Matthew 14:23

‘And after he had sent the crowds away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray, and when evening was come, he was there alone.'

Then once He had been able to disperse the crowds He ‘went up into the mountain apart to pray.' He had much to pray about and spent the remainder of the evening and most of the night in prayer ‘alone'. This aloneness is in contrast to His disciples who are struggling at Sea. Without Him they too are alone. Note how in the major chiasmus of the section this ‘aloneness' parallels His final ‘aloneness' with the three disciples on the mount of Transfiguration.

We may possibly see that He had gone alone to pray for three major reasons:

1). The disturbing development of the intentions of the crowds towards Him, especially in the light of Herod's unease, and what it might mean for the future.

2). His clear intention to walk across the Sea in order to meet His disciples in the middle, which could only possibly be seen as a deliberate self-manifestation.

3). His purpose in 2) that, following on the miracle of the loaves and fishes, it might bring home to His disciples Who He is, ‘the Son of God'.

Jesus going into the Mountain always has great significance, and in all other case it has to do with imparting important information to the disciples. While His disciples are not with Him here note the clear interconnection between His being in the mountain praying, with the intention of coming to them (Matthew 14:25), and their being at sea in difficulties (Matthew 14:23).

Note On ‘The Mountain'.

In each of the other three times that Matthew indicates that Jesus went up into ‘the mountain' he is drawing attention to a significant happening that deeply affects His disciples.

1). In Matthew 5:1 Jesus went up into the mountain in order to get away from the crowds, and the He taught the Sermon on the Mount to His disciples.

2). Here in Matthew 14:23 Jesus goes into the mountain to pray alone, prior to His great self-manifestation in walking on the Sea. The result will be that they worship and say, ‘Truly You are the Son of God' (Matthew 14:33).

3). In Matthew 15:29 Jesus makes a ‘Messianic' appearance on the mountain as evidenced by His mighty works, and feeds four thousand by a miracle and ‘they glorified the God of Israel' (Matthew 15:31).

4). In Matthew 28:16 Jesus appeared to them on the mountain as the Risen Lord and gave them their commission to make disciples of all nations, promising His continuing presence with them.

It will be noted that in the first two cases the mountain is seen as a haven from the crowds. In the third case it does not at first appear to be a haven from the crowds, but we should note that this is a special crowd. They are all included in the partaking of the covenant meal and have been with Him in that isolated place listening to His words for three days. They are therefore almost, if not completely disciples, and not just the normal ‘crowds'. It is thus a haven from the world. The fourth case fits into the pattern of the other three. It is where He meets with His disciples to give them their commission for the future.

Furthermore the first and the last examples are places where Jesus specifically charges the disciples with their responsibilities, while the two middle ones are connected with the revelation of His power over creation, and end with the glorifying, in the one case of ‘the Son of God', and in the other of ‘the God of Israel'. We are probably therefore justified in seeing mention of ‘the mountain' as pointing to what we might call ‘mountain top' experiences, times of special closeness with God.

End of Note.