Matthew 14:22 - Meaning and Application

Here we have another miracle Christ worked for the relief of his friends and followers, his walking on the water to his disciples. In the earlier miracle, he showed himself as Lord of nature by using its powers to feed the hungry. In this one, he showed himself as Lord of nature by checking and controlling its powers to help those in danger and distress.

Notice, first, Christ sending his disciples and the crowd away after he had fed them miraculously. He made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side (Matthew 14:22). John says the crowd was so moved by the miracle of the loaves that they were about to seize Jesus and make him king, by force if needed (John 6:15). To avoid that, he quickly sent the people away, sent the disciples off so they would not join the crowd, and then withdrew himself (John 6:15). When people sit down to eat and drink, they must not rise up to make trouble, but each should return to his work.

Christ sent the people away. This suggests something solemn in the way he dismissed them. He sent them off with a blessing, and likely with parting words of warning, counsel, and comfort that would stay with them. He also constrained the disciples to get into the boat first, because the crowd would not leave while they were still there. The disciples were reluctant to go, and would not have gone unless he pressed them. They did not want to sail without him, like Moses saying, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). They were also reluctant to leave him alone, without anyone attending him or a boat waiting for him, but they obeyed.

Next, Christ withdrew after this (Matthew 14:23). He went up on a mountain by himself to pray. He was alone. He went apart to a lonely place, where he was all by himself. Even though he had so much work to do with others, he sometimes chose to be alone, and that gives us an example. Those are not really followers of Christ who do not care to be alone, and who cannot enjoy solitude when they have no one else with them except God and their own hearts.

He was alone in prayer, and that was the purpose of his solitude. Even though Christ, as God, was Lord of all and was prayed to, Christ, as man, took the form of a servant, even of a beggar, and prayed. In this he gives us an example of private prayer and of doing it in secret, according to the rule he gave in Matthew 6:6. Perhaps there was a private prayer place or simple shelter on that mountain, as was common among the Jews. Notice this also: when the disciples went to sea, their Master went to prayer. When Peter was about to be tested like wheat, Christ prayed for him.

He was alone for a long time. He was there when evening came, and from all that appears, he stayed until near morning, until about the fourth watch of the night. The night came, and it was a stormy, rough night, yet he kept on praying. It is good, at least sometimes, especially on special occasions and when our hearts are moved, to stay long in secret prayer and pour out our hearts fully before the Lord. We must not hold prayer back (Job 15:4).

Now consider the condition of the poor disciples at that time. Their boat was in the middle of the sea, being tossed by the waves (Matthew 14:24). They had reached the middle of the sea when the storm arose. We may start out in fair weather and still meet storms before we reach our destination. So let no one boast as if the danger were already over. After a long calm, we should expect some storm or other.

The disciples were exactly where Christ had sent them, and yet they met this storm. If they had been running from their Master and their duty, like Jonah when the storm found him, it would have been far worse. But they had a direct command from their Master to go to sea at that time, and they were doing their work. It is no strange thing for Christ's disciples to meet storms while doing their duty, and even to be sent to sea when their Master already knows a storm is coming. They should not take it as unkindness. What he is doing, they do not understand now, but they will understand later, that Christ is preparing to show himself to them and for them with greater grace.

It was a great discouragement that they did not have Christ with them now, as they had in an earlier storm. Then he was asleep, but he could quickly be awakened (Matthew 8:24). Now he was not with them at all. In this way, Christ first trained his disciples through smaller troubles and then through greater ones, teaching them step by step to live by faith and not by sight.

Though the wind was against them and the waves were tossing them, they still kept going. Since their Master had told them to go to the other side, they did not turn back, but pushed on as best they could. Troubles and hardships may disturb us in our duty, but they must not drive us away from it. We must keep pressing forward through them.

Then Christ came toward them in their distress (Matthew 14:25). In this we see his goodness. He went to them as one who knew their situation and cared for them, like a father for his children. The time of greatest trouble for God's people is often Christ's opportunity to visit them and appear for them. Yet he did not come until the fourth watch, around three in the morning, when that watch began. It was in the morning watch that the Lord appeared for Israel in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:24), and so it was here. He who keeps Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers, but when needed, walks in the dark to help them, and helps right early.

We also see his power, because he came to them walking on the sea. This is a great example of Christ's sovereign rule over all creatures. They are all under his feet and at his command. They even forget their own nature and change what we think of as fixed qualities. We do not need to ask exactly how this happened, whether by making the water surface firm or by suspending the weight of his body. It is enough that it shows his divine power, for it belongs to God alone to tread on the waves of the sea (Job 9:8), just as it belongs to him to ride on the wings of the wind.

