TEXT [Commentary]

4. Jesus walks on water (14:22-36; cf. Mark 6:45-56; John 6:16-21)

22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning[*] Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here![*]”

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong[*] wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

34 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. 36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

NOTES

14:22 Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat. As soon as the miraculous meal was over, Jesus sent the crowd away and had the disciples take the boat back to the other side of the lake, evidently retracing the voyage mentioned in 14:13 (cf. Mark 6:45-51; John 6:15-21).

14:23 he went up into the hills by himself to pray. He stayed on the east side of the Sea of Galilee and found a place in the hills for prayer. Matthew only recounts Jesus praying here, in 11:25-26, and in the garden of Gethsemane (26:36-45; but see Luke 5:16; 9:18, 28-29; 11:1). One would assume that this was his original goal in 14:13, but that it was hindered by the crowds. Now alone in the hills, he prays on into the night, evidently for several hours.

14:24 the disciples were in trouble far away from land. As Jesus prayed alone, the disciples were also alone, away from him, struggling with the wind-blown waves on the lake (cf. 8:23-27 for a similar story). The NLT’s “far away from land” renders an expression lit. translated “many stadia.” A stadion [TG4712A, ZG5084] was around 192 meters or just over 600 feet in length, and the Sea of Galilee is up to 5 miles wide, so the disciples were evidently miles from shore (cf. John 6:19).

14:25 About three o’clock in the morning. Lit., “in the fourth watch of the night.” This apparently reflects the custom of dividing the night, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., into four watches of three hours each (cf. the Gr. of 24:43).

Jesus came toward them. At this point, after the disciples had rowed for several hours (14:13, 22) under terrifying conditions in the dark, Jesus suddenly appeared, miraculously walking on the water.

14:26 It’s a ghost. But the disciples did not recognize him and cried out that a ghost or disembodied spirit had appeared to them.

14:27 Take courage. Jesus’ words evidently identified him to the disciples. He told them not to fear (cf. 17:7; 28:5, 10) but to take courage (cf. 9:2, 22), since he was there.

I am here. Lit., “I am.” This may be an allusion to Exod 3:14 (cf. 22:32)—as in NLT mg: “The ‘I AM’ is here.”

14:28 Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water. Peter proposed a sort of test—if it was really Jesus, would he command Peter to come to him on the water? Blomberg (1992:235) views Peter’s words as a request to imitate Jesus’ miracle in terms of the commission to ministry in 10:1, 8.

14:29-30 Peter . . . walked on the water. When Jesus agreed, Peter indeed walked on the water toward Jesus, but only briefly. He was distracted and terrified by the wind and waves, so as he began to sink he cried out for Jesus to rescue him (cf. the disciples’ cry in 8:25). In view of the discipleship context of the previous storm miracle (8:23-27), it is not mistaken to view Peter’s faith and doubt in the face of danger as exemplary of the trials of discipleship.

14:31 You have so little faith. Jesus rescued Peter by grasping him with his hand, but his words were aimed at rescue on another level. He pointed out Peter’s weak faith and asked why Peter doubted him (cf. 6:30; 8:26; 16:8).

14:32 the wind stopped. When Peter and Jesus climbed into the boat, the storm ceased. There was no command as in 8:26 for the storm to stop; this time all that was needed was the presence of Jesus.

14:33 You really are the Son of God! When they realized that Jesus had walked on the storm-tossed sea and stopped the storm, the disciples worshiped him and uttered a ringing confession of his unique, divine sonship.

14:34-36 they landed at Gennesaret. This was about three miles southwest of Capernaum on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee (cf. Mark 6:53-56). Perhaps the boat was blown off its probable course to Capernaum by the storm. Once again Jesus is beset by crowds of needy people when news of his arrival spreads, and once again many are healed (cf. 14:13-14).

all who touched him were healed. An added detail this time was that people who merely touched the fringe of Jesus’ robe were healed (cf. 9:20-21). These verses provide the kind of summary that is by now familiar to the reader of Matthew (cf. 4:23-24; 8:16; 9:35; 14:14; 15:30-31).

