St. John Chrysostom on Jesus Walking on the Water,  Matthew 14:23-26a.

Let’s sit with the disciples as they go through a second storm.  This time, Jesus is not in the boat. Let’s sit with them through the storm.

Matt: 14:23  After He had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. After doing so, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone. 

St. John Chrysostom writes:

For what purpose does He go up into the mountain? To teach us that loneliness and retirement is good, when we are to pray to God. With this view, you see, He is continually withdrawing into the wilderness, and there often spends the whole night in prayer, teaching us earnestly to seek such quietness in our prayers…For the wilderness is the mother of quiet; it is a calm and a harbor, delivering us from all turmoils. (Patristic Bible Commentary, Matt. 14:23)

Matt: 14: 24-25 Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea.

St. John Chrysostom states, “He cast them also into a greater longing for Himself, and a continual remembrance of Him (because) neither did He present Himself to them at once” (Patristic Bible Commentary, Matt. 14:23). He further explains:

The disciples are tossed with the waves again, and undergo a storm, equal even to the former. But whereas before they had Him in the ship when this befell them, now they were alone by themselves. Thus gently and by degrees, He excites and urges them on for the better, even to the bearing all nobly…He lets them be tempest-tost all the night, thoroughly to awaken, as I suppose, their hardened hearts. (Patristic Bible Commentary, Matt. 14:24-25)

Matt. 14:26a  When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they said…

Why didn’t Jesus tell them Who He was right away?  Why did He allow them even more fear?  St. John continues:

At all events, when they looked to be delivered, then was their fear again heightened. For, when the disciples, it is said, saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a spirit,’ and they cried out for fear…When He is on the point of removing our terrors, He brings upon us other worse things, and more alarming…For together with the storm, the sight too troubled them, no less than the storm. Therefore neither did He remove the darkness, nor straightway make Himself manifest, training them, as I said, by the continuance of these fears, and instructing them to be ready to endure. (Patristic Bible Commentary, Matt. 14:26a).

St. John also explains that Jesus did not reveal “Himself before they cried out. For the more intense their alarm, the more did they welcome His coming,” (Patristic Bible Commentary, Matt. 14:26a).

Although Jesus had a good reason to delay revealing Himself, imagine being the disciples, first fearing to drown, and then seeing a spirit from the deep walking toward them in the dark of night. Their fear did not allow them to see Jesus as He was. In their terror, they realized that they could not save themselves. Jesus allowed them to feel utter desperation before their rescue.

Rejoin us later this week to read the conclusion, as we see how the disciples respond when Jesus reveals Himself walking on the water.

References: All of the quotations are from St. John Chrysostom, taken from Patristic Bible Commentary, “Commentary on Matthew…St. John Chrysostom,” https://sites.google.com/site/aquinasstudybible/home/matthew-commentary/st-john-chrysostom-on-matthew/chapter-14.