He who made the waters of the sea stand like a wall for the redeemed of the Lord (Exodus 15:8) here made them a path for the Redeemer himself. As Lord of all, he appears with one foot on the sea and the other on dry land (Revelation 10:2). The same power that made iron float (2 Kings 6:6) did this. What ailed you, O sea? (Psalm 114:5). It was because the Lord was there. Your way, O God, is in the sea (Psalm 77:19). Christ can take whatever path he chooses to save his people.

Here is an account of what passed between Christ and his distressed friends when he came near them.

He was first dealing with all the disciples. Their fears were stirred when they saw him walking on the sea (Matthew 14:26). They were troubled and said, “It is a spirit,” meaning an apparition, or ghost. It seems that most people then believed in spirits, except the Sadducees, whose teaching Christ had warned against. Still, many so-called apparitions may have been nothing more than fear and imagination. These disciples said, “It is the Lord; it can be no other.”

Even the signs of rescue can sometimes frighten God’s people. We are sometimes most alarmed when we are least hurt, and even when we are most favored, as Mary the mother of Jesus was (Luke 1:29), and as Moses was at the burning bush (Exodus 3:6-7). The comforts of adoption, that is, the comfort of being received as God’s children, often come after the fears that belong to bondage and guilt (Romans 8:15). The thought of a spirit, or even the idea of one, is naturally frightening. There is a great distance between us and the world of spirits, and both holy angels and evil spirits are related to us in ways that make us uneasy. The better we know God, the Father of spirits, and the more carefully we keep ourselves in his love, the better able we will be to face such fears (Job 4:14-15).

The fears of good people are often made worse by their mistakes about Christ, his person, his work as Messiah, and his saving purpose. The more clearly we know his name, the more confidently we will trust in him (Psalm 9:10). A little thing can frighten us in a storm. When trouble is all around us, it is no wonder that fear rises within us. The disciples may even have thought some evil spirit had raised the storm. Most of our outward danger becomes worse because it gives rise to inward fear.

Christ quickly quieted their fears by showing them their mistake. While they were wrestling with the waves, he delayed his help for a while. But he hurried to relieve their terror, because that danger was the greater one. He spoke at once: “Be of good cheer; it is I; do not be afraid.”

He corrected their mistake by making himself known, as Joseph made himself known to his brothers. “It is I,” he said. He did not need to give his name in full, as he did later to Paul, “I am Jesus,” because Paul did not yet know him. But to these disciples, “It is I” was enough. They knew his voice, as sheep know their shepherd’s voice (John 10:4), and as Mary Magdalene knew him in the garden (John 20:16). They did not need to ask, “Who are you, Lord?” They could say, like the bride, “It is the voice of my beloved” (Song of Solomon 2:8; 5:2). True believers can often recognize him by this sure mark. Right understanding opens the door to real comfort, especially when that understanding is of Christ.

He also encouraged them against their fear. Because it was he, they should take heart. “Be of good cheer,” he said, meaning, be courageous and lift up your spirits. If Christ’s disciples are not cheerful in a storm, that is their own fault, because he wants them to be so. “Do not be afraid.” They should not fear him now that they knew who he was. He meant them no harm. Christ is never a terror to those to whom he reveals himself rightly. Once they understand him, their fear will pass. They also need not fear the storm, with its loud winds and waves, as long as he is near. He cares for them and will not stand by and let them perish. Nothing needs to terrify those who have Christ near them and know that he is theirs, not even death itself.

Next comes what passed between Christ and Peter, from Matthew 14:28-31.

Peter showed courage, and Christ honored that courage. It was bold of Peter to ask to come to Christ on the water (Matthew 14:28): “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you.” Courage was Peter’s main grace, and that is why he was often the first to show his love for Christ, even if the others loved him just as much. His request shows affection, because he wanted to be with Christ. He had likely wished for Christ many times during the storm, and now that he saw him, he longed to be with him. He did not say, “Command me to walk on the water,” as though he wanted the miracle itself. He said, “Command me to come to you,” because he wanted Christ himself. True love will go through fire and water, if called to it, in order to come to Christ.

Christ was coming toward them to help and rescue them. Peter said, “Lord, command me to come to you.” When Christ comes toward us in mercy, we should go out to meet him in duty. We must be willing to venture with him and for him. Those who want Christ’s help as Savior must come to him in faith. Christ had been absent for a time, and this also showed why he had stayed away. His return would make him more dear to his disciples, and more welcome. When Christ seems to leave his people for a little while, his return is sweeter and more warmly received. When loving souls find their Beloved after a long search, they hold him and will not let him go (Song of Solomon 3:4).

