Mateus 14
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 14
Morgan - Whatever your storm, whatever your gale, whatever your struggle, you have total access through His brace to those same three short, simple sentences: Be of good cheer. It is I. Don’t be afraid. Those words are a great encouragement. In fact, they encouraged Peter to do something rather rash and reckless. Take courage (2293)(tharseo from tharsos = boldness, courage) means to have courage. Be of good courage, be of good cheer or be unafraid. The idea is that the recipient of this command is to to have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing. Only used 7x - Matt. 9:2; Matt. 9:22; Matt. 14:27; Mk. 6:50; Mk. 10:49; Jn. 16:33; Acts 23:11. After speaking the upper room discourse to His disciples Jesus used this same verb declaring "These things (John 13-16) I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Jesus gave these same words of encouragement again at the end of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-16)... “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage (tharseo in the present imperative); I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33) COURAGE! When Jesus arrived, he made a huge difference! Because of Jesus—all he taught, all he did—your life is different now! You’re not alone, and you’re not lost. You have a heavenly Father, a living Savior, and a present helper, the Holy Spirit. All the problems that beset you are now theirs as well. Lest we forget, try this. At the end of a phone conversation, instead of “good-bye” say “courage!” Gently, softly, remind one another of what Jesus gives us. In the face of every trouble, every heartbreak, every troubling diagnosis … courage! (Barton) Adrian Rogers (excerpt from How to Be an Unsinkable Saint) - Now would you like to walk on the water? Now remember here, that our Lord is teaching a spiritual lesson and the spiritual lesson is that whatever your problem, whatever it looks like is going to sink your ship is no problem to God. Let me give you some steps for walking on the water. Step Number One, we'll call it Vision. The Vision. You must see Jesus. Look again if you will in Mt 14:27, 28, "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I—literally I AM—be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." They saw Him walking on the water. Faith is looking to Jesus and keeping on looking. What did Peter see when He saw Jesus? Don't miss this because this is the heart of the whole thing. When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water Peter saw that what looked like would be over Peter's head was already under Jesus' feet. That's very important you see this. What Peter thought was going to be over his head was under Jesus' feet. John 16:33, Jesus said, "In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." You have tribulation? Jesus has overcome. No matter what it is, take your problem and double it, and double it again, and listen to your pastor—Jesus has overcome it. "In this world, you shall have tribulation. I have overcome the world." What you think is about to sink your ship is under His feet. Why did Peter say, "Lord, if it be you, bid me come to you on the water"? Do you think that Peter was just seeking a thrill? Do you think he just wanted to go back and say, "Guess what I did!" No. There was something about Jesus walking on the water and Peter seeing that that drew the heart of Peter like a magnet to Jesus. Now what Peter was saying is, "Lord Jesus, I want to put my feet where you have put yours. I want to walk in victory with you. I want to be one with you, Lord, walking on the water." That's what I pray you will see tonight, what I'll see tonight: A vision of Jesus conquering, superior, overcoming. Have you seen this? Now, first of all, there is the Vision. You must see Jesus. Number two, there is the Voice. You must hear Jesus. Now look if you will now in Mt 14:28, "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And He said, Come." "Come." Have you ever heard Him say that to you? "Come." If you listen, you'll hear Him saying that. Now, Peter did not start out of that boat until he was ordered out of that boat. Until he was invited. Peter didn't name it and claim it. All faith is based a Word from God. That's what we've been talking about in our series in Hebrews Chapter 11, Champions of the Faith. We've given you Romans 10:17 over and over again, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." And the Word of God reveals the will of God. When Peter got out of that boat after Jesus said, "Come" he was not really walking on the water as much as he was walking on the Word. He is supported by the Word of God. How do you walk on water? You see Jesus. Understand Who He is. That He has overcome the world. Then you hear Jesus. There is the Vision. Then there is the Voice. And then there is the Venture. He obeyed Jesus. Now most of us here believe that Jesus can walk on water. Most of us believe that theoretically, we could. I'm talking about over our problems. But that's all—it gets not much further than our notebooks, and therefore, it never really is faith. I've told you many times the difference between the belief and faith. Faith is belief with legs on it. Faith is obeying. Matthew 14:29, "And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water." Faith is venturing everything in God's faithfulness. It is committing yourself to the Word and then to the waves. That's very hard for me to do. Faith's Vision, you see Jesus. Faith's Voice, you hear Jesus. Faith's Venture, you obey Jesus. And then notice the Victory. He walked on the water. You must prove Jesus. Now notice again, verses 29 and following, "And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." Use your imagination. What was it like for Peter? What was the sea like? Was it like concrete, or was it like