking on water was typical of the miraculous works which were commonly reported of prophets at this time, and were, in fact, expected of a prophet. Not unlike the actions expected of a presidential candidate today, both before an announcement of the campaign and during the actual campaign (consider visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, public pronouncements on various subjects, assembling a staff, lining up campaign contributions, and so forth); prophets at the time of Jesus were expected to perform a variety of acts which were thought to certify their credentials. Walking on water was one of these actions, a feat that many presidential candidates doubtless believe they could manage if pressed to perform.
The relative privacy of Jesus' demonstration is not particularly unusual, as many of the accounts of such actions were relatively private, often leading the observers to accept the prophet and to believe in his credentials. These prophets were not necessarily Jews, as many of them were pagans, and the records of such events cover at least 100 years before the events of Christ's life.
There is a danger in studying this lesson when the student does not have a background as a sailor, or someone who is at least familiar with both the Sea of Galilee and boats. In a fierce storm such as that described, the attention of the sailors is strongly focused on the boat in which they find themselves. Things outside the boat are important only insofar as they pertain to the boat and its immediate future. The oncoming waves are critical for the way they will influence the stability of the boat, potential obstacles, such as shallow water, the shore, and materials floating on the water which might threaten the integrity of the boat. These points of focus strongly influence the understanding of this story, as it is likely that the disciples only noticed something as amazing as a person walking across the water when they had a brief respite from the storm. This supposition is strengthened by Peter's willingness to leave the boat while the storm was still raging. A number of the disciples were fishermen, and familiar with this situation from their experience. For the rest, the situation was likely completely terrifying.
About The Text
Words
Immediately - This lesson begins with a word borrowed from Mark. To understand the use here, it is necessary to understand that the original Greek text had no punctuation, no division of the text into paragraphs or chapters, not even any indication (like capital and lower case letters) of the beginning of sentences. Words were often used for this purpose, and Mark frequently uses euthus, immediately for this purpose. Thus, this first use (two further uses are discussed below) is meant simply to indicate a new incident is beginning, not an indication of the time at which it begins.
The word is omitted from a few minor witnesses, or else it was added very early by a scribe copying the text of Matthew who was familiar with Mark. In either case, the word is not a particularly big issue.
made - The Greek is very forceful here, meaning compel someone to act in a particular manner. In usages of this word in the rest of the New Testament, a more rounded view of the sort of compulsion involved can be seen. See, for example, Acts 26:11; 28:19; and Galatians 2:3; 2:14; 6:12. Later the word softened in meaning to include an understanding of merely urged strongly.
the - This is specifically the boat last mentioned in verse 13. This is one of the threads that connect the two miracle accounts.
go on ahead - The Greek here means the disciples are to go ahead of Jesus in time, not necessarily in space. This distinction allows for one naturalistic theory of what actually happens.
the other side - Matthew mentions a relatively undefined location, one that Mark had identified as Bethsaida. This identification conflicts with Luke 9:10 as to the location of the group at the time of the feeding miracle. In Luke, the group went to the region around Bethsaida to escape from the crowds. Here the disciples are headed for Bethsaida after the feeding miracle. John 6:16--17 indicates Jesus sent the disciples off to Capernaum which is located some miles along the lakeshore to the south and west of Bethsaida. These conflicting references mean that it is largely impossible to establish a precise location for either the feeding or the disciples' destination.
dismissed - This word is used of setting a prisoner free, to establish a divorce, and, here, to dismiss a crowd. It is also used as a euphemism for death.
mountain - The Greek word can mean either mountain or hill. The meaning chosen can certainly make a difference in the interpretation. It seems likely that the proper concept to use here is more on the order of a "hill" rather than a "mountain." On the other hand, the use of mountain brings back images of Moses, who fed the people of Israel in the wilderness and retreated to the mountain to commune with God. The use of the word "mountain" heightens the parallels between Jesus and Moses.
pray - This is the most common word used for praying in the New Testament. Matthew, on the other hand, reports Jesus praying only here and in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36--46).
evening - The timing of these events is quite difficult here, unless everything happens very quickly. It was already evening (Matthew 14:15) before the people even sat down, then there was the feeding (with time to eat) and the dismissing of the disciples and the crowd. Clearly evening had long since come by the time Jesus managed to get off by himself, up on a hill, to pray.
by this time - This temporal phrase indicates that when Jesus was finally alone in prayer, likely at some time after midnight, the boat carrying the disciples was in trouble. Considering the events of the day - the departure to avoid the crowds, the healings in the wilderness, the feeding, the dismissal of the disciples and the crowds, and finally a retreat for prayer - a late hour is certainly what should be expected. It is possible that from his elevation Jesus could see the boat, or he might simply have noticed the wind which had come up and, knowing the way the lake responded to such winds, was concerned.
far from land - Literally this word means many stade, which is a Roman measurement of approximately a furlong, which is 1/8th of a mile. On a lake, measures of distance can be tricky. Sailing many miles from a point of departure can make it seem as if a boat is far from shore, but it could be that the boat is really close to another shore of the lake or even, depending on the wind, not all that far from the point of departure. This phrase need not be taken to indicate the boat was in the geographical middle of the lake.
wind - Apparently a head wind, which made progress difficult. When sailing, boats rarely traveled directly in the direction the wind was blowing, and never directly into the wind. Most often boats sail at an angle to the wind, which makes use of the aerodynamic qualities of the sail. Depending on the characteristics of a particular boat, it is possible to sail a few degrees off the direction of the wind, when trying to travel into the wind. Thus, to travel to a destination from which the wind is blowing, it is necessary to follow a zig--zag course which eventually results in arriving at the destination. Most boats weren't able to sail very close to the wind, which meant they had to sail longer distances back and forth to accomplish a journey to a destination the wind is blowing from.
them - The wind in Matthew's account of the story is working against the boat, not the disciples. This is a poor choice of phrasing, as it seems to imply the wind is working against the disciples, not the boat.
early in the morning - Literally in the fourth watch, a phrase which indicates the use of the Roman method of time keeping. The Jewish system had three watches of four hours each in the night, the Romans used four watches of three hours each. Jews in Palestine at this time often used the Roman method of keeping time, so it should not be taken to mean that Matthew was overly influenced by the attributes of Roman culture as opposed to the Jewish. In any event, the heart of the incident took place sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., as dawn was approaching.
on the sea - The specific meaning of the phrase is on the surface of the water. The only ambiguities involved here are in some translations (not the NRSV) which have an ambiguous English construction that could be taken to mean it was the disciples who were walking on the water. The other ambiguity is in the interpretation offered by some who wish to offer a naturalistic explanation for these events and suggest Jesus was actually walking on the shore and only appeared to be walking on the water.
terrified - The verb in Matthew has changed from the Marcan word to a stronger verb. In effect, the change is from were afraid to were terrified. Fear and terror are actually not unusual reactions to manifestations of divine power in the New Testament, and particularly in the gospels, beginning, for example, with Joseph's reaction to the angel's visitation, Mary's reaction to the annunciation, and the shepherds' reaction to the angelic choir, and continuing through the reaction of Mary Magdalene and the other women in the Garden (as in Luke 24:5). This is another incident in the list of such reactions.
ghost - The Greek word phantasma is only used in the New Testament here and in the parallel in Mark 6:49. A common belief at the time was that spirits of the night brought disaster to those who observed them, a superstition which could help sailors (who are often quite superstitious) to find the events terrifying, particularly on this night of bad winds and a storm. A fear for their lives in the midst of the storm would heighten the impact of such a completely unexpected event.
But immediately - This phrase is emphatic in Greek, here (as opposed to v. 22) indicating a temporal sequence (here as well as in v. 31). The distinction between the usage of euthus in verse 22 and here is that the former use initiates the recounting of the incident by connecting it to what has come before. Here, the word furthers the ongoing action without initiating a new story. As often happens, it is the context which helps the translator decipher the usage.
Take heart - This phrase is actually difficult to translate, as it seems to require a colloquial phrase which accurately reflects the Greek. "Take heart" is somewhat stilted and archaic, sounding like something which might be taken from a Tom Swift book. "Courage," as used in the TEV is not only stilted, but brings in bad connotations of possible works of righteousness on the part of the disciples. If the phrase wasn't somewhat archaic, a good choice might be "Buck up, boys." Perhaps something on the order of "Hang tough, guys," is a more modern phrasing.
It is I - This is an ego emi phrase in the Gospel of Matthew, paralleling the use in Mark 6:50. Jesus is using the name of God to identify himself. While this phrase is often identified in John as significant (and it is used in John 6:20), it is usually overlooked when used in the synoptics. As all three accounts record this phrase, it seems reasonable to conclude that this is meant to be a verification of the divinity of Christ, as demonstrated by his walking on the water.
do not be afraid - This phrase is a better translation than don't be afraid. The contraction is weaker in English than the expanded form, and here the phrase is a corrective for the disciples' terror.
