Matthew 14:23
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
After feeding the multitude that spring evening, He dismissed the crowd that sought to seize Him and crown Him king and sent away His reluctant disciples, then withdrew alone to a mountain apart to pray when evening came. He remained there alone through many hours of the night in earnest persevering prayer with strong crying and tears. His pleading was not for Himself but for sinful, suffering, lost humanity, that Satan would not blind them and they would turn to salvation, and especially that His disciples would be strengthened for coming trial. His turning aside from ceaseless labor to unbroken communion with the Father gives the perfect pattern that solitary prayer is necessary for strength to endure trial and do successful work for others. Even while apart He kept the disciples in view with tender pity, and when their strength failed on the storm-tossed sea He came walking on the waves, made His presence turn their fear to joy, and proved He can be trusted to save those who humbly call upon Him.
Feeding Crowd Then Withdrawing
The verse belongs to the spring evening when the multitude was fed seated on the grassy plain from five barley loaves and two small fishes. His words that day came as the voice of God and His healings only divine power could perform, so that all who shared in the benefit said He was the prophet that should come into the world foretold by Moses, when God fed Israel with manna in the desert. The feeding sealed the people's all-day growing conviction that the long-looked-for Deliverer was among them and sent their hopes higher and higher. They expected Him to make Judea an earthly paradise flowing with milk and honey and to satisfy every desire. They expected Him to break 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.
Enthusiasm to crown Him king at once reached its height, with agreement to take Him by force and proclaim Him king of Israel as the Deliverer with authority from God who should be exalted. They meant to force the arrogant priests and rulers to honor Him. The disciples united with the multitude in declaring David's throne His rightful inheritance and saying modesty made Him refuse such honor. He made no effort to attract attention or secure honor to Himself and in this was essentially different from the priests and rulers, giving ground for fear that He would never urge His claim to David's throne.
After the people sought to make Him king, He decisively dismissed the crowd and withdrew alone to a mountain to pray at evening. As they moved to seize Him, His kingly bearing and quiet command stopped them and they submitted to His authority, so He was then able to go apart by Himself. He separated Himself from the crowd and spent the evening in prayer. He went up the mountain and spent many hours in earnest prayer to the Father, not for Himself but for sinful humanity, pleading for people to turn from guilt to salvation.
He sent the disciples away and dismissed the crowd after they hoped to make Him king. The disciples found it hard to leave Him alone on the desolate shore because they saw the enthusiasm as an opportunity to place Him on Israel's throne. Their departure opposed their wish, they left dissatisfied and regretted yielding to His command while they crossed the lake to the farther side in obedience. While the tempest and billows talked with death, He whom they had left behind appeared to them walking calmly upon the boisterous white-capped waves. When they saw Him on the water their terror increased, for they took Him for a sure sign of immediate death, and cried out in great fear. His coming heralded not death but life, and His voice heard above the roar of the elements saying it is He and bidding them not be afraid quickly changed horror and despair into the joy of faith and hope in the presence of the beloved Master. With Christ with them the disciples felt no more anxiety nor dread of death.
He was left alone on the desolate shore with high, barren mountains around Him while the people gathered for Passover. When evening came He was there alone on the mountain praying after sending the crowd away, before He came to the disciples walking on the storm-tossed lake. The setting is invoked as the scene preceding the storm at sea recalled by the disciples' journey by boat to the other side of the sea.
Solitary Intercession for Humanity
Left alone He went up into the mountain apart to pray and continued there for hours, for many hours, through the night and through the remainder of the night. That prayer was earnest and persevering and agonizing, with travail and conflict of soul, with strong crying and tears. The quiet, lonely setting of the mountain enabled Him to be apart from others.
Those prayers were not for Himself, not for forgiveness of personal sins nor for relief from personal troubles. They were for men, for those suffering, sinful, needy, lost ones He came to save, for a world lost in error, that people might not perish in sin and impenitence. He poured out His soul in pleading with God for power to reveal to men the divine character of His mission, so that Satan would not blind their understanding and pervert their judgment. He pleaded that they would turn from guilt to the light of salvation through redeeming grace.