Jell-O? Was it slippery? I don't know. But here's Peter out there. Now he's a fisherman. He's made his living on that water. And he steps over the gunwale of that boat, and puts his feet down on something solid. And he begins to walk. He says, "This is wonderful—look at this! Look. Look at this! I'm walking on the water." About that time, he sees some boisterous wave, maybe it slaps him in the face. He looks around and he sees the howling wind. And he stops saying "This is wonderful," and he says, "This is impossible—I can't do this!" And he begins to sink. He takes his eyes off of Jesus and puts them back on the storm. And when he does, he begins to sink. You're saying to me, "That's right, Adrian, you're telling me to get out of the boat and walk on the water." You see what happened to Peter? You see how Peter sank? Yep, I wish that wasn't in the Bible. That's one of the saddest things in the Bible. You know, when old Peter sank and drowned there, and John dragged him back in the boat, and said, "That fool should have never gotten out of the boat to begin with." Now we've got to go tell his family. We've got to have a funeral. That was a sad funeral—Peter's funeral—oh, it was a sad funeral. And the disciples were criticizing one another for ever letting Peter get out of the boat. And Jesus was there saying, "Oh, boy, did I make a mistake. Inviting that man to get out of that boat, that was just a tragic thing. What a sad funeral that was, right?" Now listen to me, I'd rather walk a little way on the water with Jesus then not to get out of the boat at all. You may have a sinking spell, but you will not drown. And though we deny Him, He cannot deny Himself. You know, the Bible says "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand." Well, friend you can trust the Lord! I'll tell you one thing about Peter. He may have had a sinking spell, but he walked further on the water than anyone else there that day did. Don't be afraid to trust the Lord. And I want to ask you another question: How did Peter get back into that boat? One of two ways: Either he walked back on the water, or he came back in the arms of Jesus. Either way sounds pretty good to me. He did not drown! He either walked back to that boat or he came back in the arms of Jesus and so that is faith's Venture. You must get out of the boat. Now let's move on and think of faith's Value. The Value. You must worship Jesus. This is the whole point. The idea was not that Jesus was showing up, or doing some magical trick. No. Go down to Matthew 14:32, 33, "And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." All of this brought about the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see Jesus. You hear Jesus. You obey Jesus. You worship the Lord Jesus Christ. You see what He can do! You know I thank God for storms. I don't know what songs they sang back in Peter's time, but they just may have been singing that song by Andrea Crouch, "Through It all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus. I've learned to trust His Word." Now you may want to say in the comparative safety and comfort of the boat, but I sincerely believe this—you're safer on the waves with Jesus then you are in the boat without Him. I believe that. Sometimes we're afraid to send our children overseas to be missionaries. If our children are in the will of God, I'd rather have them overseas, I'd feel safer about them, then I would in the back bedroom, out of the will of God. You can trust them to our Lord. If He says, "Come," just get out of the boat with both feet. Now God is not calling us to walk on the water literally. He may, but that's not what the point of this story is. What God is calling us to do is to see whatever we think is a great problem as already under His feet. And if we will see Him, if we will hear Him, if we will obey Him, and worship Him, we're going to be walking on the water. Conclusion - You know what? One of these days, the trumpet's going to sound. Jesus was up on the mount of the glory, up there alone praying, and they were down there in the midst of the sea pulling on the oars. They didn't see Him; but He saw them. You say, "Well it was night time." The night and the dark are alike to Him. He saw them. He knew they were there. He sent them there. He constrained them to go over to the other side. He didn't tell them to go under, He told them to go over. He sent them into a storm to teach them a lesson. And He came down from the mountain where He was there praying, and came down to help them out of that problem. Do you know where Jesus is right now? In the mountain of His glory. Do you know what He's doing right now? He's praying for us. Do you know He has His eye on you? He knows about you this very moment. And I believe soon, He's going to step off the mountain of His glory and come this time, not walking on the water, but stepping on the clouds. And He's going to say, "Come!" And we're going to rise to meet Him in the air. What a day that will be! Vance Havner - Will You Walk the Waves Toward Jesus? "... he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." Matt. 14:29 Peter probably did not walk very far but at least he went farther than anyone else ever has gone! He threw the Lord a challenge: "If it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water" (14:28). I rather like his daring proposition. He was impetuous, venturesome, often getting into trouble but there was nothing dull about him. He did not say, "If it be thou, come to our aid" but "Let me come to thee." The Lord likes to give men such a dare so he said to Peter, "Come." We ask God to prove his promises by waiting on us; he wants us to prove them by getting out of the boat and walking upon them. But notice that Peter said, "Bid me come to thee." Christ must ever be the object of our walk of faith, we must not walk just for the thrill of it. And