COMMENTARY [Text]

Jesus’ appearance to the disciples during the storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee follows on the heels of the feeding of the five thousand. These two consecutive stories focusing on Jesus’ messianic powers provide a welcome contrast to the two previous episodes, which stress unbelief (13:53-58; 14:1-12). Jesus’ messianic powers must be seen against the background of the Old Testament. To walk on the sea and to still a storm are prerogatives that belong only to God (Job 26:11-12; Pss 65:7; 89:9-10; 107:29; Jonah 1:15; Sir 43:23). These actions of Jesus should be understood as evidence of a status equal to that of which Jesus spoke in 11:25. The worship and testimony of the disciples to Jesus’ divine sonship in 14:33 is a direct response to the divine acts he performed.

According to Matthew, Jesus was “worshiped” several times, by such people as the Magi, a leper, a synagogue official, a Canaanite woman, the mother of Zebedee’s sons, and the disciples (2:2, 8, 11; 8:2; 9:18; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17). The Greek word proskuneō [TG4351, ZG4685] may describe only a respectful bow to a superior, not the religious worship of deity (18:26), but in the overall Christological context of Matthew, the translation “worship” is frequently warranted. According to 14:33, the disciples worshiped Jesus and confessed that he is really the Son of God. This confession of Jesus’ divine sonship should also be viewed in the highest sense, given other passages on the matter (2:15; 3:17; 4:3, 6; 8:29; 16:16; 17:5; 22:45; 26:63; 27:40, 43, 54; 28:19), and it should be noted as anticipating 16:16; 26:63-64; 27:54; 28:19. One who has made claims such as those in 11:25 and who has done such deeds as those narrated in Matthew 14 must be worshiped as the Son of God. (See the discussion of Jesus as Son of God in the “Major Themes” section of the Introduction.)

Although the disciples’ faith was implicitly challenged in the feeding miracle (14:15, 17), the storm miracle directly challenged them, reinforced their need for stronger faith, and provided the occasion for their stirring confession (14:33). Davies and Allison (1991:512-513) state it well: “So often the First Evangelist, while addressing Christological themes with his right hand, is at the same time delivering teaching on discipleship with his left.” This second storm miracle, just like the first (8:23-27), should be read as a picture of discipleship in the midst of the trials of life. This miracle also portrays Peter as the model disciple, the first among equals (14:28-30). Peter’s actions led to the disciples’ confession (14:33), which anticipates 16:16, where Peter alone confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Blomberg (1992:235) is correct to note Matthew’s distinctive positioning of Peter in this section (cf. 15:15; 16:16-19; 17:24-27; 18:21). Peter’s failure due to lack of faith—even more than his success due to faith—is exemplary for growing disciples of Jesus, both then and now. See Turner 1991 for a detailed discussion.

Summary of Matthew 14. Matthew 13:53 marks the transition from Jesus’ third discourse to a narrative of the next stage of Jesus’ ministry. He arrived in Nazareth where his ministry was not honored (13:57). News of Jesus came to Herod, who mistakenly took Jesus as John redivivus (14:2). When Jesus heard of John’s martyrdom, he withdrew to a lonely place but was followed by multitudes whom he miraculously fed (14:19). This is followed by the second storm incident (14:22-33) and many healings in Gennesaret (14:36).

One theme that continues to characterize Matthew’s narrative is Jesus’ rejection, which now occurs even in Nazareth (13:54-58). Another blow comes from John’s grisly martyrdom, which caused Jesus to withdraw from the public eye. Yet he could not avoid the multitudes who were clamoring for healing. Jesus’ disciples continued to exercise “little faith” when they were tested by another storm (14:22-32), but they repeated the affirmation that Jesus is God’s Son (14:33). In general, one can conclude that in the midst of growing opposition, the Kingdom was still growing through Jesus’ miracles and through the weak but genuine and maturing faith of the disciples.