Peter also showed caution and respect for Christ’s will. He would not come without a command. He did not say, “If it is you, I will come.” He said, “If it is you, command me to come.” Even the boldest spirits must wait for a call before attempting dangerous things, and we must not rush into them on our own. A desire for service or suffering is not true willingness if it does not care about Christ’s will and is not governed by his command. We should not expect special commands like Peter’s today. Instead, we must use the general rules of Scripture. As we apply them to particular cases, and take account of God’s providential guidance, wisdom is needed to direct us.

Peter also showed faith and determination when he stepped onto the water after Christ called him. To leave the safety of the boat and place himself among the waves, which had seemed so threatening just before, showed a strong trust in Christ’s power and word. What danger could stand against such faith and zeal?

Christ was very kind and humble in choosing to honor Peter’s request (Matthew 14:29). He could have said the request was foolish, rash, or even proud. He might have asked, “Should Peter try to do what his Master does?” But Christ saw that the request came from real affection and sincere zeal, and he graciously accepted it.

Christ is pleased with the words of his people’s love, even when those words are mixed with many failings, and he treats them kindly. When the Pharisees asked for a sign, Christ gave them a rebuke as well as a refusal, because they asked in order to test him. But when Peter asked for a sign, Christ granted it, because Peter asked with a real desire to trust him. The gospel call is, “Come to Christ. Put everything into his hands and trust him with your soul. Venture through the stormy sea of this troubled world to Jesus Christ.”

Christ also supported Peter when he came. Peter actually walked on the water. The close union of true believers with Christ is shown in Scripture by being made alive with him, raised with him, and seated with him (Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:6), and by being crucified with him (Galatians 2:20). Here that union is pictured in Peter walking with Christ on the water. By Christ’s strength, we are lifted above the world, able to stand against it, kept from being swallowed up by it, and given victory over it (1 John 5:4) through faith in Christ’s victory (John 16:33). With Christ, we are also crucified to the world (Galatians 6:14).

Think of the apostle Paul walking on the water with Jesus, more than a conqueror through him, treading down the waves that threatened him, unable to separate him from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35, etc.). In that way, the sea of the world becomes like a sea of glass, firm enough to bear those who overcome, and they stand on it and sing (Revelation 15:2, Revelation 15:3). Peter walked on the water, not for show or amusement, but to go to Jesus. That is why he was so wonderfully upheld. When our souls are pressing closely after God, then his right hand supports us, as David found in his own experience (Psalm 63:8). Special help is promised, and should be expected, only in spiritual pursuits. When God bears his people on eagles’ wings, it is to bring them to himself (Exodus 19:4). We cannot come to Jesus unless his power holds us up. It is in his strength that we wrestle, reach toward him, and press on toward the prize, being kept by the power of God. We must depend on that power, just as Peter had to depend on it when he walked on the water. There is no danger of sinking while the everlasting arms are underneath us.

Here also we see Peter’s fear, and Christ’s rebuke and help. Christ told him to come, not only so Peter could walk on the water and learn Christ’s power, but also so he could begin to sink and learn his own weakness. Christ wanted to strengthen Peter’s faith, but also to check his self-confidence and humble him. Peter was afraid (Matthew 14:30). Even strong faith and great courage can still have fear mixed in. Those who can say, “Lord, I believe,” must also say, “Lord, help my unbelief.” Only perfect love casts out fear completely. Good people often fail in the very graces where they seem strongest, and that shows they have not yet reached perfection. Peter was bold at first, but later his heart failed. The longer a trial lasts, the more it shows the weakness of faith.

The cause of Peter’s fear was that he saw the wind was strong and rough. While he kept his eyes on Christ, and on Christ’s word and power, he walked on the water well enough. But when he also noticed the danger around him and saw the waves rising, he became afraid. Looking at troubles mainly with our senses, instead of looking at God’s commands and promises by faith, lies behind many of our unreasonable fears, both in public matters and in our own lives. Abraham was strong in faith because he did not focus on his own body or the discouraging odds against the promise (Romans 4:19). He kept his eye on God’s power, and so, against hope, he believed in hope (Matthew 14:18). When Peter saw the strong wind, he should have remembered what he had seen before, when the winds and sea obeyed Christ (Matthew 8:27). But we keep fearing again and again because we forget the Lord our Maker (Isaiah 51:12, Isaiah 51:13).

The result of Peter’s fear was that he began to sink. As long as faith held firm, he stayed above the water. When faith wavered, he began to go down. The sinking of our spirits comes from weak faith. We are upheld, and saved, through faith (1 Peter 1:5), and when our souls are cast down and troubled, the best remedy is to hope in God (Psalm 43:5). Peter was probably a good swimmer, since he had been a fisherman (John 21:7), and he may have trusted partly in that skill when he threw himself into the sea. If he could not walk, he might still swim. But Christ let him begin to sink to show him that it was Christ’s right hand and holy arm, not Peter’s own skill, that kept him safe. It was a great mercy that Christ did not let him sink at once, all the way down like a stone (Exodus 15:5), but gave him time to cry out, “Lord, save me.”