Peter would not start until invited. God will not sustain you in any ventures he has not ordered. Will you get out of the boat and walk the waves toward him or will you keep on dabbling first this foot, then that, in the water but never standing on it? Suppose you do have a sinking spell as Peter did? You won't drown for the Lord is out there! Better walk by faith a little way and falter than to live the safe, smug life of those who never step out on his promises! Your faith need not fail and won't fail if you look unto him, but even if it does he will not lose you! Don't live in the boat! P G Matthew - Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” —Matthew 14:27 In this passage Jesus commanded his disciples to get into a boat and cross the lake without him. This was a new experience for the disciples. They understood that Jesus would join them later, but they did not know how or when he would come. It was Jesus’ intent that they grow in their faith. When the disciples set out at Jesus’ command, the weather was calm. Soon, though, it became stormy. Some Christians believe that if we are sent by God and we are walking in his paths, then everything will be smooth and easy. They think that no trouble or storm will ever face us, that no persecution will ever come our way, that we’ll never have to endure sickness or poverty. This is a false view. The prophet Jonah faced a stormy sea because of his disobedience, but this does not mean that obedient Christians will never face trials. Even Christians who are led by the Spirit of God will encounter severe tests. The calm will change to a storm. It is life’s storms that try our faith, not life’s calms. These storms cause us to be aroused and awakened, so that we may trust in Jesus Christ alone. And so we read that the wind rose up against the disciples. The sea became rough; the waves battered against their boat. The disciples were surely tempted to turn around and go back, yet they did not. Why? They were believers. Believers obey the commands of Jesus Christ. So they did not change their direction and instead strained at the oars. They worked hard as they endeavored to obey their Master in the face of adversity. But notice and take heart: While the disciples were being buffeted by the waves, Jesus did not abandon them, nor were they hidden from his sight. He saw their struggle and interceded in private prayer for them. What can we learn from this passage? Jesus is the omniscient God; he sees all things, and his eyes are especially on us, his disciples. He is interceding for us even now, and his prayer is always effectual. If Jesus sends us, no storm or enemy can defeat us; we will arrive at our destination. Oswald Chambers - But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. —Matthew 14:27 JESUS KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT US. He knows about our surroundings and our conditions. He knows better than we how to manage our daily affairs, such as how to manage a fish boat. Peter, with his experience along this line, had to acknowledge that Jesus knew more than he. Jesus sees the typewriting, the shorthand, the cleaning, the scrubbing, the preaching, and the praying that we do. Moreover, Jesus experiences all of these things with you. You cannot get hold of God unless you realize the glorious fact that Christ lives in you and is working through you by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Mateus 14
Morgan - But there’s one overarching lesson to the entire episode. We have storms and we have a Savior who can walk across them. When, in the midst of the storm, we focus on the storm, we sink beneath it. When, in the midst of the storm, we focus on the Savior, we rise above it. And beginning to sink, - Sink is katapontizo (only here and Mt 18:6) and in the active voice means to throw into the sea, but here in passive voice means be be in the process of drowning (sinking down into the water). R C H
Mateus 14
Morgan says "The storm couldn’t disturb Him, but the unbelief did!" Little Faith (3640)(oligopistos from oligos = little + pistis = faith) of one who does not believe or trust, not strong in trusting; a person not trusting firmly. Vine says this word is used only by the Lord, and as a tender rebuke, for anxiety. Three of the five uses occur related to the disciples crossing the lake in a boat. The other 2 uses deal with anxiety or worry. In fact in a sense all 5 uses have something to do with worry. Worry is the opposite of faith, that is, trust or confidence in God’s abilities. In each of these cases, the disciples forgot what God was capable of doing. They forgot he is the almighty Commander and Creator. And whenever you worry, it means that you don’t think God is up to handling your problems and your needs. We need to be like the old Mad Magazine character who always said "What, me worry?" There is an old song "Don't worry, be happy" which is close to truth but it would be more Biblical if it said "Don't worry, be believing." Matthew 6:30+ (Addressing the issue of worry or anxiety) “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Matthew 8:26+ (Waves crashing over the side of the boat, afraid diciples are going to die) He *said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Matthew 14:31+ (Peter got out of the boat, walked for a moment on water, but then began to doubt and sink) Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 16:8+ (This is the third time they are in a boat) But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? Luke 12:28+ (Addressing the issue of worry or anxiety) “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! Chris Tiegreen - You of little faith,” he said. “Why did you doubt?”Matthew 14:31 “F.E.A.R.