Matthew 14:22, commentary and pictures

Straightway after feeding thousands on the grassy plain from five loaves and two fishes, Jesus compelled His disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side toward Capernaum while He Himself remained to send the multitudes away. He sent them immediately to stop the attempt to take Him by force and make Him king, since an earthly throne would bring violence and insurrection and obstruct His spiritual kingdom, which is not temporal. The command came when they least wanted to go, for with the Passover crowds gathering they saw a golden opportunity to place Him on Israel's throne, so they protested and left dissatisfied, yet yielded in silence before an authority and firmness He had never before shown toward them. Their obedience placed them alone on the Sea of Galilee in a dark tempest with contrary winds, and the severe trial was necessary to subdue their frustrated ambition and humble them, while from the shore He kept them constantly in sight with pitying love and never abandoned them to perish. When in their greatest need they turned to Him as their only hope, He came walking calmly on the waves and by His presence dispelled fear and stilled the storm, teaching His followers to trust Him when their own strength and wisdom fail, for what seems impossible He can accomplish when asked in faith.

Context and Command

It was the twilight of a spring evening, after thousands seated upon the grassy plain had been fed from five barley loaves and two small fishes, following words heard as the voice of God and works of healing that only divine power could perform. The miracle of the loaves appealed to everyone in the vast multitude because all shared its benefit, and it recalled God feeding Israel with manna in the desert in the days of Moses. Seeing this, the people said to one another that He is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world whom Moses had foretold.

That miracle crowned a day of strengthening conviction that Jesus is the long-looked-for Deliverer, and their hopes rose higher and higher. They were assured He would make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey, and would satisfy every desire. They expected Him to break the power of the hated Romans, to deliver Judah and Jerusalem, to heal soldiers wounded in battle, to supply whole armies with food, to conquer the nations, and to give Israel the long-sought dominion.

Straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into the boat and go before Him unto the other side, toward Capernaum and to the appointed place to meet Him and take Him aboard, while He Himself remained to send the multitudes away. He sent them immediately to stop the attempt to take Him by force and make Him king of Israel. A move toward an earthly throne would lead to violence and insurrection, provoke the rulers, hinder His mission, and obstruct His spiritual kingdom, which is not a temporal kingdom.

The command came when the disciples least wanted to go, for with the multitudes assembling for the Passover anxious to see the new prophet they saw a golden opportunity for a popular movement to place Jesus on Israel's throne. They had long hoped for this, could not endure the thought that all this enthusiasm should come to nothing, and in the glow of this new ambition it was hard for them to go away by themselves and leave Jesus alone upon that desolate shore. They protested against the arrangement, left dissatisfied, regretted yielding to His command, resented His refusal to use the moment to free Israel from Roman rule, and felt they might have succeeded in their ambition had they stayed.

Jesus then spoke with a firmness and authority He had never before assumed toward them, stronger than they had previously seen, so they knew further opposition was useless and in silence they turned toward the sea in obedience. With kingly bearing and quiet command He also decisively sent the crowd away, stopping their attempt to seize Him, making them submit, and revealing authority above every earthly power. Left alone on the desolate shore after dismissing the crowd and the disciples, He went alone to the mountain to pray, seeking strength from God in His humanity and praying that His disciples would be prepared for duty and trial.

Trial and Trust

Obedience to the command to cross ahead put them out on the lake, the Sea of Galilee, when the night storm rose. He had told them where to meet Him and take Him aboard, and they did their utmost to force their way to that promised spot, but adverse and contrary winds made rowing fruitless and drove them off course so they could not reach it. The night was dark and tempestuous with a strong sea and a terrible tempest, their vessels would not obey their will and were driven hither and thither. Though they were strong men accustomed to hardship and peril they bent to their oars through the long night in vain until their strength was exhausted, then bewildered by the uselessness of their efforts they laid down their oars in despair and expected to perish while tempest and billows talked with death as the waves lashed as if to engulf them.

In peril they regretted leaving Him and feared they would perish, yet they remembered that He had commanded them to make the crossing and turned to Him as their only hope, strengthened by His earlier rescue of them in a similar peril. Being left alone in danger was a necessary and severe trial of their faith, to test them when longing for Jesus and when all was given up for lost and despair was taking the place of hope. Its purpose was to subdue their frustrated ambition over the thwarted plan to make Him king, to quell unholy ambition, and to humble them when their hearts were subdued. From the shore He kept them constantly in sight while those fear-stricken men battled the tempest, never losing sight of them for a moment. With deepest solicitude His eyes followed the storm-tossed boat with its precious burden because these men were to be the light of the world, watching them with compassionate tenderness and pitying love as a mother in tender love watches her child, knowing their distress and not forgetting or abandoning them so they would not be left to perish.

When in humility they prayed for help, in their greatest need He was close by. He came to them walking calmly upon the boisterous, white-capped waves, and though at first they cried out in great fear thinking Him a sure precursor of immediate death, His voice heard above the roar of the elements told them it is He and bade them not be afraid. Instead of heralding death He came as the messenger of life, and His presence and words dispelled fear and dread, brought life and faith and hope and joy, changed the horror of despair to the joy of faith, and removed anxiety and dread of death because He was with them. The storm suddenly ceased by His word so the boat could land, and in that deliverance Peter's attempt to walk to Him ending in danger belongs. The experience teaches that His followers must trust Him when their own strength and efforts and wisdom fail and cannot bring them safely to shore, for when they ask Him in faith to take up the work He can accomplish what seemed impossible. The passage belongs to chapters giving an example of His teachings and manner of work, beginning with instruction to the few and continuing in a retired place, faithfully reported by believing disciples to leave its impression on the hearts of all believers to the end of time, containing the principles that underlie true higher education higher than any instruction from human minds or lips, to be studied and followed and brought into the ministry of the Word by those who believe the truth for the last days.