Jesus Got Into a Boat and His Disciples Followed Him

He got into a boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”^[1]

            Sometimes passages are so familiar to me that they become almost historical in a sense and lose their impact.  That is what occurred to me in this passage.  I had read of this happening, and it was suggested to just take a sentence and meditate upon it.  I chose He got into a boat and his disciples followed him.  I then looked to the Church fathers to see what they had to say, and things began to “click.”  I hope that hearing from others will also make an impression in your minds and strengthen your faith.  Although I will include a few of my thoughts, I want to allow the Holy Spirit to work in others for what they need out of this passage.

            In the process of searching, I came across an excerpt from one of G.K. Chesterton’s books.  He wrote that one image of Jesus is “that Jesus was a gentle creature, sheepish and unworldly, a mere ineffectual appeal to the world.”^[2]  I recall seeing a movie about Jesus, and the person who was portraying him was constantly smiling, showing a timidity to the point of revolting.  I don’t think that type of person could draw any followers.  Ghandi was non-violent; nevertheless, he had a strength about him.  Chesterton then goes on to say: “Instead of looking at books and pictures about the New Testament, I looked at the New Testament.  There I found an account, not in the least of a person with his hair parted in the middle or his hands clasped in appeal, but of an extraordinary being with lips of thunder and acts of lurid decision, flinging down tables, casting out devils, passing with the wild secrecy of the wind from mountain isolation to a sort of dreadful demagogy; a being who often acted like an angry god—and always like a god.”^[3]  This Person creates a following, and I think Chesterton’s view is a good introduction to our passage because we see Jesus asleep and also acting God-like.

            He got into a boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves.  Fr. Lapide explains: “The Vulgate has navicula, ‘a little ship,’ because they were small boats which were used for crossing the lake and for fishing.”[4]  He goes on to say: “Bede and Strabus and the Gloss[5] are of opinion that in this storm Christ’s ship alone was tossed, but not the other little ships which accompanied them, that Christ might show thereby that He was the Author of the storm arising as well as of its being made to cease. But it is more correct to suppose that the other boats were also storm-tossed, for these boats were near, yea, close to Christ’s ship, that there might be shown the greater fury of the tempest, and the greater power of Christ in calming it.”[6]  Logically, it seems Fr. Lapide would be correct; however, the question that comes to mind: How would the people in the other boats know what was taking place in the boat occupied by Jesus?  Yes, Jesus’ disciples would have told them, but what they said would have more impact and become more believable—at seems to me—if this was occurring to one boat, in the sight of the others.

            Another scenario which might help others: There are many “churches” which are at peace with the world.  When they see the Catholic Church in a tempest, they point their fingers and say, “If you are the Body of Christ…”  In the end, they will see the salvation of the Catholic Church, that the disciples of Christ do indeed follow him.

            Jesus knew the will of the Father.  He knew he was to die, to be resurrected, and to ascend.  He had to strengthen the faith of the apostles and that of those who would believe centuries afterwards.  St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us: “Because there were evident miracles on land, He wishes to make known His miracles on the water, so that He might show Himself to be master of land and sea.”[7]  He goes on to explain: “By this ship is understood the Church, or Christ’s Cross; hence, concerning this ship, that passage can be said to refer: “Men trust their lives even to a little wood (Wis. 14, 5). The Lord’s disciples follow Him in the Church though the observance of the Commandments. Likewise, they follow Him ascending upon the Cross. ‘By whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world’ (Gal. 6, 14).”[8] “Bede says: ‘The ship with its yard-arm is the tree of the Cross, by the help of which we who were sunk in the waves of the sea, proceed as Christ’s disciples to the privileges of the eternal country.  For Christ says, ‘If any man will come after Me, let him take up the Cross and follow Me’.”[9]

            Aquinas teaches us further: “As the Saints say, the tempest did not occur due to the air’s inclemency, but it came to pass by divine ordinance. And this happened for several reasons: firstly, it was so that the disciples, who were specially loved and called, might be humble and not exalt themselves; and also, this symbolized the future danger, which was due to come at the time of the Passion. And the dangers that were to come thereafter are also symbolized, as Paul the Apostle says: “We were pressed out of measure above our strength, so that we were weary even of life” (II Cor. 1, 8). Moreover, it was so that they might know how to live among dangers and overcome them, as it is said: “In all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us” (Rom. 8, 37).”[10]

            But he was asleep.  Fr. Lapide tells that the Gloss says, “Christ sleeps when we are negligent; but, when faith revives, He commands the winds and the waves.”[11]  He goes on to explain, “It was fitting that the extreme terror of the disciples should be calmed before the raging of the sea and that their waning faith should be strengthened, that it might be rewarded by the cessation of the storm.”[12]  St. John Chrysostom explains: “He sleeps: for had He been awake when it happened, either they would not have feared, or they would not have besought Him, or they would not so much as have thought of His being able to do any such thing. Therefore, He sleeps, to give occasion for their timidity and to make their perception of what was happening more distinct...  He permits the storm, that by their deliverance they might attain to a clearer perception of the benefit.”[13]