— False Evidence Appearing Real.” —Anonymous IN WORD If our ears are truly open to Jesus, we will probably hear such a rebuke daily. It is a gentle rebuke, coming from One who understands our frailties better than we understand them ourselves. But it is a firm reminder that the life we live is to be radically different from dependence on our human senses and reasoning that most of the world understands. In this story, Peter has put Jesus to the test, in a sense. And Jesus lets him! “Come,” He says, inviting Peter to walk on the water just as Jesus does. Peter’s resulting experience mirrors ours. We hang in the balance between faith and unbelief, alternately fixing our gaze on Christ and then on the waves around us. Unfortunately, the latter frequently loom larger to us. We sometimes even obsess about this wind and these waves, which do not hesitate to tell us that we are doing the impossible—living supernatural lives. Frequently, we listen to them and we sink. But the call of Jesus is this: “Come.” We are to live supernatural lives. We may think we are being appropriately sensible when we measure the wind and waves and proceed with caution. But Jesus urges us to ignore them altogether and fix our eyes on Him. He alone is the true measure of our situation. When He tells us to step out on the water, we can, regardless of how many contrary warnings against it we have ever heard or imagined. His is the only voice we must hear. IN DEED The circumstances of our lives, whether unusual crises or everyday difficulties, batter our senses into believing untruths. We cower at the authority of these winds and waves—these very concrete illusions—as though their authority is real. It isn’t. We must do what is extremely difficult for us human beings to do—ignore them. We must get to the point where we hear His voice alone and become deaf to all others. Then we will know what it’s like to walk on water.
Mateus 14
Morgan - The Gratitude Factor And how does the story end? It ends with thanksgiving, praise, worship, and awe. Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” Now let’s freeze-frame that picture, and let’s go back one or two hours and freeze-frame that picture, too, when the disciples were at their moment of desperation. Put the two pictures side-by-side. Three o’clock: Exhaustion. Four o’clock: Exaltation. Three o’clock: Anguish and worry. Four o’clock: Awe and worship. Three o’clock: Acting as though Jesus had forgotten them and the storm had beaten them. Four o’clock: Realizing that Jesus had not forgotten them for one moment and that He was greater than the storm. The secret of great faith is knowing at three o’clock that four o’clock is coming, and reacting accordingly. It is replacing worry with worship, and doing so by faith. When the disciples looked out into the howling darkness at three o’clock, they could not see Jesus; but He could see them. Even at that very moment, He was making His way down the mountain, spreading an invisible carpet-runner across the waves and coming in their direction. But He was doing so in His own timing because He wanted to develop their spiritual muscles and teach them to trust Him even as the storm passes by. The faith that pleases Jesus is being of good cheer at three o’clock because you know Jesus is going to make all things work together for good at four o’clock, and you’re willing to wait patiently for His perfect timing. The faith that pleases Jesus is the faith that adopts a four o’clock attitude in a three o’clock storm. It is the faith that remembers the words: Be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid. And we maintain a sense of gratitude and grace even on stormy nights. J C Philpot - "Then those who were in the ship came and worshiped him, saying, Truly, you are the Son of God." Matthew 14:33 What a beauty and blessedness there is in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, when viewed by the spiritual eye! Our reasoning minds, it is true, may be deeply stumbled at the doctrine of an incarnate God. My own mind, I know, has sometimes been driven almost to its wits' end by this great mystery of deity and humanity combined in the Person of Christ, for it so surpasses all human comprehension, and is so removed beyond the grasp of all our reasoning faculties. It is not, indeed, contrary to reason, for there is nothing in it impossible or self-contradictory; but it is beyond and above the reach of human thought and tangible apprehension. But when we are led to consider what would be the most certain and most fearful consequences unless the Lord Jesus Christ were what he declares he is, God as well as man, we are compelled, from the very necessity of the case, to cast ourselves with all the weight of our sins and sorrows upon an incarnate God, as the shipwrecked sailor gladly casts himself upon the rock in the ocean as the only refuge from the devouring sea. When we feel what sinners we are, and have been, look down into the depths of the fall, and see in some feeble and faint measure what sin is in the sight of a holy and pure God, what can save us from despair unless we see the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ investing his work upon the cross and his obedience with a merit that shall suffice to justify our guilty souls, wash away our aggravated iniquities, blot out our fearful crimes, and make us fit to appear in the presence of a righteous God? Thus we are sometimes absolutely compelled to throw ourselves on the deity of Christ, as ready to perish, because in such a divine Savior, in such precious blood we see a refuge, and we see elsewhere no other. We then feel that if the deity of Christ be taken away, the Church of God is lost. Where can you find pardon? where justification? where reconciliation to God? where atoning blood, if there is no Savior who merited as God, and suffered as man? We might as well leap into hell at once with all our sins upon our head, as a sailor might spring over the prow of a burning ship into the boiling waves, to meet death instead