Gospel Notes by Michael Whelan SM
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 the 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.” (Matthew 14:22-33 – NRSV)
Introductory notes
General
This text is replete with Old Testament references, making it impossible to be certain about what is fact and what is symbol. For example, in Psalm 107:23-32:
“Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity; they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.” (See also Jonah 1)
Brendan Byrne SJ observes: “The intense overlay of biblical allusion and theology renders the recovery of any historical kernel all but impossible” (Matthew Byrne SJ, Lifting the Burden: Reading Matthew’s Gospel in the Church Today, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2004, Footnote 13, 120).
Matthew’s account is clearly drawn from Mk 6:45–52, though he adds some details of his own. We find a similar account in John 6:16-21. Each of the three accounts has Jesus going up on to “the mountain” to pray alone, the disciples are out on the lake in a boat struggling against the wind and the waves, Jesus walks on the sea towards them, the disciples are frightened/terrified and Jesus tells them not to be afraid.
Luke has an account of the disciples with Jesus caught in a storm on the Lake. Luke’s account is generally regarded as a re-telling of Mark 4.35–41. See Matthew 8:23-27 for a similar re-telling of this event.
Matthew is unique in the detail that has Peter attempting to walk to Jesus across the water.
Matthew, like Mark, repeats the detail that Jesus came “walking toward them on the sea”. But Mark (6:48) adds that Jesus intended to pass them by. Matthew omits this detail.
The Sea of Galilee is nearly four and a half miles wide. Matthew uses the Greek word mesos meaning “in the midst”, to indicate where the boat is on the lake.
The phrase “early in the morning” (NRSV) translates the Greek phrase tetartos phulake which literally means “the fourth watch”. The fourth and last watch of the night was between 3am and 6am.
Daniel Harrington SJ summarizes: “The heart of Matt 14:22–36 is an epiphany; that is, the manifestation of Jesus as doing what God does (walking on the sea and rescuing those in danger of drowning) and identifying himself in the way God speaks of himself (‘I am he’). Peter as representative of the Twelve tries to share in Jesus’ power and does so for a while—as long as his faith remains strong. When the “littleness” of his faith shows through, he needs to be rescued from drowning by Jesus. Surrounding the major episodes are two geographical scenes—one that explains how Jesus and the disciples got separated (14:22–23), and a summary of Jesus’ healing activities at Gennesaret (14:34–36).
“The primary message of Matt 14:22–36 for the Matthean community concerned the identity of Jesus, who does what God does and speaks as God does in the Bible. The epiphany of Jesus’ identity to the disciples paralleled early Christian realizations and claims about him.
“The new element in the Matthean account is the portrayal of Peter and the other disciples. As happens throughout the second half of Matthew’s Gospel, Peter emerges as the spokesman for the Twelve and representative of their strengths and weaknesses. The disciples appear in a more positive light than they do in Mark. Yet they are far from being perfect. They are characterized as having a ‘little faith.’ The picture of Peter in Matt 14:28–31 is the most memorable representation of the ‘little faith’ attributed to the disciples. What Peter does is the enactment of ‘little faith.’ Nevertheless, Peter joins the other disciples in correctly identifying Jesus as the “Son of God.” For all their weaknesses they come to understand who Jesus really is.
“The major theme for actualization that emerges from this text is identity—that of Jesus and of the disciples. The rich biblical background of the account needs emphasis among those who seek only the spectacular. The picture of Peter is a consolation to all Christians who recognize that they like him as yet have only a ‘little faith.’ The epiphany of Jesus and his power to save those in distress provide the basis for courage in the face of the recognition of ‘little faith’” (Daniel Harrington SJ, The Gospel of Matthew, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007,227-228).
Specific
Immediately: That is, immediately after Jesus has fed the five thousand, which is immediately after he has heard the news of the beheading of John the Baptist:
“Now when Jesus heard (of the beheading of John the Baptist), he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick” (14:13-14).
There is a deep interconnection here between the events: the beheading of John, Jesus’ attempt to be alone, the feeding of the five thousand, the storm at sea and the following further attempt by Jesus to be alone. We are made aware of a great drama unfolding and Jesus is at the heart of it. Peter and the disciples are slowly being drawn into it but they do not understand what is happening yet.
he made the disciples get into the boat: The Greek verb is anankazō – translated here as “made” – means “force” or “compel”. One scholar writes: “Matthew follows Mark in developing a highly emotional mood around Jesus and the disciples, with Jesus fully in command” (op cit, 223).
he went up the mountain by himself to pray: Matthew does not speak much about Jesus at prayer compared with the other Gospel writers. “Apart from his instructions about prayer in Matt 6:5–15 this is the first reference to Jesus at prayer. Only in the Gethsemane pericope do we get a glimpse into the content of Jesus’ prayer and his relationship with the Father (see Matt 26:36–46).” (Harrington, op cit, 224.)
battered by the waves: “As in the earlier boat scene (8:23-27), the image of the disciples struggling to make headway in a boat battered by the sea is symbolic of the later Church” (Byrne, op cit, 119). Byrne adds in a footnote: “The Greek word translated ‘battered’ (basanizesthai) literally means ‘to be tortured.’”
“‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid’”: Once again we hear the message: “‘Do not be afraid!’” The Greek word tharseo – translated here by NRSV as “take heart” – literally means “be courageous”. The fundamental reason for trusting this message – which runs like a golden thread through the Bible – is that it comes from God. This is the message given to Moses (Exodus 3:12) and repeated by the Prophet, “‘Do not be afraid for I am with you!’” (Isaiah 41:10). In the middle of this statement by Jesus is the key phrase, “It is I”. The disciples think Jesus is a “ghost” but Jesus says, “It is I”. This echoes the Prophet Isaiah, a favourite author for the Gospel writers: “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am first, and will be with the last.” (Isaiah 41:4). And again in Isaiah 43:4: “You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.” We also find the phrase “fear not” in Isaiah 43 several times with “I am”. It may also be linked to the revelation of God as “I AM” in Exodus 3:14 (“I AM WHO AM”) and Deuteronomy 32:39 (“See now that I, even I, am he; there is no god besides me.”) Matthew, unlike Mark where the disciples remain hard of heart, has the disciples acknowledge the divinity of Jesus: “And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” anticipating 16:16.
Peter answered him: For Matthew, Peter is clearly central to the relationship between Jesus and the disciples – see Matthew 15:15; 16:16; 17:4; 18:21; 19:27; 26:33 & 35. When Peter cries out, “Lord save me!”, he is repeating the cry of the disciples in Matthew 8:25 when they are similarly in a storm at sea. But this cry also calls to mind the Psalmist:
“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. …. rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me” (69:1-2 & 14-15).
Jesus’ statement, “You of little faith”, is said more than once by Jesus to the disciples in Matthew – 6:30; 8:26; 16:8; 17:20.
Being held
In today’s Gospel – Matthew 14:22-33 – Jesus comes to the disciples in the storm on the lake. What actually happened? Brendan Byrne writes: “The intense overlay of biblical allusion and theology renders the recovery of any historical kernel all but impossible” (Matthew Byrne SJ, Lifting the Burden: Reading Matthew’s Gospel in the Church Today, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2004, Footnote 13, 120). It is helpful, however, to read Matthew’s account with a mind to its original audience. He is writing for an anxious community. This is epitomized in the image of Jesus reaching out and “taking hold” of Peter. The text tells us that Peter was “frightened.” It is fair to suggest that, deeper than the fear and perhaps driving the fear, Peter is anxious.
Anxiety, like fear, is a distress in the face of what might be. However, fear normally has a clear object and can be addressed with courage and concrete action. One of anxiety’s most troubling features is its lack of clear definition. It does not submit easily to courage. Yes, facing Peter – and the other disciples – is a very concrete threat which makes Jesus’ earlier words relevant: “‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’” In other words, be courageous!
But when Peter thinks he is sinking – and we should pay attention to that image! – Jesus takes hold of him and calls for something much more than courage: “‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’” Jesus knows Peter. This is a moment on Peter’s journey into a faith which will enable him to face the abyss which will open before them all in Jerusalem. That abyss is not just the horror of the crucifixion. It is the abyss that Peter and the disciples, indeed all human beings, bear within them. If we are reflective and attentive about our daily experiences, we will know the threat of “sinking.” Nothingness and emptiness lie just offstage whilst on stage we are fashioning a “life,” being “somebody.”
Faith holds out the possibility of “being held.” Faith is “being held.” St Paul uses the same image: “Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12 – NJB). Not by our courage but by our “being held” by him are we able to face the abyss that is within us all. In other words, in him is our hope. Without him, where is hope? Courage and human ingenuity are not enough.
Anxiety/fear “is the presence of God calling us to Himself. … It is when we have uncovered the void within ourselves, opened up the empty space of our need for God, that we can encounter God in sheer faith. … He waits for those prepared at long last to meet Him in the silent and humbling darkness of faith and to surrender themselves unreservedly to His love” (Charles Davis, “A Hidden God”, America, January 29, 1966, 173).
Can you see Peter “being held” by Jesus in his moment of anxiety?