Lord - Perhaps it is surprising that this word is actually ambiguous in this place. Is it a confession of the lordship of Christ, which seems out of place before the storm has actually been quieted, or is it merely the honorific use (i.e. sir) which is an alternate understanding of the Greek (and often the more appropriate if less reverent translation)? Most likely the latter, but translations usually opt for the more reverent word choice, even if it causes a blurring of the actual theology of the text.
the water - This word is actually the waters in Greek, apparently a Hebraism, as the plural is used exclusively in the Old Testament (and most often translated into a singular form in English) to refer to bodies of water.
noticed - The Greek verb is blepon, or he saw. Apparently this is an example of figurative language in Greek as it is usually quite difficult to "see" the wind. On the other hand, as a fisherman who spent most nights on the water, Peter would be quite familiar with the various signs which betray the strength of the wind such as the behavior of the waves, the breeze on his cheek, the stretch of the sails, and so on. It would be entirely natural and virtually unnoticed for him to be aware of these things, what is unusual is that seemingly he doesn't notice anything until he is actually walking on the water toward Jesus.
sink - The verb here is used only by Matthew in the New Testament, here and in Matthew 18:6. The second use is Jesus' comment in response to the disciples' question about greatness in the kingdom. After calling the disciples to humility like a child's, he informs them that anyone who puts a stumbling block in front of someone who is a "little one," would be better off with a millstone around his neck and downing (or sinking) in the sea. In both these uses, the sinking involves connotations of drowning.
save - The same word is used, in similar circumstances, in Matthew 8:25. In that place the disciples and Jesus are in a boat, on the sea, and a storm comes up. The disciples are again terrified, and they call of Jesus to "save us!" Here the expression of the need has narrowed to only Peter.
You of little faith - This is one word in Greek, an adjective used substantively. It could be rendered "faithless one," or in an even more disparaging fashion. Certainly it is a term of disfavor applied to Peter.
why did you doubt? - Translated literally, this phrase could be rendered why into doubt? Faith, in Greek, requires eis (into) to indicate the object of faith, a linguistic assumption that faith is inevitably lodged in something. In a manner evocative of that assumption, and in contrast to faith, Jesus asks, "Why into doubt?" which could be understood as "Why did your faith turn into doubt?"
doubt - The word is used only here and in Matthew 28:17 in the New Testament. Doubt is the primary meaning of the word, although waver and hesitate are also offered as possible translations. In many ways the alternatives can be understood as amplifications of the Greek understanding of what doubt was composed of.
ceased - The wind died down, or abated. It should be noted that a dead calm, the result of the wind ceasing completely, could be just as problematic to the disciples' progress across the lake as a howling gale. It is more likely the image here is of a wind which settles down to a gentle breeze, a friendly wind which drives the boat toward its destination.
worshiped - This word means more than just honored, which is one optional meaning of the word. Disciples responded to Jesus' implicit claim of divinity in both his actions (walking on water) and his words (ego emi, using the name of God to announce his identity) and treated Jesus as God, i.e. worshiped him.
Parallels
While this incident of Jesus walking on the water is found in Mark, Matthew, and John, Peter's challenge to Jesus and his subsequent action in walking on the water are found only in Matthew. The broad outlines of all three accounts are similar.
Shortly after a feeding, the disciples leave Jesus and go off in a boat. In Mark and Matthew, Jesus sends them away before going into the hills; in John, they leave after Jesus withdraws to the hills.
While Jesus is in the hills praying, the winds come up and the boat is in trouble in the rough seas. The disciples are quite terrified, but then Jesus comes to them walking on the water. He announces his identity with the name of God (ego emi in Greek) and tells the disciples not to be afraid.
In Matthew, Peter then seems to be filled with bravado and issues a challenge to Jesus. If the person walking toward the boat is, in fact, Jesus, then he should be able to permit Peter to walk on the water as well. At the least, this is what Peter's comment sounds like. While it is difficult to "hear" the tone of voice in a written comment, but the effort in this case is worth it. If Peter is indeed issuing a challenge, it is quite easy to hear large amounts of disbelief in the identity of the person walking across the water. Perhaps, as the disciples first assumed (in Mark and Matthew), he still believes the figure is a ghost, and is demanding further proof of his identity. In this case, we should hear the comment in a taunting, challenging tone, perhaps in a voice of insolent bravado.
An alternative is suggested by Peter's response to the simple invitation, "Come." Apparently with no hesitation, Peter got out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus. If the challenge was delivered as a demand for further identification, some hesitation and backfilling at the side of the boat might reasonably be expected. In fact, Jesus would have answered the challenge by calling Peter and forcing him to walk on the water with him. If the figure was a ghost, and it had given the same answer, Peter could step off the boat and sink immediately below the waves. Without both recognition and faith in the figure out on the water, Peter's actions would have been not merely foolhardy, but close to suicidal. However, he seems to have acted quickly and decisively, which suggests strongly that his challenge was actually a humble request to be allowed to share in the experience of walking on the water, even if only through the agency of Christ. In this instance we must hear the question as a simple request, spoken in as humble a voice as the weather conditions allowed.
The validity of this latter understanding of Peter's comment is supported by his subsequent actions. Peter scrambles out of the boat and walks toward Jesus. Then, when the realization of his position and what he was doing began to sink in, Peter began to sink below the waves. Jesus then addresses him as "You of little faith," which seems to be an explanation of why Peter was unable to continue his walk to Jesus. Jesus must save him and bring him back to the surface.
Finally, in Matthew, Jesus and Peter get into the boat. In Mark, Jesus alone gets in, while in John, the disciples want Jesus to get in (but the actual boarding of the boat is unreported). In John, the boat was immediately transported to the immediate vicinity of their destination. In Mark and Matthew, the winds die down after Jesus enters the boat. In Mark, the disciples were astounded, but still without understanding of either the significance of the feeding or the walking on the water. In Matthew, the disciples worship Jesus (accepting his self--description) when the wind ceased.
There is a further incident which might be taken as a parallel. In Mark 4:35--41, there is an account of another trip on the lake, this time with Jesus and the disciples together. In the course of the crossing Jesus falls asleep before a wind kicks up and the boat is threatened with swamping. The disciples wake Jesus (addressing him as "Lord") and he rebukes them for their lack of faith (in Matthew, before he stills the storm; in Mark and Luke, after the winds cease). Then he calms the sea and the disciples are quite respectful, awed, and filled with a godly fear at this revelation of the authority of Jesus.
In its outline at least, this earlier stilling of the storm by Jesus does seem to be similar to the present episode. The differences between the two accounts (Jesus' presence on the boat, no connection to a feeding story, and the questions about the faith of all the disciples) are probably indications of the disparate sources of the accounts. The surface similarities can be attributed to a tendency to make the stories more similar as they were transmitted.
The differences between the accounts in Mark and Matthew are also quite significant. In Mark, it is the disciples who personally are in danger, in Matthew it is the boat (a symbol of the church) which is endangered. In Mark, Jesus apparently meant to pass the disciples by, seemingly to hurry across (or around) the lake and meet them at their destination. If this is the case, then the miracle is an unplanned, spontaneous, and accidental event. That it is even included is a further accident.
In Matthew 14:24 it is "the boat, battered by the wave ... far from the land" which draws Jesus' attention. Historically a boat has long been used as a symbol of the church. Even in pagan times a boat or ship was a symbol of joy and happiness, also as a depiction of the means by which salvation was to be accomplished, a meaning which leads quite naturally to the use of a ship or boat as a symbol of the church. In Matthew this understanding of the boat seems quite appropriate here, particularly as a symbolic presentation of the way in which the risen Christ is available to assist the church in its time of trouble.
The exact itinerary of the boat is quite unclear. In Mark, the destination is Bethsaida, but Luke places the feeding miracle in the area of Bethsaida. In John, the destination of the boat trip is Capernaum, which is some miles down the lakeshore from Beth--saida. Matthew opts for a nonspecific destination, and reports the disciples get into the boat and head for the "other side." Mark 6:53 and Matthew 14:34 have disciples disembarking in Gennesaret, which is south of Capernaum on the lakeshore. The healings at Gennesaret, which is the next story in Mark and Matthew, is an incident John does not mention.
