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NOTES for Mat 14:35-15:11

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35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
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If we recast the dialogue between Christ and the scribes in terms of modern life, what is being discussed becomes much clearer.

On the one hand, certain religious rules are put forward concerning the outward side of life and resting on the authority of particular people. The Greek πρεσβυτέρων is very accurately translated here as “elders”: it refers not only, and not so much, to people of ancient times as to those who are older and authoritative. In the New Testament Church the word immediately came to be used for clergy and leaders, regardless of age. We too now call people who are very much our contemporaries elders. On the other hand, the Savior says that such traditions (Latin traditionem, traditions) do not necessarily possess divine infallibility.

So: “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For before Communion they do not read all the prayers prescribed in the prayer book.” He answered them: “And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded: You shall not kill. But you say: if anyone works as a defender of the homeland, he may kill. Thus you have made the commandment of God void by your tradition.”

The scribes and the Lord use examples of completely different orders: a tiny detail of everyday ritual and one of the Ten Commandments. Christ’s conclusion sounds like a verdict: “In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” The point, strictly speaking, is not that ritual is secondary; after all, one cannot do without it. The Lord Himself says: “These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others” (Mt. 23:23). Yet there are weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. By sinning against them, you cannot become truly human, even if you observe every smallest detail of ritual and custom.

Other notes

 
For Mat 14:35-15:11
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Hide
The distinction between clean and unclean food, kashrut, has always played a special role in Judaism. This distinction is prescribed...  Read more

The distinction between clean and unclean food, kashrut, has always played a special role in Judaism. This distinction is prescribed by the Torah, and the Torah connects it with the preservation of ritual purity. Purity, in turn, determines the possibility of sanctification, which is the goal and meaning of spiritual life both in Yahwism and in Judaism. But over time in Judaism, in the matter of kashrut, as in some other cases, a certain formalization took place: its meaning was not exactly forgotten, but moved into the background, while the norms and rules of ritual purity concerning food, like the norms of ritual purity in general, became an end in themselves.

Jesus returns kashrut to its original meaning. He says that the point is not what a person eats, but what he says. At first glance, words are not the most reliable criterion when the issue is the human heart. But they can say a great deal, often even what the person himself would prefer to hide. In particular, they often testify to the speaker's spiritual condition more than he himself may think, especially when they slip from the tongue involuntarily. And Jesus, of course, knowing this perfectly well, points out that the main purpose of all religious prescriptions must be a person's spiritual life, not religiousness as such. If that purpose is absent, religious norms and rules lose all meaning.

But this was not the only issue: after all, some teachers of the Torah had spoken of something similar even before Christ's coming. The issue was also that, for the Kingdom, the former norms and rules of ritual purity had truly become irrelevant in many ways. Of course, the question of purity in the Kingdom is in many ways even more acute than in our world, which is not yet transformed: in the Kingdom, as the experience of the early Christian community shows, any sin can prove deadly. But there it depends entirely on the human will, on one's intentions and value system. Nothing from outside can defile a person in the Kingdom. That is why Jesus speaks about what "comes out of the mouth": when the issue is words, one also has to speak about intentions, including those not always recognized by the person himself. Only they matter for the Kingdom. And all the norms and rules of external ritual purity matter to a person only insofar as he still remains part of our world, which is being transformed but has not yet been transformed.

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For Mat 15:1-20
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Hide
Today's reading touches on one of the most important questions of religious life: the relationship between Holy Scripture and tradition. For every religion the problem of ritual purity has always been central, because ritual purity determines...  Read more

Today's reading touches on one of the most important questions of religious life: the relationship between Holy Scripture and tradition. For every religion the problem of ritual purity has always been central, because ritual purity determines the very possibility of full participation in religious life. It is no wonder that the followers of the Pharisaic religious schools, being exceptionally devout people, asked Jesus questions concerning Jewish norms and rules of ritual purity. The question about washing hands is one of these questions (vv. 1-2).

In this case, of course, the issue is not hygiene but a purifying washing that was supposed to be performed before eating. The reference to the "tradition of the elders," however, clearly suggests that this is not about a commandment of the Torah, that is, of Holy Scripture, but about its interpretation connected with the Pharisaic tradition. Jesus answers a question with a question: can a commandment given by God and clearly expressed in Scripture be replaced by human opinions that have formed within any tradition at all, even an authoritative one? After all, any tradition is the fruit of human creativity, while the commandment is given by God (v. 3). By answering this way, Jesus appears to avoid the question, at least for a time. Yet very soon He answers it too, returning His listeners to the understanding of purity that the Torah originally implied (vv. 10-11, 16-20).