That is how Christ deals with true believers. Though they are weak, they only begin to sink. A person is never truly sunk, never finally ruined, until he is in hell. Peter walked as he believed, and for him, as for everyone else, the rule held true, according to your faith let it be to you. In his distress, he used the old, tried, and approved remedy, prayer: “Lord, save me.” Notice the way he prayed. It was urgent and earnest. He cried out. When faith is weak, prayer should be strong. Our Lord Jesus has taught us, in the day of fear, to offer up strong cries (Hebrews 5:7). A sense of danger will make us cry out, and a sense of duty and dependence on God should make us cry to him too.

Peter’s request was also direct and fitting. He cried, “Lord, save me.” Christ is the great Savior. He came to save. Those who want to be saved must not only come to him, but cry to him for salvation. Yet people usually do not come to that point until they feel themselves sinking. A real sense of need drives us to him. Christ showed great kindness to Peter in that frightening moment. There had been a mixture of boldness and presumption in Peter’s first step, and a mixture of unbelief with his faith when he later began to fail. Still, Christ did not cast him off. First, he saved him. He answered him with the saving strength of his right hand (Psalm 20:6), for he immediately reached out his hand and caught him. Christ’s time to save is when we sink (Psalm 18:4-7). He helps at the point of death.

Christ’s hand is still stretched out to all believers, to keep them from sinking. Those whom he has once taken as his own, and rescued like brands from the fire, he will also catch out of the water. Though he may seem to let go, it is only a seeming. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of his hand (John 10:28). Do not fear, he will keep what belongs to him. Our rescue from our own fears, which would otherwise overwhelm us, comes from the hand of his power and grace (Psalm 34:4).

Second, he rebuked Peter, because those he loves and saves, he also corrects and reproves. “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Faith can be real and still be weak, like a mustard seed at the start. Peter had enough faith to step onto the water, but not enough to carry him through, so Christ said his faith was small.

Our troubling doubts and fears come from weak faith. We doubt because we have little faith. Faith’s work is to settle our doubts, even the doubts that come from what our senses tell us on a stormy day, so we can keep going and not sink. If we believed more, we would doubt less.

The weakness of our faith and the strength of our doubts deeply displeases our Lord Jesus. He does not cast off weak believers, but he is not pleased with weak faith, even in those closest to him. “Why did you doubt?” What real reason was there for it? If we look carefully at the cause of our fears, many of them fade away at once. When all is considered, Christ’s disciples have no good reason to be fearful, even in a storm, because he is always ready to help.

The storm then ended, Matthew 14:32. When Christ came into the boat, they were immediately at the shore. He walked on the water until he reached the boat, and then entered it, even though he could have walked straight to land. But when ordinary means are available, miracles are not to be expected. Christ does not need tools or instruments to do his work, yet he is pleased to use them.

Notice that when Christ came into the boat, Peter came in with him. Those who share in Christ’s sufferings will share in his kingdom (Revelation 1:9). Those who walk with him will reign with him. Those who are exposed and suffer with him will triumph with him. As soon as they came into the boat, the storm stopped, because it had finished its testing work.

He who has gathered the winds in his hands and bound up the waters is the same one who went up and came down, and stormy winds obey his word (Psalm 148:8). When Christ comes into a soul, he quiets the winds and storms there and commands peace. Welcome Christ, and the noise of the waves will soon be still. The way to be calm is to know that he is God, the Lord who is with us.

After this, they worshiped Christ, Matthew 14:33. The men in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” They made two good uses of this trouble and this rescue. First, their faith in Christ was strengthened. They were now fully convinced that the fullness of God lived in him, for only the Creator of the world could multiply the loaves, and only its ruler could walk on the sea. So they accepted the evidence and confessed their faith: “You truly are the Son of God.”

They had known before that he was the Son of God, but now they knew it more clearly. After a struggle with unbelief, faith often becomes more active and grows stronger through use. Now they knew it with certainty. It is good for us to keep growing in our understanding of the truths we have been taught (Luke 1:4). Faith grows when it reaches full assurance, sees clearly, and says, “This is truly so.”

Second, they used this moment to give Christ the honor his name deserves. They did not only admit this great truth, they felt it rightly and worshiped Christ. When Christ shows his glory for us, we should give it back to him (Psalm 50:15). “I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Their worship was shown in these words: “Truly, you are the Son of God.” What we believe must also become what we praise. Faith is the right beginning of worship, and worship is the true fruit of faith. Whoever comes to God must believe, and whoever believes in God will come to him (Hebrews 9:6).