of waiting for it, unless we believe by a living faith in the deity of the Son of God. But sometimes we are sweetly led into this glorious truth, not merely driven by sheer necessity, but blessedly drawn into this great mystery of godliness, when Christ is revealed to our souls by the power of God. Then, seeing light in God's light, we view the deity of Christ investing every thought, word, and act of his suffering humanity with unspeakable merit. Then we see how this glorious fact of deity and humanity in the Person of Immanuel satisfies every need, puts away every sin, heals every wound, wipes away every tear, and sweetly brings the soul to repose on the bosom of God. Sometimes, therefore, from necessity, driven by storms of guilt and waves of temptation, and sometimes sweetly drawn by the leadings and teachings of the Holy Spirit, we lay hold of the hope set before us in the essential deity and suffering humanity of the Son of God, knowing that there is a refuge in him from sin, death, hell, and despair. Training of the Twelve - A B Bruce THE STORM Mt 14:24–33; Mk 6:45–52; Jn 6:16–21 “In perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea,” wrote Paul, describing the varied hardships encountered by himself in the prosecution of his great work as the apostle of the Gentiles. Such perils meet together in this crisis in the life of Jesus. He has just saved himself from the dangerous enthusiasm manifested by the thoughtless multitude after the miraculous repast in the desert; and now, a few hours later, a still greater disaster threatens to befall Him. His twelve chosen disciples, whom He had hurriedly sent off in a boat, that they might not encourage the people in their foolish project, have been overtaken in a storm while He is alone on the mountain praying, and are in imminent danger of being drowned. His contrivance for escaping one evil has involved Him in a worse; and it seems as if, by a combination of mischances, He were to be suddenly deprived of all His followers, both true and false, at once, and left utterly alone, as in the last great crisis. The Messianic King watching on those heights, like a general on the day of battle, is indeed hard pressed, and the battle is going against Him. But the Captain of salvation is equal to the emergency; and however sorely perplexed He may be for a season, He will be victorious in the end. The Sea of Galilee, though but a small sheet of water, some thirteen miles long by six broad, is liable to be visited by sharp, sudden squalls, probably due to its situation. It lies in a deep hollow of volcanic origin, bounded on either side by steep ranges of hills rising above the water-level from one to two thousand feet. The difference of temperature at the top and bottom of these hills is very considerable. Up on the tablelands above the air is cool and bracing; down at the margin of the lake, which lies seven hundred feet below the level of the ocean, the climate is tropical. The storms caused by this inequality of temperature are tropical in violence. They come sweeping down the ravines upon the water; and in a moment the lake, calm as glass before, becomes from end to end white with foam, whilst the waves rise into the air in columns of spray. Two such storms of wind were encountered by the twelve after they had become disciples, probably within the same year; the one with which we are concerned at present, and an earlier one on the occasion of a visit to Gadara. Both happened by night, and both were exceedingly violent. In the first storm, we are told, the ship was covered with the waves, and filled almost to sinking, so that the disciples feared they should perish. The second storm was equally violent, and was of much longer duration. It caught the twelve apparently when they were half-way across, and after the gray of dusk had deepened into the darkness of night. From that time the wind blew with unabated force till daybreak, in the fourth watch, between the hours of three and six in the morning. Some idea of the fury of the blast may be gathered from the fact recorded, that even then they were still little more than half-way over the sea. They had rowed in all only a distance of twenty-five or thirty furlongs, the whole distance in a slanting direction, from the eastern to the western shore, being probably about fifty. During all those weary hours they had done little more, pulling with all their might, than hold their own against wind and waves. All this while what was Jesus doing? In the first storm He had been with His disciples in the ship, sweetly sleeping after the fatigues of the day, “rocked in cradle of the imperious surge.” This time He was absent, and not sleeping; but away up among the mountains alone, watching unto prayer. For He, too, had His own struggle on that tempestuous night; not with the howling winds, but with sorrowful thoughts. That night He, as it were, rehearsed the agony in Gethsemane, and with earnest prayer and absorbing meditation studied the passion sermon which He preached on the morrow. So engrossed was His mind with His own sad thoughts, that the poor disciples were for a season as if forgotten; till at length, at early dawn, looking seawards, He saw them toiling in rowing against the contrary wind, and without a moment’s further delay made haste to their rescue. This storm on the Sea of Galilee, besides being important as a historical fact, possesses also the significance of an emblem. When we consider the time at which it occurred, it is impossible not to connect it in our thoughts with the untoward events of the next day. For the literal storm on the water was succeeded by a spiritual storm on the land, equally sudden and violent, and not less perilous to the souls of the twelve than the other had been to their bodies. The bark containing the precious freight of Christ’s true discipleship was then overtaken