But on a more attentive reading it becomes clear that this answer is directly connected with the question of authentic and false tradition. Authentic tradition always puts first a person's spiritual condition, as well as his relationships with God and with his neighbors. This is what determines a person's destiny in the Kingdom, and also whether a person will be able to enter it at all. For religious consciousness, however, the external form is important. Any religiosity always carries something magical within it, even when the religion of Revelation is in view. And it often turns out that the external expressions of religiosity become more important than the essence. There is no dispute that God is more important than family; but does that mean that an offering for the Temple is more important than helping elderly parents? Hardly, since such an offering in itself does not determine the quality of the giver's relationship with God. Moreover, it may well turn out to be a means of forgetting about elderly parents without feeling any pangs of conscience, because formally the commandment has not been violated! Such formalism is always present to one degree or another in any religious tradition.

Perhaps this is precisely why Jesus did not create any new religion: Christianity is not a religion, but life itself in the Kingdom, and He constantly reminds His listeners that authentic tradition is the experience of the Kingdom. Such a tradition does not need to be maintained artificially: even without that, it will never lose its significance and will organically enter the Kingdom, becoming an inseparable part of it.

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For Mat 15:1-20
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Hide
The accusation of breaking tradition comes from those for whom adherence to tradition has become an end in itself. Two positions collide; the dispute is over who actually keeps the law...  Read more

The accusation of breaking tradition comes from those for whom adherence to tradition has become an end in itself. Two positions collide; the dispute is over who actually keeps the law: the one who fulfills the external prescriptions, the necessary packaging of the law, or the one who keeps the essence of the law, even if from the outside it appears that the literal fulfillment of the prescriptions is being violated. But there is another problem: many pious rules are invented by people; they are not necessarily from God. How often the human obscures what has been given from above, and so we begin to substitute our ideas about God's will for His will itself!

Meanwhile, the Lord does not need the "correct" fulfillment of pious norms when it is indifferent to the true state of the soul. In guarding against ritual defilement from outside, and more broadly against any outside negative influence, it is too easy to lose sight of the evil within us that defiles us. But what nests inside us can prove to be a more explosive mixture than negative influences from outside. After all, we are the ones who accept or reject them.

If this approach causes someone to stumble, then such people have mistaken ideas about spiritual life. Christ's words about uprooting the plant not planted by the heavenly Father sound stern. But they contain a serious warning: if we see that a person has agreed to give in to temptation and has turned away from the Lord's ways, is it not because at first he rejected His will in the depths of his inner world?

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For Mat 15:1-20
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Hide
For the listeners of the evangelist Matthew, the law of Moses is not simply a set of obscure rules and ordinances...  Read more

For the listeners of the evangelist Matthew, the law of Moses is not simply a set of obscure rules and ordinances. Matthew quotes the words of the Lord Jesus that "heaven and earth will pass away sooner than one stroke of the law" (Matt. 5:18). In what, then, does the conflict between Christ and the Pharisees consist?

For the Pharisees, it appears, the law is a set of commandments by doing which a person can please God, draw closer to Him, and fulfill His will for humanity. Such is the approach of religious consciousness in general, for which the essence of the relationship between God and a person consists in performing certain actions that God prescribes for people to perform. A familiar approach, is it not? What, then, does Christ say about the law? In His interpretation, love for parents is higher than an offering to the temple, and purity of heart is more important than purity of hands. This is the direction toward which the Mosaic law points. Then, in order to live according to God's law, one must be more attentive to the heart and to relationships with God and people than to the performance of laws or rules.