In addition to opting for a generic destination, Matthew also removes Mark's comment about the disciples' failure to understand about the loaves which concludes the Marcan narrative (Mark 6:51--52). Mark reports that the disciples' hearts were still hardened, while in Matthew the disciples finish the episode worshiping Jesus. While this is understandable as a response to the use of the name of God by Jesus to identify himself (Matthew 14:27), it is also a sign of the disciples' awareness of the special status of Jesus. Contrary to Mark's perception, in this gospel the disciples clearly understand Jesus' role.
The People
As Individuals
Normally in the gospels it is Jesus, or perhaps Peter, who is presented in the greatest relief. The disciples are almost like cardboard figures who fill in the background without really adding much to the story, and certainly not adding much individual definition. In this story Jesus is the least detailed figure, Peter is still foremost, but the disciples, at least in Matthew's account, are quite easily recognizable as human figures, and actually very sympathetic.
It had been a long, weary stretch. The disciples had gone out preaching the message of the kingdom, and returned to Jesus about the time John the Baptizer had been killed. Not merely tired, but also quite likely a little concerned about this turn of events (not to mention grief stricken by the murder of John), they had sought to go off alone for a brief time to regroup (Matthew 14:13). The crowds would have none of it, they followed the group closely, and when they arrived at the place the group had found, Jesus healed their sick and then demanded that the disciples furnish the crowd with food. Eventually, as darkness descended on the whole scene, the crowds were fed miraculously. Then Jesus hurried the disciples into the boat they had used to cross the sea and, as the blackness of the night settled in, sent them out on the sea. Finally, he sent the crowds away and went away on his own, into the hills to be alone.
After the long trying days they had just passed through, it is not a surprise that the disciples, many of whom were familiar with both boats and the Sea of Galilee from their background as fishermen, could have missed any signs of impending bad weather. At the most, they might have been filled with a vague unease over the hurried departure and leaving Jesus alone with the crowds. But they made steady progress across the water. Perhaps they were drowsy, almost certainly the non--sailors were, by this time.
Then the storm came up. Storms can arise on the Sea of Galilee quite quickly, and the disciples familiar with the ways of the lake would rightly have been very concerned. The sudden storms could be vicious; swamping boats, and drowning their crews. Certainly all of the fishermen in the boat, and probably at least some of the others had known people (or had known of people) who had died in such storms. Now it looked as if their time had come. All the concern of the past days overwhelmed them in the howling wind, and they struggled hopelessly with the sails to control the boat.
Then a ghostly figure approached them, walking on the top of the water. Even though this lesson is appointed for early in August, it has at least this element which evokes Halloween. A spooky figure, likely glimpsed by a non--sailor first (the sailors' focus had certainly narrowed to the boat itself in their effort to survive the wind and waves), was heading toward them. Perhaps seen first in glimpses as the boat rose to the crest of a wave, then the figure vanished as the boat slid down into the trough between the waves. A figure in light colored robes was so unexpected that the first disciples to see it were certainly terrified by the approach of what they assumed to be a ghost, a spirit that would kill them even if they didn't drown when the ship was broken up by the wind and waves.
The terror of the first disciples to see the figure spread quickly to the rest of the group, so that they were all terrified by the time the figure approached within hailing distance. Finally close enough that a conversation might reasonably be carried on, even in the howling wind, and still with no real signs that the figure was someone they might know, the terror increased. The disciples were afraid of drowning, and here came a figure who was obviously master of the waves, perhaps coming for their lives. After all, people rarely saw ghosts and lived to tell the story, so it was easy to assume that simply seeing a ghost meant you were marked for death.
And then, in a crescendo, the ghost speaks, and they all recognize the voice. Even before the meaning of the words sinks in, the voice is familiar to all the disciples. Amazingly enough, it isn't a ghost walking across the water. It's Jesus! Imagine the relief the disciples must have felt at that realization, that they weren't going to die. The ghost wasn't an enemy, but the Lord. Even as he spoke, his voice had begun to dispel the disciples' terror, even before they grasped the words.
Peter was clearly the most forward of the disciples, and perhaps slightly more quick--witted than the others. Perhaps, he had assumed the role of captain when the boat was threatened, and the other disciples were still deferring to that authority as the identity of the ghost became apparent. In any event, Peter called out to the ghostly figure of Jesus and asked to join him. Jesus told Peter to come, and Peter quickly climbs out of the boat onto the still--raging waters. But after a few steps he realized the utter, absolute incongruity of his position on top of the waves and began to sink. He certainly felt the rush of returning terror as he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
And Jesus saved him, but also rebuked him for his loss of faith. Chastened, Peter climbed into the boat with Jesus, the storm quieted, and the voyage to Gennesaret continued. The disciples in this story are rather completely human, their actions are totally understandable, and the conclusion of the story with their worshiping of Jesus is absolutely acceptable as both a recognition of the authority he embodied and their relief at the sudden removal of the threat to their lives.
Peter acts in a way we might expect from the other stories about him in the gospels. He is a leader, speaking for the disciples in recognizing Jesus. He is quick to say things which sound very brave, as in his request to walk on the water with Jesus. He ends up having problems and needing help to be saved, when he actually climbs out of the boat, walks, and sinks.
Jesus, in this episode, is the least well--defined character. For unexplained reasons he sends the disciples away. The Gospel of John offers the threat of a political claim which might have been very enticing to the disciples. It is certainly possible that Jesus dismissed them to get them away from that temptation, but such a rationale is not stated in this gospel. Jesus then goes off alone to pray.
After a time he came walking across the water toward the boat which had become embroiled in a storm. There is no further explanation for this, simply a bald statement that he was walking on the water. Matthew clearly was not bothered by any desire to provide a naturalistic explanation for how such a thing could occur, and even though it is sometimes difficult, perhaps this is the best way to approach this episode - not getting bogged down in the details of how the events could have happened. After an exchange with Peter, Jesus (and Peter) climbed into the boat and Jesus accepted the worship of the disciples. Not only is his behavior in this story unusual in the gospel accounts, in that he accepts the worship of the disciples, but there is not a clue about why Jesus acts in the way he does. There is no compassion here, no desire to instruct, not even any indication that he came across the lake to rescue the disciples. In many ways the figure of Jesus in this episode is quite mysterious and difficult to approach.
As Images And Signs
The most obvious image of this lesson in that of the boat, which is symbolic of church. Jesus comes across the sea to save the church and the church responds by worshiping Christ. While this requires seeing the story as an allegory, the interpretation is not particularly far--fetched or strained, and does offer a number of insights for the attentive listener or reader.
Shortly after the feeding (which can be taken as a reference to the eucharist), the disciples are sent off in a boat while Jesus goes off by himself. Similarly, shortly after the institution of the eucharist on Maundy Thursday, the church is sent off on its own while Jesus goes off by himself (crucifixion, ascension, Pentecost). Thus, the church is traveling through the world seemingly without Christ, at least without a visible Christ. In this situation, the church is often fearful, even terrified with depressing regularity.
Into this picture, where the church seems to be threatened with utter destruction, a fearful image comes across the waves to bring the church salvation. Even though there are still problems in the church (even among those who lead the church, as Peter led the disciples), Jesus is truly with the church to still the storms which terrify it, bringing peace and tranquility, and accepting the worship offered by those within the boat of the church.
This understanding is rooted in a view of this story, in fact in this section of the gospel, as being more connected to the life of the church after the ascension. While this seems difficult to accept, the simple fact is that Matthew has no way to comment on the life of the church except by placing stories in his narrative that can be understood as explaining how the church works after Christ has physically left the scene.
The word "immediately" is used three times in this lesson. The first time it is used as it is often used, to introduce new events into the narrative. This is a sort of verbal punctuation to indicate the beginning of a new incident and might not even need to be translated, as, in fact, it is not in the New American Bible.
The second occurrence of the word is in response to the terror of the disciples, when Jesus acts quickly to reassure them. Clearly the effort succeeded, since the disciples recede into the background and Peter asks to walk to Jesus.
The third occurrence is during Peter's stroll on the water, when his terror returns and he begins to sink. Jesus immediately reaches out and catches Peter, saving him from sinking below the waves. These three uses can be taken to highlight the concern for the church which Jesus has displayed in the past, and which can be expected in the future.
The Action
In The Story
The reason Jesus sends the disciples out in the boat is somewhat problematic. Is this simply to set up events the next morning? While this is certainly a possible understanding, the Marcan version strongly implies the encounter on the water was accidental, not planned. Matthew has done little to indicate the encounter is intended. In both gospels it seems the plan was for Jesus to arrive at the destination before the disciples arrived in the boat. It happened that Jesus was noticed by the disciples accidentally.
Is this action meant as a decoy for the crowds, to lead them to believe that everyone had departed in the boat? While this sounds very like a way to gain a brief respite from the demands of the crowds, the idea founders on the second half of Matthew 14:22, where it is reported that Jesus dismissed the crowds personally.