by a sudden gust of unpopularity, coming down on it like a squall on a highland loch, and all but upsetting it. The fickle crowd which but the day before would have made Jesus their king, turned away abruptly from Him in disappointment and disgust; and it was not without an effort, as we shall see, that the twelve maintained their steadfastness. They had to pull hard against wind and waves, that they might not be carried headlong to ruin by the tornado of apostasy. There can be little doubt that the two storms,—on the lake and on the shore,—coming so close one on the other, would become associated in the memory of the apostles; and that the literal storm would be stereotyped in their minds as an expressive emblem of the spiritual one, and of all similar trials of faith. The incidents of that fearful night—the watching, the wet, the toil without result, the fatigue, the terror and despair—would abide indelibly in their recollection, the symbolic representation of all the perils and tribulations through which believers must pass on their way to the kingdom of heaven, and especially of those that come upon them while they are yet immature in the faith. Symbolic significance might be discovered specially in three features. The storm took place by night; in the absence of Jesus; and while it lasted all progress was arrested. Storms at sea may happen at all hours of the day, but trials of faith always happen in the night. Were there no darkness there could be no trial. Had the twelve understood Christ’s discourse in Capernaum, the apostasy of the multitude would have seemed to them a light matter. But they did not understand it, and hence the solicitude of their Master lest they too should forsake Him. In all such trials, also, the absence of the Lord to feeling is a constant and most painful feature. Christ is not in the ship while the storm rages by night, and we toil on in rowing unaided, as we think, by His grace, uncheered by His spiritual presence. It was so even with the twelve next day on shore. Their Master, present to their eyes, had vanished out of sight to their understanding. They had not the comfort of comprehending His meaning, while they clung to Him as one who had the words of eternal life. Worst of all, in these trials of faith, with all our rowing, we make no progress; the utmost we can effect is to hold our own, to keep off the rocky shore in the midst of the sea. Happily that is something, yea, it is every thing. For it is not always true that if not going forward we must be going backward. This is an adage for fair weather only. In a time of storm there is such a thing as standing still, and then to do even so much is a great achievement. Is it a small thing to weather the storm, to keep off the rocks, the sands, and the breakers? Vex not the soul of him who is already vexed enough by the buffeting winds, by retailing wise saws about progress and backsliding indiscriminately applied. Instead of playing thus the part of a Job’s friend, rather remind him that the great thing for one in his situation is to endure, to be immovable, to hold fast his moral integrity and his profession of faith, and to keep off the dangerous coasts of immorality and infidelity; and assure him that if he will only pull a little longer, however weary his arm, God will come and calm the wind, and he will forthwith reach the land. The storm on the lake, besides being an apt emblem of the trial of faith, was for the twelve an important lesson in faith, helping to prepare them for the future which awaited them. The temporary absence of their Master was a preparation for His perpetual absence. The miraculous interposition of Jesus at the crisis of their peril was fitted to impress on their minds the conviction that even after He had ascended He would still be with them in the hour of danger. From the ultimate happy issue of a plan which threatened for a time to miscarry, they might further learn to cherish a calm confidence in the government of their exalted Lord, even in midst of most untoward events. They probably concluded, when the storm came on, that Jesus had made a mistake in ordering them to sail away across the lake while He remained behind to dismiss the multitude. The event, however, rebuked this hasty judgment, all ending happily. Their experience in this instance was fitted to teach a lesson for life: not rashly to infer mismanagement or neglect on Christ’s part from temporary mishaps, but to have firm faith in His wise and loving care for His cause and people, and to anticipate a happy issue out of all perplexities; yea, to glory in tribulation, because of the great deliverance which would surely follow. Such strong faith the disciples were far enough from possessing at the time of the storm. They had no expectation that Jesus would come to their rescue; for when He did come, they thought He was a spirit flitting over the water, and cried out in an agony of superstitious terror. Here also we note, in passing, a curious correspondence between the incidents of this crisis and those connected with the final one. The disciples had then as little expectation of seeing their Lord return from the dead as they had now of seeing Him come to them over the sea; and therefore His re-appearance at first frightened rather than comforted them. “They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.” Good, unlooked for in either case, was turned into evil; and what to faith would have been a source of intense joy, became, through unbelief, only a new cause of alarm. The fact of His not being expected seems to have imposed on Jesus the necessity of using artifice in His manner of approaching His storm-tossed disciples. Mark relates that “He would have passed by then,” affecting strangeness, as we understand it, out of delicate consideration for their weakness. He knew what He would be taken for when first