Matthew 14:29

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. For the exposition, see the notes at John 6:15....

22-33 Those are not Christ's followers who cannot enjoy being alone with God and their own hearts. It is good, upon special occasions, and when we find our hearts enlarged, to continue long in secret prayer, and in pouring out our hearts before the Lord. It is no new thing for Christ's disciples to meet with storms in the way of duty, but he thereby shows himself with the more grace to them and for them. He can take what way he pleases to save his people. But even appearances of deliverance sometimes occasion trouble and perplexity to God's people, from mistakes about Christ. Nothing ought to affright those that have Christ near them, and know he is theirs; not death itself. Peter walked upon the water, not for diversion or to boast of it, but to go to Jesus; and in that he was thus wonderfully borne up. Special supports are promised, and are to be expected, but only in spiritual pursui...

Verse 29. _PETER - WALKED ON THE WATER_] However impossible the thing commanded by Christ may appear, it is certain he will give power to accomplish it to those who receive his word by faith; but we must take care never to put Christ's power to the proof for the gratification of a vain curiosity; or even for the strengthening of our faith, when the _ordinary_ means for doing that are within our reach....

AND PETER ANSWERED ... - Here is an instance of the characteristic ardor and rashness of Peter. He had less real faith than he supposed, and more ardor than his faith would justify. He was rash, headlong, incautious, really attached to Jesus, but still easily daunted and prone to fall. He was afraid, therefore, when in danger, and, sinking, cried again for help. Thus he was suffered to learn his own character, and his dependence on Jesus: a lesson which all Christians are permitted sooner or later to learn by dear-bought experience....

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 14:1 CHRIST'S POWER TO SUPPLY AND PROTECT AND HEAL, PREFACED BY A STATEMENT OF HEROD'S RELATION TO HIM. MATTHEW 14:1 _Herod_'_s opinion of Jesus, and a parenthetical account of his murder of John the Baptist. _Parallel passages: Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7;...

AND HE SAID, COME,.... This he said, partly to assure them who he was; for had he denied him, he and the rest might have concluded, it was none of Jesus; and partly to commend his love, and confirm his faith, by giving a further instance of his power, in enabling him to walk upon the water, as he did: AND WHEN PETER WAS COME DOWN OUT OF THE SHIP; as he immediately did, having orders from Christ; and being by this second speech fully convinced it was he HE WALKED ON THE WATER; a little way, being supported and enabled by the power of Christ; for this was an extraordinary and miraculous action: for if it was so in Christ, it was much more so in Peter: Christ walked upon the water by his own power, as God; Peter walked upon the water, being held up by the power of Christ. The Jews w indeed, call swimming השיטה על פני המים, "walking upon the face of the waters": hence we read of a swimmer'...

Matthew 14:13. _When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by a ship into a desert place apart:_ It is well for us to get alone with God when he takes home the best and most faithful of his servants. Neither the Church nor the world could afford to lose such a man as John the Baptist; so it was well for Christ's disciples to retire with him to a desert place that he might teach them the lesson of that proto-martyr's death. Matthew 14:13. _And when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick._ He needed quiet, but he could not get it; yet he was not «moved» with indignation against the crowd that had sought him out

MATTHEW 14:29 kai. h=lqen {B} The reading kai. h=lqen (“Peter walked upon the water _and came_ to Jesus”) seemed to say too much, and therefore was altered to evlqei/n (“Peter walked upon the water _to come_ to Jesus”). Although the reading of a* has the appearance of being a conflation, it may be merely an exegetical expansion introduced by the scribe. The reading of ethro is a translational error....

2. JOHN'S MARTYRDOM. The Fourfold Attitude of the Rejected King. CHAPTER 14 _ 1. John's Martyrdom. (Matthew 14:1 .) 2. The Disciples of John with the Lord Jesus. (Matthew 14:12 .) 3. Feeding the Five Thousand. (Matthew 14:13 .) 4. Praying on the Mountain-top. (Matthew 14:22 .) 5. Walking on the Sea; Coming to His Disciples. (Matthew 14:24 .)_ The fourteenth chapter contains the record of events put together so as to harmonize with the purpose of this Gospel. The Lord had revealed the mysteries of the kingdo

JESUS WALKS ON THE SEA (Mark 6:45 *). Mt. omits to Bethsaida, seeing that the boat arrived at Gennesaret (Matthew 14:34), and the remark that Jesus would have passed by them. But he amplifies the story by the attempt of Peter to walk on the water. This incident, which has a close parallel in Buddhist legend, emphasizes the power of faith. It may reflect the later proud impulsiveness, fall, repentance, and restoration of the apostle. Loisy regards it as a piece of resurrection-legend, like the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:1 Matthew 14:11. Similarly he sees in the whole story a picture of the dismay of the disciples between the cru