Perhaps the best suggestion is based on the situation detailed in John and the desire of Jesus to get the disciples out of the way. John explains that the crowds desired to proclaim Jesus as the bread messiah. This development, in John, occurs before the disciples leave, but without any indication the disciples were aware of it. John does report Jesus' withdrawal into the hills before the disciples' departure in the boat, however (John 6:14--17).
In Matthew, it seems that Jesus might be hustling the disciples away from the crowds before the disciples joined with the crowds in proclaiming him a bread messiah. It explains the need to get the disciples off the shore and Jesus' subsequent dismissal of the crowds. By that time, as John 6:17 states explicitly, it was dark. It is possible that the darkness explains the sequence of events in Matthew as well, as it would be much easier for a single person to slip away in the darkness than for Jesus and the twelve to all slip away from the crowds without being noticed.
Sailing after dark would not necessarily be a difficult thing for the disciples, since they were fishermen, and as fishermen normally went out at night to ply their trade.
The action of this story evokes the Old Testament in at least two ways. First, in the more general way that recognized God as the master of seas, storms, and thunder. More specifically, there are at least three episodes in the Old Testament which involve a miraculous path through water - crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21--32), the passing of Israel over the Jordan (Joshua 3-- 4), and Elisha's crossing of the Jordan (2 Kings 2:11--14). Even though these episodes do not involve walking on the water, but rather parting the water to provide dry ground to walk upon. These events have been associated with this episode of Jesus' life from ancient times.
In more recent times there has been an effort to discover a naturalistic explanation of the events described here, an explanation which does not require the abandonment of any natural laws. These explanations include both walking on the shore and the idea that the whole incident is an allegory which never really took place. If that is to be understood, then in the intense darkness just before the dawn comes, Jesus was walking along the shore of the sea, and the boat was driven in close to the shore, almost to the point of destruction. In this version of events Peter jumped off the boat, and either sank immediately; or, swimming and wading, made his way to Jesus; or, was overwhelmed by a wave, which Jesus pulled him through. Clearly, Peter's doubts would be quite likely to resurface shortly after he left the boat in any of these scenarios.
Ultimately, these naturalistic explanations are not completely satisfying. Even though it is difficult to conceive of the physics required to enable Jesus to actually walk on the surface of the water (not to mention Peter, at least for a few steps), it is likely that the actions as described in Matthew need to be simply accepted as a report of what took place. The theological content of the story should not distract from the events which are reported in three gospels.
The action of these two stories, the feeding and the walking on water, when taken together seems to present quite a prophetic theology. Here we have the sacred meal to strengthen the believers, and a sign of the comforting presence of Jesus when things are difficult and terrifying. These events can easily be taken as a foreshadowing of the events of Maundy Thursday and Pentecost and beyond. This theological understanding is certainly hinted at in the Marcan account, and more highly developed in both Matthew and John, not to mention the extension of the idea in next week's lesson.
In The Hearers
The use of the term "Lord" to address Jesus is so normal that it is most often ignored, yet in this story it is used with a different implication each time Peter uses the word within three verses. The first use, in Matthew 14:28, shows Peter filled with bravado after Jesus identifies himself and the disciples realize he isn't a ghost. In this instance the term is used with a meaning much closer to "Sir" than the reverence which is usually heard in "Lord." It is almost as if Peter is still harboring some doubts about the identity of this apparition which has appeared, and suspects it might be trying to trick him in some way.
When Jesus responds to Peter's challenge by inviting him to join him on the water, Peter jumps over the side of the boat and walks toward Jesus. Then, when his situation sinks in, Peter begins to sink into the sea and shouts out "Lord" for a second time. This use is substantially more reverent, certainly quite close to a prayer, at the least a sudden plea for help. The second use is more rightly translated as "Lord" than the first, a distinction which hearers in a society with significant class distinctions, often based on heredity would understand more naturally.
The second use also functions in a literary manner to usher in the point that Jesus is Lord, even over the elements of a storm (a point made explicitly in Matthew 8:27). Here the nature of Jesus' lordship is not stated explicitly, but is rather the lead--in to the act of worship which follows.
This worship of Jesus is the structural climax of the episode, and it is often approached as more of an afterthought than an important part of the narrative. This is an example of the validation of the miracle, namely in the reaction of the disciples in being brought to the worship of Christ. By bringing out this point, the story took on a deeper meaning for the people who first heard the story. More than a story in the tradition of prophetic leaders who walked on the water, more than a further example of Jesus' authority over nature, this is an episode which includes two miracles (walking on water and stilling the storm) which lead the disciples to a stronger faith in Jesus and to the expression of that faith in their worship.
The Sermon
Illustrations
Martin Luther once said:
"Birds lack faith. They fly away whenever I enter the orchard, though I mean them no ill. Even so do we lack faith in God."
Faith in the face of stress can be a difficult thing.
There was a young soldier in Italy who leapt into a foxhole just an instant before a hail of bullets passed over him. He nervously began digging the hole deeper and heard the sound of metal rubbing on metal. Digging through the dirt, he found a silver crucifix which had likely been left there by a former occupant of the foxhole. Just then, another soldier came tumbling into the hole. As the two residents sorted themselves out, the young soldier noticed the new arrival was a chaplain. Holding out the crucifix, he said, "Quick, show me how to use this thing."
Churches are still involved in situations we might call disasters.
There was once a small midwestern newspaper which printed the announcement - "We are pleased to announce that the cyclone which blew away the Methodist church last Friday did no real damage to the town."
Peter began to walk on the water quite enthusiastically. Here's a view of enthusiasm.
A football coach from the days of Knute Rockne was once giving a pep talk to his players during halftime of a game they were losing by a large score. Building up to the climax of the speech, the coach pointed to the door at one end of the locker room and shouted to his team: "And now, let's go through that door and on to victory!"
In response to the inspiring speech, the team stood as one person and rushed through the door the coach had pointed at. They rushed through, and ran right into the swimming pool.
There is a relationship between faith and prayer. Jesus withdrew to pray, Peter had problems with his faith. The same thing can happen today.
There was once a town afflicted with a serious drought, and the local churches got together for a prayer meeting to beseech God for an end to the drought. Someone noticed that a young girl was the only person who brought an umbrella.
Approaches To Preaching
Why into doubt? The literal rendering of Jesus' question is actually quite a stunning theological question, one which accuses us all. In addition to the parallels between this question and the Greek word for faith, it is important to note the Jesus did not say Peter's faith wasn't enough. He simply asked "Why into doubt?" Apparently Peter's faith had deserted him and he had descended into doubt. This is not a matter of being a few bricks short of a house, but a matter of having no shelter.
The reaction of the disciples to the sudden appearance of Jesus was terror. This is a common reaction in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. It is also a common reaction to sudden evidence of God's presence even today. The sudden revelation of divine power upsets our lives, and the events which cause terror can cause it for a variety of reasons. The most important aspect of this approach is to avoid being judgmental in the sermon to be delivered.
It is tempting to dwell on the image of Jesus withdrawing from the crowds to pray. This is a temptation which should likely be avoided, at least in this cycle of lessons. Jesus is only reported as praying twice in the Gospel of Matthew, which is hardly the best basis for a sermon encouraging a strong devotional life.
A howling wind is a terrifying experience. Anyone who has ever faced a wind this fierce is a willing witness to the fear it can inspire. However, some wind is needed to propel the boat toward its destination. It is the issue of the amount of wind at a given time which is important, that can lead to an expectation that some wind is essential and we can expect that there will be some wind, some storms in our lives. It will likely be terrifying at times, but Jesus is still with us.
Peter is called the "faithless one." After his confession at Caesarea Philippi, he is called "Satan" (Matthew 16:23). Of course, he eventually denies even knowing Jesus. Even with his lapses and difficulties with this faith he had embraced, Peter is still the leader of the disciples. We seem to think any failing is enough to disqualify a leader, but it probably shouldn't be that way. Certainly a single failing shouldn't be taken as something that will disqualify us from ever being accepted by God.
The boat is the church, and after the crucifixion Jesus seems to be separated from the church. In the ensuing time, the church faces storms of persecution and other problems. It can be easy to forget Jesus is, in fact, still with the church. The incident of Peter walking on the water and sinking into it is a quite appropriate topic for preachers, and likely was used quite early as an object lesson about the dangers of faithlessness. The account here might have been influenced by the preaching of the early church.
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
This miracle, in the three gospels which include an account of it, follows immediately after the feeding miracle which was the subject of the previous chapter (and the lesson for last week). In Mark, Matthew, and John these two miracles are intimately connected, and it would seem that the connection was most likely in the tradition from which the gospels were formed. Thus, the full understanding of both miracles involves understanding the action of each of the miracles.