observed; and therefore He wished to attract their attention at a safe distance, fearing lest, by appearing among them at once, He might drive them distracted. He found it needful to be as cautious in announcing His advent to save as men are wont to be in communicating evil tidings: first appearing, as the spectre, as far away as He could be seen; then revealing Himself by His familiar voice uttering the words of comfort, “It is I; be not afraid,” and so obtaining at length a willing reception into the ship.3 The effects which followed the admission of Jesus into the vessel betrayed the twelve into a new manifestation of the weakness of their faith. “The wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.” They ought not to have wondered so greatly, after what had happened once before on these same waters, and especially after such a miracle as had been wrought in the wilderness on the previous day. But the storm had blown all thoughts of such things out of their mind, and driven them utterly stupid. “They reflected not on the loaves (nor on the rebuking of the winds), for their heart was hardened.”5 But the most interesting revelation of the mental state of the disciples at the time when Jesus came to their relief, is to be found in the episode concerning Peter related in Matthew’s Gospel. When that disciple understood that the supposed spectre was his beloved Master, he cried, “Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water;” and on receiving permission, he forthwith stepped out of the ship into the sea. This was not faith, but simple rashness. It was the rebound of an impetuous, headlong nature from one extreme of utter despair to the opposite extreme of extravagant, reckless joy. What in the other disciples took the tame form of a willingness to receive Jesus into the ship, after they were satisfied it was He who walked on the waters,2 took, in the case of Peter, the form of a romantic, adventurous wish to go out to Jesus where He was, to welcome Him back among them again. The proposal was altogether like the man—generous, enthusiastic, and well-meant, but inconsiderate. And yet that scene showed something more than the weakness of that disciple’s faith. It showed also what is possible to those who believe. If the tendency of weak faith be to sink, the triumph of strong faith is to walk on the waves, glorying in tribulation, and counting it all joy when exposed to divers temptations. It is the privilege of those who are weak in faith, and the duty of all, mindful of human frailty, to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” But when storms come not of their inviting, and when their ship is upset in midst of the sea, then may Christians trust to the promise, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;” and if only they have faith, they shall be enabled to tread the rolling billows as if walking on firm land. “He bids me come; His voice I know, And boldly on the waters go, And brave the tempest’s shock. O’er rude temptations now I bound; The billows yield a solid ground, The wave is firm as rock.” Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. NET Matthew 14:34 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. NLT Matthew 14:34 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. ESV Matthew 14:34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. NIV Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. GNT Matthew 14:34 Καὶ διαπεράσαντες ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν εἰς Γεννησαρέτ. KJV Matthew 14:34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. YLT Matthew 14:34 And having passed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret, ASV Matthew 14:34 And when they had crossed over, they came to the land, unto Gennesaret. CSB Matthew 14:34 Once they crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. NKJ Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. when: Mk 6:53-56 the land at Gennesaret: Lu 5:1 Related Passages: Mark 6:53-56+ When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured. Genneseret When they had crossed over - From East to West. The Gospel of John gives an additional detail of how they had crossed over writing "immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going." (John 6:21+) they came to land at Gennesaret - Note Gennesaret on the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee (aka Sea of Gennesaret = Lk 5:1, Sea of Tiberius). Gennesaret was a fertile district, in which were situated the cities of Tiberias and Capernaum, extending along the western shore of the lake to which it gave name. Gennesaret was the name of a plain lying on the northwest side of the lake, about three and a half miles long, and at some points over two miles wide. It is glowingly described by Josephus who wrote “There is not a plant which its fertile soil refuses to produce, and its cultivators in fact grow every species” (Josephus goes on to describe the many fruits and favorable climate; cf. Josephus Wars. 3.10.8). Broadus on Gennesaret - Stanley: “No less than four springs pour forth their almost full grown rivers through the plain; the richness of the soil displays itself in magnificent wheat fields; whilst along the shore rises a thick jungle of thorn and oleander, abounding in birds of brilliant colors and various forms,” The soil is a dark loam, very rich; and by irrigation will produce three crops a year. We know of no large city in this plain, Capernaum was pretty certainly at Tel Hum, further north (see Mt 4:13); and Chorazin was probably at Keraseh, up in the hills (see Mt 11:21). (Commentary) 🙏 THOUGHT - Daniel Hill comments that "When the disciples left their intention was to sail to Bethsaida, the fishing village near Capernaum. But the storm blew them off course to Gennesaret, farther south and west. When they left, Jesus was not with them, but now, after walking to