He knew His days of personal ministry were nearly ended and that few would receive Him as Redeemer. He grieved and interceded for sinful people who rejected the help God sent, and He prayed especially that His disciples would be strengthened for their duties and prepared for their trials. He sought the quiet, lonely setting of the mountains and other quiet places in nature to commune with His heavenly Father, and such peaceful hours of prayer and reflection strengthened Him to return to His duties. His human nature made prayer a necessity and a privilege, and in communion He found comfort and fresh strength and received strength and grace for the work of helping and blessing others before returning to active work.
Example and Watchful Deliverance
Even a life wholly given to doing good for others needs to step back from unceasing work and contact with human need to seek quiet retirement and unbroken communion with the Father, and going up into the mountain apart to pray after the throng is sent away shows that necessity. It illustrates the practice of leaving the crowds after a day of ministry, at evening or early morning, to commune alone in the mountains. There alone with God He pours out His soul in prayer for suffering, sinful, needy ones.
The night is used for prayer and meditation because the daytime is occupied with work, and after exhausting labor He often prays through the night and returns to active work in the morning. After the labors of the day He withdraws to the solitude of the mountains for earnest, persevering prayer, spending the night in prayer to God before returning to active work. Upon important occasions, and frequently for the entire night just before working some mighty miracle, He compassionately dismisses the disciples to return to their homes for rest and sleep while He remains alone pouring forth earnest petitions with strong crying and tears in behalf of humanity.
That withdrawal is a perfect pattern that prayer is necessary for a successful Christian life, showing constant communion prized as privilege with results seen in His work. His human nature makes prayer a necessity and privilege, and in communion He finds comfort and fresh strength for duties and trials before Him. In every trial and emergency and urgent need He seeks His Father in private prayer and receives strength for the work before Him. Christians are to follow that example and seek through prayer strength to endure life's trials and duties and to guard integrity and virtue, which sinful people lacking strength need all the more even though Christ Himself often sought solitary prayer.
Even while apart on the distant shore He keeps the disciples in view, sees their danger and understands their thoughts, and watches over them with tender care, compassion, sympathy and pitying love as tender as a mother watching a suffering child. Their distress and hard obedience on a dark and tempestuous night is a necessary trial of faith and does not mean He has forgotten them. Though He is not with them in the boat, His watchful eye follows them all through the fearful storm, and in their greatest peril when despair replaces hope He is close by.
When their own efforts fail and their pride is subdued, He gives help when they humbly pray. He takes up the work they cannot accomplish, and His presence turns fear and despair into faith and hope and sorrow into joy. That deliverance proves He can be trusted in storm as well as sunshine to calm every tempest with infinite power, and protects those who trust and obey Him even when efforts seem useless and death seems near.
After leaving Him they are caught on the Sea of Galilee by contrary winds and a terrible tempest on a dark, tempestuous night, driven away from the shore they try to reach toward the point He designated to meet Him and take Him aboard. Their vessels will not obey them, and they are driven hither and thither until in bewilderment and hopelessness they lay down oars in exhausted strength amid danger and horror and expect to perish while tempest and billows talk with death. He whom they left behind appears walking calmly upon the boisterous white-capped waves, and they take Him for a sure sign of immediate death and cry out in great fear. His voice heard above the roar of the elements saying it is He and bidding them not be afraid quickly changes horror and despair into the joy of faith and hope in the presence of the beloved Master, so that with Christ with them they feel no more anxiety nor dread of death. His word quiets the tempest and the boat lands, and the events that follow — including walking on the water, Peter's adventure, the storm's sudden stilling, and the landing — are later recounted to the crowd. The waves display God's majesty and power over wind and water, and walking on the waves and speaking peace to the troubled sea testifies to His Messiahship though opponents refuse to acknowledge such mighty works.