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| The Disciples in Conflict. Jesus Walks Upon the Waters.
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5. The
Disciples in Conflict. Jesus Walks Upon the Waters.
The reason why we have taken up this subject is the
passage under discussion which tells that Jesus separated the disciples
from the multitudes, and constrained them to enter into the boat and to
go before Him unto the other side until He Himself should send the
multitudes away;5379
for the multitudes
were not able to go away to the other side, as they were not in the
mystic sense Hebrews, which are by interpretation, “dwelling on
the other side.” But this was the work of the disciples of
Jesus—I mean to go away to the other side, and to pass beyond
things seen and material, as temporal, and to go on to things unseen
and eternal. To be dismissed by Jesus was a sufficient act of
kindness bestowed on the multitudes by Jesus; for just because they
were multitudes they were not able to go away to the other side; and
this kind of dismissal no one has the power to effect save Jesus only,
and it is not possible for any one to be dismissed unless he has first
eaten of the loaves which Jesus blesses. Nor is it possible for
any one to eat of the loaves of blessing of Jesus unless he has done as
Jesus commanded and sat down upon the grass as we have told. Nor
again was it possible for the multitudes to do this unless they had
followed Jesus from their own cities, when He withdrew into a desert
place apart. And at first, when He was asked by the disciples to
send away the multitudes, He did not send them away until He had fed
them with the loaves of blessing; but now He sends them away, having
first constrained the disciples to enter into the boat; and He sends
them away, while they were somewhere below,—for the desert was
below,—but He Himself went up into the mountain to pray.5380
And you must observe this, that
immediately after the five thousand had been fed, Jesus constrained the
disciples to embark into the boat, and to go before Him unto the other
side. Only, the disciples were not able to go before Jesus to the
other side; but, when they had got as far as the middle of the sea, and
the boat was distressed “because the wind was contrary to
them,”5381
they were afraid
when about the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them. And
if Jesus had not gone up into the boat neither would the wind which was
contrary to the disciples who were sailing have ceased, nor would those
who were sailing have gone across and come to the other side.
And, perhaps, wishing to teach them by experience that it was not
possible apart from Him to go to the other side He constrained them to
enter into the boat and go before Him to the other side; but, when they
were not able to advance farther than the middle of the sea, He
appeared to them, and did what is written,5382
and showed that he who arrives at the other side reaches it because
Jesus sails along with him. But what is the boat into which Jesus
constrained the disciples to enter? Is it perhaps the conflict of
temptations and difficulties into which any one is constrained by the Word, and goes
unwillingly, as it were, when the Saviour wishes to train by exercise
the disciples in this boat which is distressed by the waves and the
contrary wind? But since Mark has made a slight change in the
reading, and for “Straightway He constrained the disciples to
enter into the boat and to go before Him to the other side,” has
written, “And straightway He constrained His disciples to enter
into the boat and to go before Him unto the other side unto
Bethsaida,”5383
we must attend to
the word, “He constrained,” when first we have seen to the
slight variation in Mark who indicates something more definite by the
addition of the pronoun; for the same thing is not expressed by the
words, straightway “He constrained the disciples.”
Something more than “the” disciples simply is written in
Mark, namely, “His” disciples. Perhaps, therefore, to
attend to the expression, the disciples who found it hard to tear
themselves away from Jesus, and could not be separated from Him by any
ordinary cause, wished to be present with Him; but He having judged
that they should make trial of the waves and of the contrary wind,
which would not have been contrary if they had been with Jesus, put on
them the necessity of being separated from Him and entering into the
boat. The Saviour then compels the disciples to enter into the
boat of temptations and to go before Him to the other side, and through
victory over them to go beyond critical difficulties; but when they had
come into the midst of the sea, and of the waves in the temptations,
and of the contrary winds which prevented them from going away to the
other side, they were not able, struggling as they were without Jesus,
to overcome the waves and the contrary wind and reach the other
side. Wherefore the Word, taking compassion upon them who had
done all that was in their power to reach the other side, came to them
walking upon the sea, which for Him had no waves or wind that was able
to oppose if He so willed; for it is not written, “He came to
them walking upon the waves,” but, “upon the
waters;”5384
Just as Peter, who
at first when Jesus said to him, “Come,” went down from the
boat and walked not upon “the waves,” but upon “the
waters”5385
to come to Jesus;
but when he doubted he saw that the wind was strong, which was not
strong to him who laid aside his little faith and his doubting.
But, when Jesus went up with Peter into the boat, the wind ceased, as
it had no power to energise against the boat when Jesus had gone up
into it.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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