In this cycle of the lectionary, the miracles follow immediately after each other, preserving the placement found in Matthew's Gospel. In Cycle B, which generally follows Mark's Gospel, the Johannine account from John 6 is substituted for Mark's account. The Johannine account involves more detail and theological freight than the Marcan account.
Walking on water was typical of the miraculous works which were commonly reported of prophets at this time, and were, in fact, expected of a prophet. Not unlike the actions expected of a presidential candidate today, both before an announcement of the campaign and during the actual campaign (consider visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, public pronouncements on various subjects, assembling a staff, lining up campaign contributions, and so forth); prophets at the time of Jesus were expected to perform a variety of acts which were thought to certify their credentials. Walking on water was one of these actions, a feat that many presidential candidates doubtless believe they could manage if pressed to perform.
The relative privacy of Jesus' demonstration is not particularly unusual, as many of the accounts of such actions were relatively private, often leading the observers to accept the prophet and to believe in his credentials. These prophets were not necessarily Jews, as many of them were pagans, and the records of such events cover at least 100 years before the events of Christ's life.
There is a danger in studying this lesson when the student does not have a background as a sailor, or someone who is at least familiar with both the Sea of Galilee and boats. In a fierce storm such as that described, the attention of the sailors is strongly focused on the boat in which they find themselves. Things outside the boat are important only insofar as they pertain to the boat and its immediate future. The oncoming waves are critical for the way they will influence the stability of the boat, potential obstacles, such as shallow water, the shore, and materials floating on the water which might threaten the integrity of the boat. These points of focus strongly influence the understanding of this story, as it is likely that the disciples only noticed something as amazing as a person walking across the water when they had a brief respite from the storm. This supposition is strengthened by Peter's willingness to leave the boat while the storm was still raging. A number of the disciples were fishermen, and familiar with this situation from their experience. For the rest, the situation was likely completely terrifying.
About The Text
Words
Immediately - This lesson begins with a word borrowed from Mark. To understand the use here, it is necessary to understand that the original Greek text had no punctuation, no division of the text into paragraphs or chapters, not even any indication (like capital and lower case letters) of the beginning of sentences. Words were often used for this purpose, and Mark frequently uses euthus, immediately for this purpose. Thus, this first use (two further uses are discussed below) is meant simply to indicate a new incident is beginning, not an indication of the time at which it begins.
The word is omitted from a few minor witnesses, or else it was added very early by a scribe copying the text of Matthew who was familiar with Mark. In either case, the word is not a particularly big issue.
made - The Greek is very forceful here, meaning compel someone to act in a particular manner. In usages of this word in the rest of the New Testament, a more rounded view of the sort of compulsion involved can be seen. See, for example, Acts 26:11; 28:19; and Galatians 2:3; 2:14; 6:12. Later the word softened in meaning to include an understanding of merely urged strongly.
the - This is specifically the boat last mentioned in verse 13. This is one of the threads that connect the two miracle accounts.
go on ahead - The Greek here means the disciples are to go ahead of Jesus in time, not necessarily in space. This distinction allows for one naturalistic theory of what actually happens.
the other side - Matthew mentions a relatively undefined location, one that Mark had identified as Bethsaida. This identification conflicts with Luke 9:10 as to the location of the group at the time of the feeding miracle. In Luke, the group went to the region around Bethsaida to escape from the crowds. Here the disciples are headed for Bethsaida after the feeding miracle. John 6:16--17 indicates Jesus sent the disciples off to Capernaum which is located some miles along the lakeshore to the south and west of Bethsaida. These conflicting references mean that it is largely impossible to establish a precise location for either the feeding or the disciples' destination.
dismissed - This word is used of setting a prisoner free, to establish a divorce, and, here, to dismiss a crowd. It is also used as a euphemism for death.
mountain - The Greek word can mean either mountain or hill. The meaning chosen can certainly make a difference in the interpretation. It seems likely that the proper concept to use here is more on the order of a "hill" rather than a "mountain." On the other hand, the use of mountain brings back images of Moses, who fed the people of Israel in the wilderness and retreated to the mountain to commune with God. The use of the word "mountain" heightens the parallels between Jesus and Moses.
pray - This is the most common word used for praying in the New Testament. Matthew, on the other hand, reports Jesus praying only here and in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36--46).
evening - The timing of these events is quite difficult here, unless everything happens very quickly. It was already evening (Matthew 14:15) before the people even sat down, then there was the feeding (with time to eat) and the dismissing of the disciples and the crowd. Clearly evening had long since come by the time Jesus managed to get off by himself, up on a hill, to pray.
by this time - This temporal phrase indicates that when Jesus was finally alone in prayer, likely at some time after midnight, the boat carrying the disciples was in trouble. Considering the events of the day - the departure to avoid the crowds, the healings in the wilderness, the feeding, the dismissal of the disciples and the crowds, and finally a retreat for prayer - a late hour is certainly what should be expected. It is possible that from his elevation Jesus could see the boat, or he might simply have noticed the wind which had come up and, knowing the way the lake responded to such winds, was concerned.
far from land - Literally this word means many stade, which is a Roman measurement of approximately a furlong, which is 1/8th of a mile. On a lake, measures of distance can be tricky. Sailing many miles from a point of departure can make it seem as if a boat is far from shore, but it could be that the boat is really close to another shore of the lake or even, depending on the wind, not all that far from the point of departure. This phrase need not be taken to indicate the boat was in the geographical middle of the lake.
wind - Apparently a head wind, which made progress difficult. When sailing, boats rarely traveled directly in the direction the wind was blowing, and never directly into the wind. Most often boats sail at an angle to the wind, which makes use of the aerodynamic qualities of the sail. Depending on the characteristics of a particular boat, it is possible to sail a few degrees off the direction of the wind, when trying to travel into the wind. Thus, to travel to a destination from which the wind is blowing, it is necessary to follow a zig--zag course which eventually results in arriving at the destination. Most boats weren't able to sail very close to the wind, which meant they had to sail longer distances back and forth to accomplish a journey to a destination the wind is blowing from.
them - The wind in Matthew's account of the story is working against the boat, not the disciples. This is a poor choice of phrasing, as it seems to imply the wind is working against the disciples, not the boat.
early in the morning - Literally in the fourth watch, a phrase which indicates the use of the Roman method of time keeping. The Jewish system had three watches of four hours each in the night, the Romans used four watches of three hours each. Jews in Palestine at this time often used the Roman method of keeping time, so it should not be taken to mean that Matthew was overly influenced by the attributes of Roman culture as opposed to the Jewish. In any event, the heart of the incident took place sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., as dawn was approaching.
on the sea - The specific meaning of the phrase is on the surface of the water. The only ambiguities involved here are in some translations (not the NRSV) which have an ambiguous English construction that could be taken to mean it was the disciples who were walking on the water. The other ambiguity is in the interpretation offered by some who wish to offer a naturalistic explanation for these events and suggest Jesus was actually walking on the shore and only appeared to be walking on the water.
terrified - The verb in Matthew has changed from the Marcan word to a stronger verb. In effect, the change is from were afraid to were terrified. Fear and terror are actually not unusual reactions to manifestations of divine power in the New Testament, and particularly in the gospels, beginning, for example, with Joseph's reaction to the angel's visitation, Mary's reaction to the annunciation, and the shepherds' reaction to the angelic choir, and continuing through the reaction of Mary Magdalene and the other women in the Garden (as in Luke 24:5). This is another incident in the list of such reactions.
ghost - The Greek word phantasma is only used in the New Testament here and in the parallel in Mark 6:49. A common belief at the time was that spirits of the night brought disaster to those who observed them, a superstition which could help sailors (who are often quite superstitious) to find the events terrifying, particularly on this night of bad winds and a storm. A fear for their lives in the midst of the storm would heighten the impact of such a completely unexpected event.
But immediately - This phrase is emphatic in Greek, here (as opposed to v. 22) indicating a temporal sequence (here as well as in v. 31). The distinction between the usage of euthus in verse 22 and here is that the former use initiates the recounting of the incident by connecting it to what has come before. Here, the word furthers the ongoing action without initiating a new story. As often happens, it is the context which helps the translator decipher the usage.
Take heart - This phrase is actually difficult to translate, as it seems to require a colloquial phrase which accurately reflects the Greek. "Take heart" is somewhat stilted and archaic, sounding like something which might be taken from a Tom Swift book. "Courage," as used in the TEV is not only stilted, but brings in bad connotations of possible works of righteousness on the part of the disciples. If the phrase wasn't somewhat archaic, a good choice might be "Buck up, boys." Perhaps something on the order of "Hang tough, guys," is a more modern phrasing.
