Matthew 14:22-36
Q.1. Why did Jesus send His disciples away by boat? What was He doing? How did their trip go? How did they respond to seeing Jesus walking on the Sea? How did Jesus greet them? – (Mt.14:22-27)
A reading of the synoptic Gospels makes it clear that Jesus had prayed all night, before calling the twelve men to be His apostles i.e. ‘sent ones’ (Mt.10:1-4; Mk.3:16-19; Lk.6:12-16).Before the miracle of feeding the five thousand men, these disciples had been commissioned to prepare the way for the expansion of His public ministry (Mt.9:35-11:1; Mk.6:6-12; Lk.9:1-6). Jesus was revealing to the Twelve, Whom He really was. He sent them away by boat ahead of Him, expecting that they would discuss the miraculous feeding of so many people. He later revealed again His divinity, by walking on the water. Previously He had prayed to gain clarity on who would become the Twelve (Lk.6:12). Here – after He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (Mt.14:23). These were crucial times for His disciples. The boat was battered by the waves, so they would have been exhausted (Mt.14:24). When they saw Jesus walking on the sea, they thought that He must have been a ghost, and cried out in fear (Mt.14:26). Jesus consoled them, saying – … Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid (Mt.14:27). No mortal man had ever seen such a thing.
Q.2. What do you think of Peter’s effort of walking on water? Why did he begin to sink? How did Jesus explain Peter’s failure? What happened to the wind? How did the disciples respond to Jesus? – (Mt.14:28-33)
Peter asked Jesus to allow him to walk on the water. Jesus invited him to join Him. The other disciples then saw another amazing miracle, as Peter walked on the water (Mt.14:28-29). However, Peter soon became distracted by the wind, began to sink, and cried out to Jesus to save him (Mt.14:30-31). Here Peter learned very quickly that he needed always to keep his eyes on Jesus. Jesus said to him – … You of little faith, why did you doubt? (Mt.14:31 c.f. Jn.21:7). Whatever may be the case, Peter was the only other one ever to walk on water. With Jesus (and Peter) in the boat, the boisterous wind stopped at His command. All the Twelve were convinced by that time – You are certainly God’s Son (Mt.14:33).
Q.3. Why did the return of Jesus cause a stir? What did the people want from Jesus? How did they get healed? Were they healed instantly? Did Jesus fail to heal any of the sick? – (Mt.14:34-36 c.f. Mt.14:14-21)
After Jesus had fed the crowd and sent them home, His return caused a stir. He had taught them, fed them, and healed their sick – and when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all the surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick (Mt.14:35). Jesus lovingly met their needs – and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured (Mt.14:36). They sought healing for their sick, and none left disappointed. This fulfilled the prophecies concerning Messiah in Isaiah 35:5-6; 61:1-2). However, He longed to do so much more (Mt.9:12-13).