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For Mat 15:1-20
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Hide
Human life is always connected, in one way or another, with “studying human teachings and commandments”...  Read more

Human life is always connected, in one way or another, with “studying human teachings and commandments,” from traffic regulations to all kinds of “washing of hands” (each person can decide for themselves what this may mean). The conflict in this Gospel account evidently arises because human tradition has become detached from God’s commandment. Yet the degree of this detachment is not always easy to understand, for the Pharisees themselves derived the rules concerning washing from God’s law. In explaining this problem to His disciples, Christ moves the question out of the realm of casuistry and rules into that of ethics, or more precisely, love. In this light it becomes clear why the rule of dedicating one’s parents’ property to God contradicts God’s will. It is in relation to the fundamental commandments of love for God and for humanity that it becomes clear what defiles a person and what does not. We cannot escape human laws and rules... but their value, their conformity to Truth, is tested precisely by whether they lead to the realization of God’s principal gift, love, or lead away from it.

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For Mat 14:22-36
22 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.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
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When reading miracle stories, we should understand that they are no less meaningful and no less addressed to us, the readers, than...  Read more

When reading miracle stories, we should understand that they are no less meaningful and no less addressed to us, the readers, than Jesus' direct words when He teaches the disciples "how to live." Their purpose is never to amaze the reader's imagination ("Wow... that's incredible!"), especially since the modern reader is no less skeptical than the ancient one. Therefore, at the center of this story is not the miracle ("So Christ could walk on water!"), but first of all Jesus Himself, the future conqueror of death, since water is a symbol of chaos and death, and second, faith as the realization of the relationship between Christ and His disciple. Both of these concern us directly. The miracle takes place not only on the pages of the Gospel: Christ's victory over death, the victory of faith over absurdity and chaos, is the miracle that happens in the life of every disciple, regardless of his ability to walk on water.

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For Mat 14:22-36
22 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.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
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Everyone knows well that if we have faith...  Read more

Everyone knows well that if we have faith, we will be able to move mountains. The question, however, is why move a mountain from the place the Creator assigned to it. Peter's action, when he goes to the Teacher on the water, should undoubtedly be defined as a feat of faith. Each of us, being no different from Peter by nature, can try this on ourselves. Here I step out of the boat and walk on the water...

Far more important is that, in old-fashioned language, this is also a feat of wisdom. The fact is that there are not so few believing people in the world, yet we still continue to build bridges and cross water barriers by using them. It is not at all apparent that Christians are crossing rivers over the waters in crowds, although our history does know such examples. The wisdom of Peter, which is exceptionally important for us, consists in his saying: "command me to come to You on the water". He goes not only, and not so much, because he believes. This would have been impossible if Jesus had not commanded him. Strictly speaking, in everything that happens in our life, with all the abundance of miracles that we fail to notice, there is only one Miracle Worker: the Lord. Without His command, by Peter's will alone, this would have been impossible.

And one more important point: where Peter is going, where he is looking. As long as his gaze is turned toward Jesus, he walks; as soon as he looks around, he begins to sink. This is by no means a metaphor. To live and not sink in the passing moment, in matter, and ultimately in death, one can do only by looking at Jesus, and at Jesus alone.

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For Mat 14:22-36
22 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.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
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Today's reading tells us how Jesus calmed the storm that arose on the Lake of Gennesaret while His disciples were crossing to the other shore. And it is usually this very fact that makes the greatest impression on the reader, for in this way...  Read more

Today's reading tells us how Jesus calmed the storm that arose on the Lake of Gennesaret while His disciples were crossing to the other shore. And it is usually this very fact that makes the greatest impression on the reader, for in this way Jesus' power over the forces of nature, which are beyond the control of an ordinary person, is emphasized.

Yet here too what stands before us is once again nothing other than a manifestation of the fullness of the Kingdom. It truly begins to penetrate our world, which is not yet fully transformed, and to change its nature. In essence, what we see here is not the calming of the storm, but its disappearance in the peace in which the Kingdom always abides. It differs from mere calming in exactly the same way as the healings performed by Jesus differ from ordinary cures achieved by purely medical means. Jesus does not cure diseases; He simply brings a person into the Kingdom, where there is no place for them, and the person is made well. The same is true of the storm: bearing the Kingdom within Himself, Jesus does not calm it, but transforms nature, making it part of the Kingdom, where there is no place for a storm. It is no accident that He Himself does not sail, but walks on the water. Apparently, in the Kingdom the very nature of water changes so greatly that a person can walk on it, whereas in our untransformed world he can walk in this way only on land.