It is I - This is an ego emi phrase in the Gospel of Matthew, paralleling the use in Mark 6:50. Jesus is using the name of God to identify himself. While this phrase is often identified in John as significant (and it is used in John 6:20), it is usually overlooked when used in the synoptics. As all three accounts record this phrase, it seems reasonable to conclude that this is meant to be a verification of the divinity of Christ, as demonstrated by his walking on the water.
do not be afraid - This phrase is a better translation than don't be afraid. The contraction is weaker in English than the expanded form, and here the phrase is a corrective for the disciples' terror.
Lord - Perhaps it is surprising that this word is actually ambiguous in this place. Is it a confession of the lordship of Christ, which seems out of place before the storm has actually been quieted, or is it merely the honorific use (i.e. sir) which is an alternate understanding of the Greek (and often the more appropriate if less reverent translation)? Most likely the latter, but translations usually opt for the more reverent word choice, even if it causes a blurring of the actual theology of the text.
the water - This word is actually the waters in Greek, apparently a Hebraism, as the plural is used exclusively in the Old Testament (and most often translated into a singular form in English) to refer to bodies of water.
noticed - The Greek verb is blepon, or he saw. Apparently this is an example of figurative language in Greek as it is usually quite difficult to "see" the wind. On the other hand, as a fisherman who spent most nights on the water, Peter would be quite familiar with the various signs which betray the strength of the wind such as the behavior of the waves, the breeze on his cheek, the stretch of the sails, and so on. It would be entirely natural and virtually unnoticed for him to be aware of these things, what is unusual is that seemingly he doesn't notice anything until he is actually walking on the water toward Jesus.
sink - The verb here is used only by Matthew in the New Testament, here and in Matthew 18:6. The second use is Jesus' comment in response to the disciples' question about greatness in the kingdom. After calling the disciples to humility like a child's, he informs them that anyone who puts a stumbling block in front of someone who is a "little one," would be better off with a millstone around his neck and downing (or sinking) in the sea. In both these uses, the sinking involves connotations of drowning.
save - The same word is used, in similar circumstances, in Matthew 8:25. In that place the disciples and Jesus are in a boat, on the sea, and a storm comes up. The disciples are again terrified, and they call of Jesus to "save us!" Here the expression of the need has narrowed to only Peter.
You of little faith - This is one word in Greek, an adjective used substantively. It could be rendered "faithless one," or in an even more disparaging fashion. Certainly it is a term of disfavor applied to Peter.
why did you doubt? - Translated literally, this phrase could be rendered why into doubt? Faith, in Greek, requires eis (into) to indicate the object of faith, a linguistic assumption that faith is inevitably lodged in something. In a manner evocative of that assumption, and in contrast to faith, Jesus asks, "Why into doubt?" which could be understood as "Why did your faith turn into doubt?"
doubt - The word is used only here and in Matthew 28:17 in the New Testament. Doubt is the primary meaning of the word, although waver and hesitate are also offered as possible translations. In many ways the alternatives can be understood as amplifications of the Greek understanding of what doubt was composed of.
ceased - The wind died down, or abated. It should be noted that a dead calm, the result of the wind ceasing completely, could be just as problematic to the disciples' progress across the lake as a howling gale. It is more likely the image here is of a wind which settles down to a gentle breeze, a friendly wind which drives the boat toward its destination.
worshiped - This word means more than just honored, which is one optional meaning of the word. Disciples responded to Jesus' implicit claim of divinity in both his actions (walking on water) and his words (ego emi, using the name of God to announce his identity) and treated Jesus as God, i.e. worshiped him.
Parallels
While this incident of Jesus walking on the water is found in Mark, Matthew, and John, Peter's challenge to Jesus and his subsequent action in walking on the water are found only in Matthew. The broad outlines of all three accounts are similar.
Shortly after a feeding, the disciples leave Jesus and go off in a boat. In Mark and Matthew, Jesus sends them away before going into the hills; in John, they leave after Jesus withdraws to the hills.
While Jesus is in the hills praying, the winds come up and the boat is in trouble in the rough seas. The disciples are quite terrified, but then Jesus comes to them walking on the water. He announces his identity with the name of God (ego emi in Greek) and tells the disciples not to be afraid.
In Matthew, Peter then seems to be filled with bravado and issues a challenge to Jesus. If the person walking toward the boat is, in fact, Jesus, then he should be able to permit Peter to walk on the water as well. At the least, this is what Peter's comment sounds like. While it is difficult to "hear" the tone of voice in a written comment, but the effort in this case is worth it. If Peter is indeed issuing a challenge, it is quite easy to hear large amounts of disbelief in the identity of the person walking across the water. Perhaps, as the disciples first assumed (in Mark and Matthew), he still believes the figure is a ghost, and is demanding further proof of his identity. In this case, we should hear the comment in a taunting, challenging tone, perhaps in a voice of insolent bravado.
An alternative is suggested by Peter's response to the simple invitation, "Come." Apparently with no hesitation, Peter got out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus. If the challenge was delivered as a demand for further identification, some hesitation and backfilling at the side of the boat might reasonably be expected. In fact, Jesus would have answered the challenge by calling Peter and forcing him to walk on the water with him. If the figure was a ghost, and it had given the same answer, Peter could step off the boat and sink immediately below the waves. Without both recognition and faith in the figure out on the water, Peter's actions would have been not merely foolhardy, but close to suicidal. However, he seems to have acted quickly and decisively, which suggests strongly that his challenge was actually a humble request to be allowed to share in the experience of walking on the water, even if only through the agency of Christ. In this instance we must hear the question as a simple request, spoken in as humble a voice as the weather conditions allowed.
The validity of this latter understanding of Peter's comment is supported by his subsequent actions. Peter scrambles out of the boat and walks toward Jesus. Then, when the realization of his position and what he was doing began to sink in, Peter began to sink below the waves. Jesus then addresses him as "You of little faith," which seems to be an explanation of why Peter was unable to continue his walk to Jesus. Jesus must save him and bring him back to the surface.
Finally, in Matthew, Jesus and Peter get into the boat. In Mark, Jesus alone gets in, while in John, the disciples want Jesus to get in (but the actual boarding of the boat is unreported). In John, the boat was immediately transported to the immediate vicinity of their destination. In Mark and Matthew, the winds die down after Jesus enters the boat. In Mark, the disciples were astounded, but still without understanding of either the significance of the feeding or the walking on the water. In Matthew, the disciples worship Jesus (accepting his self--description) when the wind ceased.
There is a further incident which might be taken as a parallel. In Mark 4:35--41, there is an account of another trip on the lake, this time with Jesus and the disciples together. In the course of the crossing Jesus falls asleep before a wind kicks up and the boat is threatened with swamping. The disciples wake Jesus (addressing him as "Lord") and he rebukes them for their lack of faith (in Matthew, before he stills the storm; in Mark and Luke, after the winds cease). Then he calms the sea and the disciples are quite respectful, awed, and filled with a godly fear at this revelation of the authority of Jesus.
In its outline at least, this earlier stilling of the storm by Jesus does seem to be similar to the present episode. The differences between the two accounts (Jesus' presence on the boat, no connection to a feeding story, and the questions about the faith of all the disciples) are probably indications of the disparate sources of the accounts. The surface similarities can be attributed to a tendency to make the stories more similar as they were transmitted.
The differences between the accounts in Mark and Matthew are also quite significant. In Mark, it is the disciples who personally are in danger, in Matthew it is the boat (a symbol of the church) which is endangered. In Mark, Jesus apparently meant to pass the disciples by, seemingly to hurry across (or around) the lake and meet them at their destination. If this is the case, then the miracle is an unplanned, spontaneous, and accidental event. That it is even included is a further accident.
In Matthew 14:24 it is "the boat, battered by the wave ... far from the land" which draws Jesus' attention. Historically a boat has long been used as a symbol of the church. Even in pagan times a boat or ship was a symbol of joy and happiness, also as a depiction of the means by which salvation was to be accomplished, a meaning which leads quite naturally to the use of a ship or boat as a symbol of the church. In Matthew this understanding of the boat seems quite appropriate here, particularly as a symbolic presentation of the way in which the risen Christ is available to assist the church in its time of trouble.
The exact itinerary of the boat is quite unclear. In Mark, the destination is Bethsaida, but Luke places the feeding miracle in the area of Bethsaida. In John, the destination of the boat trip is Capernaum, which is some miles down the lakeshore from Beth--saida. Matthew opts for a nonspecific destination, and reports the disciples get into the boat and head for the "other side." Mark 6:53 and Matthew 14:34 have disciples disembarking in Gennesaret, which is south of Capernaum on the lakeshore. The healings at Gennesaret, which is the next story in Mark and Matthew, is an incident John does not mention.