them on the water, He is with them. And now that He is with them, the change in destination is immaterial. Principle: Where you are going is not nearly as important as Who you are with as you go. All of us have plans, dreams, and aspirations, but the winds of change often alter our course. But if Jesus Christ is with us, leading us, where we are going doesn’t really matter!" Matthew Henry (Concise) - Whithersoever Christ went, he was doing good (cf Acts 10:38-39+). They brought unto him all that were diseased. They came humbly beseeching him to help them. The experiences of others may direct and encourage us in seeking for Christ. As many as touched, were made perfectly whole. Those whom Christ heals, he heals perfectly. Were men more acquainted with Christ, and with the diseased state of their souls, they would flock to receive his healing influences. Matthew 14:35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent [word] into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; their sick to him. NLT Matthew 14:35 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. ESV Matthew 14:35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick NIV Matthew 14:35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him GNT Matthew 14:35 καὶ ἐπιγνόντες αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου ἀπέστειλαν εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον ἐκείνην καὶ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ πάντας τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας KJV Matthew 14:35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; YLT Matthew 14:35 and having recognized him, the men of that place sent forth to all that region round about, and they brought to him all who were ill, Mt 4:24,25 Mk 1:28-34 Mk 2:1-12 Mk 3:8-10 Mk 6:55 Related Passages: Matthew 4:24-25+ The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. Mark 1:28+ Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee. Mark 3:7-8+ Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. Mark 6:54-55+ (PARALLEL PASSAGE) When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. And when the men of that place (topos) recognized (epiginosko = to know fully) Him - Mark 6:54+ adds "When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him." It is as if the people were awaiting His arrival. And so the people recognized Jesus from experience (epiginosko means to know by experience), which they had obtained for they had seen Him work miracles before. He was becoming a well-known personality by this time. Today He would have invitations to all the talk shows! His popularity had spread and the populace was aware that this Man had power to heal those who were sick. 🙏 THOUGHT - Their recognition of Jesus is interesting because this was early in the morning (sometime in the fourth watch of the night). Even without full day's sunlight they knew it was Jesus. But sadly the people knew Jesus' physical appearance but not His true identity. They knew Him but He did not know them! (cf Mt 7:21-23+) They failed to recognize that He was the Messiah, despite all of the authoritative teaching and multiple miraculous manifestations. They sent (apostello) word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick (kakos) (cf similar phrase in Mt 4:24+) - Mark 6:55+ tell us how they sent (word), for they "ran about that whole country." The healing of the woman in Mt 9:20-22+) took place not that far away in Capernaum not long before This passage does not say they were drawn to Him because of His teaching with authority, but because of His healing with power. Sadly, many still come to Jesus today for the wrong reasons and miss the greater healing power of His Word which is able to cure the body from the deadly curse of the "sin virus," and to restore to wholeness and new life, now and forever. Amen. This section emphasizes that Jesus' fame/popularity was at an all time high. Everywhere He goes they are bringing Him their sick. There is no mention of teaching in this section. They recognized Jesus had the power to heal physically but missed the truth that He had the more important power to heal spiritually. The people are still more interested in Jesus' "healing." And so sadly today many "tele-evangelist" preachers (see note) prey on those who are sick and offer "miraculous cures" (usually for "contributions") but fail to present the soul saving Gospel. We call this the "Health and Wealth Gospel" and it is flourishing, not only in America but in other countries such in Africa where this false teaching is rampant. The verb brought is prosphero which was commonly used in the sacrificial vocabulary. For example, prosphero was used in Hebrews to describe the priests bringing their offerings to God (e.g., Heb 9:7, 9+). Here in Matthew 14:35 those who are well are bringing those who are sick to God (Jesus is God), although sadly they came only for physical healing, not for spiritual healing He would have willingly given them! They missed the truth that this miracle working Man was God in the Flesh, Jehovah Rapha, the Great Physician, Who had the power to heal spiritually all those who were brought to Him. As the writer of Hebrews said "how much more will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered (prosphero) Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb 9:14+) 🙏 THOUGHT - Have you brought anyone to your Jesus, that they might be cured of their uniformly fatal sickness of sin contracted from Adam (Ro 5:12+)? That is the great privilege we have today, to bring the broken, the downcast, the outcast, the rejected, the poor, the needy to our Great Physician, that He might cure them eternally! Lord, embolden each of us to proclaim Your Gospel (cf Eph 6:19-20+) and thereby to bring those sick in sin to the all sufficient Savior that them might receive a new heart and live forever with You in Heaven. Amen.