            They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.  “For the wind was so great that it was necessary to awaken Him; and all this was predicted in the figure of Jonas, because Jonas was sleeping in a boat, and the sailors awakened him for questioning; but these disciples awakened Christ to save themselves.  Hence, they say, Lord, save us, we perish.  Firstly, they confess His power, when they say, ‘Lord:’ ‘You rule the power of the sea and appease the motion of the waves thereof” (Ps. 88, 10).  Similarly, they ask for His help because they knew that He is the Savior: ‘He himself will come and will save you’ (Ps. 35, 4).  Likewise, they were expressing the perishability of earthly things.  And herein Christ’s death is signified, in the sleeping of Him who also was stirred up by the Resurrection.  Or, He is said to sleep in the tribulations and temptations of the Saints, and then He awakens through the prayers of the Saints.  Hence, it is said: ‘Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord?’ (Ps. 43, 23).  Again, He sleeps in the slothful.  Hence, He ought to be aroused, as Paul admonishes: Rise, you that sleeps, and arise from the dead; and Christ shall enlighten you’ (Eph. 5, 14).”[14]  If one would have come to Chrysostom, saying that it was with faith that the disciple came to Jesus, he would have said, “That very thing was a special sign of their [lacking] the right opinion concerning Him: that is, His power to rebuke when awakened they knew, but that He could do so even sleeping, they knew not as yet.”[15] 

           Aquinas remarks that, “if they had great faith, they themselves would have been able to command the sea.”[16]  If not that, then they would have determined—in a similar fashion as Abraham did when he was going to carry out God’s command to sacrifice his son, Isaac—that Christ, albeit asleep, would not allow them to perish because they were going to carry out his work and that could not happen if they were to perish.  Although we have not received word in this way, we can be assured that God will accomplish his purpose in us.  For this reason, we should not fear either.  What we do need to fear is the slothfulness which attempts to grow within us, causing us to cry out, “Arise, Lord! for I perish!”  St. Hilary enlightens us: “He sleeps because, by our sloth, He is cast asleep in us.  This is done that we may hope aid from God in fear of danger; and, that hope, though late, may be confident that it shall escape danger by the might of Christ watching within.”[17]  In his Catena, Aquinas tells us: “Figuratively, we are all embarked in the vessel of the Holy Church and voyaging through this stormy world with the Lord.  The Lord Himself sleeps a merciful sleep while we suffer, and awaits the repentance of the wicked.”[18]  I think the said is referring to our Lord’s Ascension when he says “sleep” here, because we do not see him physically present.  (I am not referring to the Eucharist.)  He continues: “Let us therefore come to Him with joy, saying with the Prophet, ‘Arise, O Lord, why [do you sleep]?’ [Ps 44:23] And He will command the winds--that is, the demons who raise the waves; that is, the rulers of the world, to persecute the saints--and He shall make a great calm around both body and spirit, peace for the Church, stillness for the world.”[19]  Quoting Bede, Aquinas relates: “The boat is the present Church, in which Christ passes over the sea of this world with His own, and stills the waves of persecution. Wherefore we may wonder, and give thanks.”[20]

            We see this being played out also in the scene of Sodom and the deliverance of Lot and his family, with the exception of his wife who was slothful in her looking back, desiring what she was leaving behind (Ge 19:15-29).  We can say with the psalmist: “Examine me, Lord, and test me; search my heart and mind.  Your mercy is before my eyes; I walk guided by your faithfulness.^[21] Do not take me away with sinners, nor my life with the men of blood, in whose hands there is a plot, their right hands full of bribery.  But I walk in my integrity; redeem me, be gracious to me!  My foot stands on level ground; in assemblies, I will bless the Lord.”^[22]

            I pray that this will be beneficial to someone.  God bless all.

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^[1] New American Bible, Revised Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Mt 8:23–27.

^[2] Gilbert K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy., (New York: John Lane Company, 1909), 271.

^[3] Ibid.

[4] Lapide SJ, Cornelius A. The Great Commentary of Cornelius A Lapide: Three Volumes Contaning General Preface and the Gospel of Matthew (Kindle Locations 9118-9119). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition.

[5] According to Wikipedia: In Biblical studies, gloss or glossa is an annotation written on margins or within the text of Biblical manuscripts or printed editions of the scriptures. With regard to the Hebrew texts, the glosses chiefly contained explanations of purely verbal difficulties of the text; some of these glosses are of importance for the correct reading or understanding of the original Hebrew, while nearly all have contributed to its uniform transmission since the 11th century. Later on, Christian glosses also contained scriptural commentaries; St. Jerome extensively used glosses in the process of translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible.

[6] Lapide SJ, Cornelius A. The Great Commentary of Cornelius A Lapide: Three Volumes Contaning General Preface and the Gospel of Matthew (Kindle Locations 9122-9126). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition.

[7] Aquinas, St. Thomas . Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew (p. 329). Dolorosa Press. Kindle Edition.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Lapide SJ, Cornelius A. The Great Commentary of Cornelius A Lapide: Three Volumes Contaning General Preface and the Gospel of Matthew (Kindle Locations 9198-9200). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition.

[10] Aquinas, St. Thomas . Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew (p. 330). Dolorosa Press. Kindle Edition.

[11] Lapide SJ, Cornelius A. The Great Commentary of Cornelius A Lapide: Three Volumes Contaning General Preface and the Gospel of Matthew (Kindle Locations 9170-9171). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition.

[12] Ibid., (Kindle Locations 9173-9175)

[13] Chrysostom, St. St. Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew (Kindle Locations 6474-6479). public domain. Kindle Edition

[14] Aquinas, St. Thomas . Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew (pp. 330-331). Dolorosa Press. Kindle Edition.

[15] Chrysostom, St. St. Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew (Kindle Locations 6483-6484). public domain. Kindle Edition.

[16] Aquinas, St. Thomas . Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew (p. 331). Dolorosa Press. Kindle Edition

[17] Aquinas, Thomas. Catena Aurea - Gospel of Matthew - Enhanced Version (Kindle Locations 6071-6072). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

[18] Ibid., (Kindle Locations 6069-6070). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

[19] Ibid., (Kindle Locations 6073-6076). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition

[20] Ibid., (Kindle Locations 6087-6088). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

^[21] New American Bible, Revised Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Ps 26:2–3.

^[22] Ibid., Ps 26:9–12.