In addition to opting for a generic destination, Matthew also removes Mark's comment about the disciples' failure to understand about the loaves which concludes the Marcan narrative (Mark 6:51--52). Mark reports that the disciples' hearts were still hardened, while in Matthew the disciples finish the episode worshiping Jesus. While this is understandable as a response to the use of the name of God by Jesus to identify himself (Matthew 14:27), it is also a sign of the disciples' awareness of the special status of Jesus. Contrary to Mark's perception, in this gospel the disciples clearly understand Jesus' role.
The People
As Individuals
Normally in the gospels it is Jesus, or perhaps Peter, who is presented in the greatest relief. The disciples are almost like cardboard figures who fill in the background without really adding much to the story, and certainly not adding much individual definition. In this story Jesus is the least detailed figure, Peter is still foremost, but the disciples, at least in Matthew's account, are quite easily recognizable as human figures, and actually very sympathetic.
It had been a long, weary stretch. The disciples had gone out preaching the message of the kingdom, and returned to Jesus about the time John the Baptizer had been killed. Not merely tired, but also quite likely a little concerned about this turn of events (not to mention grief stricken by the murder of John), they had sought to go off alone for a brief time to regroup (Matthew 14:13). The crowds would have none of it, they followed the group closely, and when they arrived at the place the group had found, Jesus healed their sick and then demanded that the disciples furnish the crowd with food. Eventually, as darkness descended on the whole scene, the crowds were fed miraculously. Then Jesus hurried the disciples into the boat they had used to cross the sea and, as the blackness of the night settled in, sent them out on the sea. Finally, he sent the crowds away and went away on his own, into the hills to be alone.
After the long trying days they had just passed through, it is not a surprise that the disciples, many of whom were familiar with both boats and the Sea of Galilee from their background as fishermen, could have missed any signs of impending bad weather. At the most, they might have been filled with a vague unease over the hurried departure and leaving Jesus alone with the crowds. But they made steady progress across the water. Perhaps they were drowsy, almost certainly the non--sailors were, by this time.
Then the storm came up. Storms can arise on the Sea of Galilee quite quickly, and the disciples familiar with the ways of the lake would rightly have been very concerned. The sudden storms could be vicious; swamping boats, and drowning their crews. Certainly all of the fishermen in the boat, and probably at least some of the others had known people (or had known of people) who had died in such storms. Now it looked as if their time had come. All the concern of the past days overwhelmed them in the howling wind, and they struggled hopelessly with the sails to control the boat.
Then a ghostly figure approached them, walking on the top of the water. Even though this lesson is appointed for early in August, it has at least this element which evokes Halloween. A spooky figure, likely glimpsed by a non--sailor first (the sailors' focus had certainly narrowed to the boat itself in their effort to survive the wind and waves), was heading toward them. Perhaps seen first in glimpses as the boat rose to the crest of a wave, then the figure vanished as the boat slid down into the trough between the waves. A figure in light colored robes was so unexpected that the first disciples to see it were certainly terrified by the approach of what they assumed to be a ghost, a spirit that would kill them even if they didn't drown when the ship was broken up by the wind and waves.
The terror of the first disciples to see the figure spread quickly to the rest of the group, so that they were all terrified by the time the figure approached within hailing distance. Finally close enough that a conversation might reasonably be carried on, even in the howling wind, and still with no real signs that the figure was someone they might know, the terror increased. The disciples were afraid of drowning, and here came a figure who was obviously master of the waves, perhaps coming for their lives. After all, people rarely saw ghosts and lived to tell the story, so it was easy to assume that simply seeing a ghost meant you were marked for death.
And then, in a crescendo, the ghost speaks, and they all recognize the voice. Even before the meaning of the words sinks in, the voice is familiar to all the disciples. Amazingly enough, it isn't a ghost walking across the water. It's Jesus! Imagine the relief the disciples must have felt at that realization, that they weren't going to die. The ghost wasn't an enemy, but the Lord. Even as he spoke, his voice had begun to dispel the disciples' terror, even before they grasped the words.
Peter was clearly the most forward of the disciples, and perhaps slightly more quick--witted than the others. Perhaps, he had assumed the role of captain when the boat was threatened, and the other disciples were still deferring to that authority as the identity of the ghost became apparent. In any event, Peter called out to the ghostly figure of Jesus and asked to join him. Jesus told Peter to come, and Peter quickly climbs out of the boat onto the still--raging waters. But after a few steps he realized the utter, absolute incongruity of his position on top of the waves and began to sink. He certainly felt the rush of returning terror as he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
And Jesus saved him, but also rebuked him for his loss of faith. Chastened, Peter climbed into the boat with Jesus, the storm quieted, and the voyage to Gennesaret continued. The disciples in this story are rather completely human, their actions are totally understandable, and the conclusion of the story with their worshiping of Jesus is absolutely acceptable as both a recognition of the authority he embodied and their relief at the sudden removal of the threat to their lives.
Peter acts in a way we might expect from the other stories about him in the gospels. He is a leader, speaking for the disciples in recognizing Jesus. He is quick to say things which sound very brave, as in his request to walk on the water with Jesus. He ends up having problems and needing help to be saved, when he actually climbs out of the boat, walks, and sinks.
Jesus, in this episode, is the least well--defined character. For unexplained reasons he sends the disciples away. The Gospel of John offers the threat of a political claim which might have been very enticing to the disciples. It is certainly possible that Jesus dismissed them to get them away from that temptation, but such a rationale is not stated in this gospel. Jesus then goes off alone to pray.
After a time he came walking across the water toward the boat which had become embroiled in a storm. There is no further explanation for this, simply a bald statement that he was walking on the water. Matthew clearly was not bothered by any desire to provide a naturalistic explanation for how such a thing could occur, and even though it is sometimes difficult, perhaps this is the best way to approach this episode - not getting bogged down in the details of how the events could have happened. After an exchange with Peter, Jesus (and Peter) climbed into the boat and Jesus accepted the worship of the disciples. Not only is his behavior in this story unusual in the gospel accounts, in that he accepts the worship of the disciples, but there is not a clue about why Jesus acts in the way he does. There is no compassion here, no desire to instruct, not even any indication that he came across the lake to rescue the disciples. In many ways the figure of Jesus in this episode is quite mysterious and difficult to approach.
As Images And Signs
The most obvious image of this lesson in that of the boat, which is symbolic of church. Jesus comes across the sea to save the church and the church responds by worshiping Christ. While this requires seeing the story as an allegory, the interpretation is not particularly far--fetched or strained, and does offer a number of insights for the attentive listener or reader.
Shortly after the feeding (which can be taken as a reference to the eucharist), the disciples are sent off in a boat while Jesus goes off by himself. Similarly, shortly after the institution of the eucharist on Maundy Thursday, the church is sent off on its own while Jesus goes off by himself (crucifixion, ascension, Pentecost). Thus, the church is traveling through the world seemingly without Christ, at least without a visible Christ. In this situation, the church is often fearful, even terrified with depressing regularity.
Into this picture, where the church seems to be threatened with utter destruction, a fearful image comes across the waves to bring the church salvation. Even though there are still problems in the church (even among those who lead the church, as Peter led the disciples), Jesus is truly with the church to still the storms which terrify it, bringing peace and tranquility, and accepting the worship offered by those within the boat of the church.
This understanding is rooted in a view of this story, in fact in this section of the gospel, as being more connected to the life of the church after the ascension. While this seems difficult to accept, the simple fact is that Matthew has no way to comment on the life of the church except by placing stories in his narrative that can be understood as explaining how the church works after Christ has physically left the scene.
The word "immediately" is used three times in this lesson. The first time it is used as it is often used, to introduce new events into the narrative. This is a sort of verbal punctuation to indicate the beginning of a new incident and might not even need to be translated, as, in fact, it is not in the New American Bible.
The second occurrence of the word is in response to the terror of the disciples, when Jesus acts quickly to reassure them. Clearly the effort succeeded, since the disciples recede into the background and Peter asks to walk to Jesus.
The third occurrence is during Peter's stroll on the water, when his terror returns and he begins to sink. Jesus immediately reaches out and catches Peter, saving him from sinking below the waves. These three uses can be taken to highlight the concern for the church which Jesus has displayed in the past, and which can be expected in the future.
The Action
In The Story
The reason Jesus sends the disciples out in the boat is somewhat problematic. Is this simply to set up events the next morning? While this is certainly a possible understanding, the Marcan version strongly implies the encounter on the water was accidental, not planned. Matthew has done little to indicate the encounter is intended. In both gospels it seems the plan was for Jesus to arrive at the destination before the disciples arrived in the boat. It happened that Jesus was noticed by the disciples accidentally.
