Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. 27 At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
34 After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick 36 and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed.
After feeding the crowd, Jesus sends the disciples ahead by boat, dismisses the people, and goes up the mountain alone to pray. Matthew has already recorded Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray in secret (Matthew 6:6). Now Jesus Himself withdraws from the crowd to be alone with His Father. His prayer is an essential part of His mission.
While Jesus prays, the disciples struggle against the wind for much of the night as they cross the Sea of Galilee. Although they had set out the previous evening, by the fourth watch of the night—between three and six in the morning—they were still only a few miles offshore. They have obeyed Jesus and entered the boat at His command, yet obedience has not spared them from hardship. They are where Jesus sent them, but the wind is against them.
Jesus comes to them walking on the sea. In the Old Testament, authority over the waters belongs to God. Job declares that God “treads upon the crests of the sea” (Job 9:8), and the psalmist says of the Lord, “Through the sea was your way” (Psalm 77:20). Jesus is therefore doing what Scripture attributes to God. The disciples do not understand this immediately, but His words and actions gradually lead them to recognize His divine identity.
The disciples are terrified because they do not yet recognize Jesus. He immediately reassures them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (v. 27). The words translated “It is I” can also be rendered “I am” and may recall God’s revelation to Moses: “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). Peter’s response—“Lord, if it is you”—shows that uncertainty remains. Jesus’ words nevertheless invite them to move from fear toward trust as His identity is revealed through what follows.
Peter asks Jesus to command him to come across the water. His request shows both faith and uncertainty. He waits for the word of Jesus before leaving the boat. When Jesus says, “Come,” Peter leaves the boat and begins to walk toward Him. For as long as Peter responds to Christ’s command in trust, he is enabled to do what human strength alone could never accomplish.
Then Peter notices the force of the wind and becomes afraid. The danger had been present from the beginning, but fear now weakens his trust. He begins to sink and cries out, “Lord, save me!” (v. 30). His prayer is brief, direct, and sincere. He understands that the One who commanded him to “Come” is also the One who can save him.
Jesus immediately stretches out His hand, catches Peter, and saves him from sinking (v. 31). Only after saving him does Jesus ask, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Peter trusted enough to leave the boat, yet his attention to the storm allowed fear to weaken that trust.
The words of Jesus are therefore both a correction and an invitation. Peter must learn that faith does not rest upon confidence in his own courage. It rests upon the Lord who calls, sustains, and saves. The same is true for every disciple. Faith, no matter how genuine, still needs to grow. When fear weakens trust, the disciple can still pray with Peter, “Lord, save me!”
When Jesus and Peter enter the boat, the wind dies down. Only then do those in the boat do Him homage and confess, “Truly, you are the Son of God” (v. 33). Their confession is the response toward which the whole scene has been moving. They have seen Jesus exercise authority over the sea, rescue Peter, and still the wind. Through His words and actions, they come to recognize His divine identity more clearly.
This confession anticipates Peter’s later declaration, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and the centurion’s words at the Crucifixion: “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). In each case, the title “Son of God” expresses a growing recognition of Jesus’ unique relationship with the Father and of the divine authority revealed in His works.
The disciples’ boat has often been understood as an image of the Church passing through the storms of history. Matthew shows the disciples struggling against the wind as Christ comes to them with saving power. The Church likewise journeys through the trials of history sustained by Christ’s presence and care. He is Emmanuel, “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23), and He promises to remain with His disciples “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
After crossing the sea, Jesus comes to Gennesaret. The people recognize Him, spread the word throughout the surrounding region, and bring the sick to Him. They beg to touch even the tassel of His cloak, and “as many as touched it were healed” (v. 36). Their action is an expression of trust in the power of Christ. The same Jesus who revealed His authority over the sea now reveals His compassion toward those who suffer. His power is directed toward rescue, healing, and restoration.
The passage leads the disciples toward a fuller recognition of Jesus as the Son of God. Peter learns that faith depends upon the Lord who calls, sustains, and saves, while the people of Gennesaret place their trust in Christ and bring the sick to Him for healing.
When fear weakens our faith, we can cry out with Peter, “Lord, save me,” trusting in Christ’s saving presence and power.
Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith when fear overwhelms us. Help us to trust Your presence, obey Your word, and confess with the disciples that You are truly the Son of God. Stretch out Your hand when we falter and lead us safely through every trial. Amen.
––––––––––––––––
Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Notes on Matthew 14:22–36.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Page 33.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Pages 99–100.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Page 658, paragraphs 97–98.
- Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010. Pages 191–193.
- Aguilar Chiu, Jose Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Pages 938–939.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully revised ed. London: T&T Clark, 2022. Pages 1202–1203.
Comments