One might, of course, suppose that only Jesus Himself was capable of this, but that is disproved by the fact that Peter too was able to walk on the water just like his Teacher (vv. 28–29). But only for as long as he looked at Jesus. As soon as he looked at the raging lake, fear seized his heart and he began to sink (v. 30).

Here again we see a manifestation of the Kingdom. Indeed, Peter could walk on the water as long as he looked at Jesus and abided in the Kingdom together with Him. It was the only reality for Peter, and so he could walk on the water and the storm did him no harm, for there is no storm in the Kingdom. But as soon as he allowed fear to take possession of his heart, that fear instantly separated him from the Kingdom. It disappeared, leaving only the raging elements around him. And had it not been for the Saviour's outstretched hand, things might have ended very sadly for Peter (v. 31). It is no accident that, as Jesus reaches out His hand to His disciple, He immediately asks him about his lack of faith. Today, as the Kingdom penetrates our world more and more deeply, our own faith alone determines whether it becomes for us a genuine and supreme reality or remains merely a beautiful dream and an unattainable ideal.

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For Mat 14:22-36
22 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.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
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"...Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. And He said, Come..." How often we are overcome by doubts in our faith. This is a good sign, a sign that our faith is healthy. As Psalm 3 tells us...  Read more

"...Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. And He said, Come..." How often we are overcome by doubts in our faith. This is a good sign, a sign that our faith is healthy. As Psalm 3 tells us: O Lord, why are those who trouble me multiplied? Many rise up against me; many say to my soul, There is no salvation for him in his God (Ps 3:2-3).

In the spiritual interpretation of this psalm, these many who rise up against my faith are a very real force, even if no one is visibly persecuting me. And when this force attacks, we so want to cry out to the Lord and say: "If this is You, command me to know Your divine nature, making me at least partly like Yourself; share Your divinity with me, make me a participant in Yourself, so that I may be convinced: it is You." For what is Peter's action? In essence, he desired a transcendent, unearthly experience that would strengthen his faith. There are moments when we also want this very much. Our fear becomes so great, our faith is shaken so badly, that we desperately want to seize the Lord's hand.

And how do we handle this? We hear an inner voice: "Who are you, anyway, that such miracles should happen to you? What would be left of your faith then? It would already be certain experience, not faith. Go to church, look at the faith of others, be strengthened by it; and besides," it tells you, "miracles do not happen in our day. Who has seen them, except for some madmen and church people?..." But all this self-reassurance is good, yet not good enough. Because the Lord says something else. He says, "Come." Come. It is very important to hear this. If you doubt, go, be bold, test, seek experience. For true faith comes only after the real experience of meeting God; before that event, it is only a search, only piety, only intention. Our self-reassurance may appear to us to be something supremely correct, very humble, very virtuous. But humility is empty without boldness. We must always remember this.

In some ways today's reading about Peter is close in spirit to the story of Thomas being convinced. Thomas also wanted real experience, and he received it; he received it because the Lord Himself wanted it. His will is that our faith should not be a set of written regulations, not a letter, even one received reverently, not only a rite, not only piety, not only virtue, and not our monologue sent in His direction with some frantic desire that He might at least hear it, like a letter sent to the highest government offices: of course they will not answer, but perhaps there is a small chance they will read it. The Lord does not expect such faith from us. He wants real life together, real cooperation. He wants us to break through boldly toward speaking with Him face to face. If you truly want this, go to meet Him. Go alone, leave everyone else in the boat, and go.

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For Mat 14:13-36
13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
22 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.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
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Today we see how the Lord fulfills His pastoral duties toward the disciples...  Read more

Today we see how the Lord fulfills His pastoral duties toward the disciples. Sometimes the circumstances of His life are such that, in order to feed the disciples and save them from destruction, He has to perform miracles. He truly has to, for we know that Jesus never used His divine authority over nature to entice people with “signs.” Yet the miraculous character of His help and care serves to strengthen the faith of the disciples, the future preachers of His Gospel. Twice they find themselves in a hopeless situation: first in a hungry wilderness where there is nowhere to obtain bread, and then in a watery wilderness, alone without the Teacher and on the brink of death. Both times He comes to their aid, doing the impossible. Peter's bold request, ready as he is to step onto the waves and walk toward Jesus, arises precisely from the apostles' new faith that the Lord will never abandon them, but will always support and strengthen them, even if this requires Him to “alter the order of nature.”

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