Is this action meant as a decoy for the crowds, to lead them to believe that everyone had departed in the boat? While this sounds very like a way to gain a brief respite from the demands of the crowds, the idea founders on the second half of Matthew 14:22, where it is reported that Jesus dismissed the crowds personally.
Perhaps the best suggestion is based on the situation detailed in John and the desire of Jesus to get the disciples out of the way. John explains that the crowds desired to proclaim Jesus as the bread messiah. This development, in John, occurs before the disciples leave, but without any indication the disciples were aware of it. John does report Jesus' withdrawal into the hills before the disciples' departure in the boat, however (John 6:14--17).
In Matthew, it seems that Jesus might be hustling the disciples away from the crowds before the disciples joined with the crowds in proclaiming him a bread messiah. It explains the need to get the disciples off the shore and Jesus' subsequent dismissal of the crowds. By that time, as John 6:17 states explicitly, it was dark. It is possible that the darkness explains the sequence of events in Matthew as well, as it would be much easier for a single person to slip away in the darkness than for Jesus and the twelve to all slip away from the crowds without being noticed.
Sailing after dark would not necessarily be a difficult thing for the disciples, since they were fishermen, and as fishermen normally went out at night to ply their trade.
The action of this story evokes the Old Testament in at least two ways. First, in the more general way that recognized God as the master of seas, storms, and thunder. More specifically, there are at least three episodes in the Old Testament which involve a miraculous path through water - crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21--32), the passing of Israel over the Jordan (Joshua 3-- 4), and Elisha's crossing of the Jordan (2 Kings 2:11--14). Even though these episodes do not involve walking on the water, but rather parting the water to provide dry ground to walk upon. These events have been associated with this episode of Jesus' life from ancient times.
In more recent times there has been an effort to discover a naturalistic explanation of the events described here, an explanation which does not require the abandonment of any natural laws. These explanations include both walking on the shore and the idea that the whole incident is an allegory which never really took place. If that is to be understood, then in the intense darkness just before the dawn comes, Jesus was walking along the shore of the sea, and the boat was driven in close to the shore, almost to the point of destruction. In this version of events Peter jumped off the boat, and either sank immediately; or, swimming and wading, made his way to Jesus; or, was overwhelmed by a wave, which Jesus pulled him through. Clearly, Peter's doubts would be quite likely to resurface shortly after he left the boat in any of these scenarios.
Ultimately, these naturalistic explanations are not completely satisfying. Even though it is difficult to conceive of the physics required to enable Jesus to actually walk on the surface of the water (not to mention Peter, at least for a few steps), it is likely that the actions as described in Matthew need to be simply accepted as a report of what took place. The theological content of the story should not distract from the events which are reported in three gospels.
The action of these two stories, the feeding and the walking on water, when taken together seems to present quite a prophetic theology. Here we have the sacred meal to strengthen the believers, and a sign of the comforting presence of Jesus when things are difficult and terrifying. These events can easily be taken as a foreshadowing of the events of Maundy Thursday and Pentecost and beyond. This theological understanding is certainly hinted at in the Marcan account, and more highly developed in both Matthew and John, not to mention the extension of the idea in next week's lesson.
In The Hearers
The use of the term "Lord" to address Jesus is so normal that it is most often ignored, yet in this story it is used with a different implication each time Peter uses the word within three verses. The first use, in Matthew 14:28, shows Peter filled with bravado after Jesus identifies himself and the disciples realize he isn't a ghost. In this instance the term is used with a meaning much closer to "Sir" than the reverence which is usually heard in "Lord." It is almost as if Peter is still harboring some doubts about the identity of this apparition which has appeared, and suspects it might be trying to trick him in some way.
When Jesus responds to Peter's challenge by inviting him to join him on the water, Peter jumps over the side of the boat and walks toward Jesus. Then, when his situation sinks in, Peter begins to sink into the sea and shouts out "Lord" for a second time. This use is substantially more reverent, certainly quite close to a prayer, at the least a sudden plea for help. The second use is more rightly translated as "Lord" than the first, a distinction which hearers in a society with significant class distinctions, often based on heredity would understand more naturally.
The second use also functions in a literary manner to usher in the point that Jesus is Lord, even over the elements of a storm (a point made explicitly in Matthew 8:27). Here the nature of Jesus' lordship is not stated explicitly, but is rather the lead--in to the act of worship which follows.
This worship of Jesus is the structural climax of the episode, and it is often approached as more of an afterthought than an important part of the narrative. This is an example of the validation of the miracle, namely in the reaction of the disciples in being brought to the worship of Christ. By bringing out this point, the story took on a deeper meaning for the people who first heard the story. More than a story in the tradition of prophetic leaders who walked on the water, more than a further example of Jesus' authority over nature, this is an episode which includes two miracles (walking on water and stilling the storm) which lead the disciples to a stronger faith in Jesus and to the expression of that faith in their worship.
The Sermon
Illustrations
Martin Luther once said:
"Birds lack faith. They fly away whenever I enter the orchard, though I mean them no ill. Even so do we lack faith in God."
Faith in the face of stress can be a difficult thing.
There was a young soldier in Italy who leapt into a foxhole just an instant before a hail of bullets passed over him. He nervously began digging the hole deeper and heard the sound of metal rubbing on metal. Digging through the dirt, he found a silver crucifix which had likely been left there by a former occupant of the foxhole. Just then, another soldier came tumbling into the hole. As the two residents sorted themselves out, the young soldier noticed the new arrival was a chaplain. Holding out the crucifix, he said, "Quick, show me how to use this thing."
Churches are still involved in situations we might call disasters.
There was once a small midwestern newspaper which printed the announcement - "We are pleased to announce that the cyclone which blew away the Methodist church last Friday did no real damage to the town."
Peter began to walk on the water quite enthusiastically. Here's a view of enthusiasm.
A football coach from the days of Knute Rockne was once giving a pep talk to his players during halftime of a game they were losing by a large score. Building up to the climax of the speech, the coach pointed to the door at one end of the locker room and shouted to his team: "And now, let's go through that door and on to victory!"
In response to the inspiring speech, the team stood as one person and rushed through the door the coach had pointed at. They rushed through, and ran right into the swimming pool.
There is a relationship between faith and prayer. Jesus withdrew to pray, Peter had problems with his faith. The same thing can happen today.
There was once a town afflicted with a serious drought, and the local churches got together for a prayer meeting to beseech God for an end to the drought. Someone noticed that a young girl was the only person who brought an umbrella.
Approaches To Preaching
Why into doubt? The literal rendering of Jesus' question is actually quite a stunning theological question, one which accuses us all. In addition to the parallels between this question and the Greek word for faith, it is important to note the Jesus did not say Peter's faith wasn't enough. He simply asked "Why into doubt?" Apparently Peter's faith had deserted him and he had descended into doubt. This is not a matter of being a few bricks short of a house, but a matter of having no shelter.
The reaction of the disciples to the sudden appearance of Jesus was terror. This is a common reaction in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. It is also a common reaction to sudden evidence of God's presence even today. The sudden revelation of divine power upsets our lives, and the events which cause terror can cause it for a variety of reasons. The most important aspect of this approach is to avoid being judgmental in the sermon to be delivered.
It is tempting to dwell on the image of Jesus withdrawing from the crowds to pray. This is a temptation which should likely be avoided, at least in this cycle of lessons. Jesus is only reported as praying twice in the Gospel of Matthew, which is hardly the best basis for a sermon encouraging a strong devotional life.
A howling wind is a terrifying experience. Anyone who has ever faced a wind this fierce is a willing witness to the fear it can inspire. However, some wind is needed to propel the boat toward its destination. It is the issue of the amount of wind at a given time which is important, that can lead to an expectation that some wind is essential and we can expect that there will be some wind, some storms in our lives. It will likely be terrifying at times, but Jesus is still with us.
Peter is called the "faithless one." After his confession at Caesarea Philippi, he is called "Satan" (Matthew 16:23). Of course, he eventually denies even knowing Jesus. Even with his lapses and difficulties with this faith he had embraced, Peter is still the leader of the disciples. We seem to think any failing is enough to disqualify a leader, but it probably shouldn't be that way. Certainly a single failing shouldn't be taken as something that will disqualify us from ever being accepted by God.
The boat is the church, and after the crucifixion Jesus seems to be separated from the church. In the ensuing time, the church faces storms of persecution and other problems. It can be easy to forget Jesus is, in fact, still with the church. The incident of Peter walking on the water and sinking into it is a quite appropriate topic for preachers, and likely was used quite early as an object lesson about the dangers of faithlessness. The account here might have been influenced by the preaching of the early church.
