The Twelve Try to Row Back. Jesus Walks Upon the Water.

  ^a 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto {^b with} them, and saith unto them, {^a saying,} Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. [There was no mistaking that voice. If Isaac knew the voice of Jacob ( Genesis 27:22 ), Saul the voice of David ( 1 Samuel 26:17 ), and Rhoda the voice of Peter ( Acts 12:13 ), much more did the apostles know the voice of the great Master.]

  ^d 21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. [Superstitious fears are not always so soon allayed. His voice brought great assurance.]

  ^a 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters.

  29 And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.

[This scene comports to go into danger, and a lack of steadfastness to hold out through it.]

  29 And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.

  30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. [So long as the attention of Peter was fixed upon the Lord's command he succeeded in his venture; but so soon as he let the power of the tempest distract his thoughts, his faith failed and he began to sink.]

  31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? [Fear is a source of doubt and an enemy of faith. Those who would achieve the victories of faith must overcome their fears.]

  ^b 51 And he went up unto them into the boat;

  ^a 32 And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased. ^b and they were sore amazed in themselves;

  52 for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened. ^d and straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going.

  ^a 33 And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

[The disciples showed the hardness of their hearts in that the working of one miracle did not prepare them either to expect or to comprehend any other miracle which followed. They ought to have worshipped Jesus as the Son of God when they saw the five thousand fed, but they did not. But when he had done that, and had walked upon the water, and quieted the wind, and transported the boat to the land, they were overcome by the iteration of his miraculous power, and confessed his divinity.]

  ^a 32 And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased. ^b and they were sore amazed in themselves;

  52 for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened. ^d and straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going.

  ^a 33 And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

  34 And when they had crossed over, they came to the land, unto Gennesaret. ^b and moored to the shore. [The land of Gennesaret was a plain at the western end of the lake of Galilee. Josephus describes it as about thirty furlongs in length by twenty in average width, and bounded on the west by a semicircular line of hills.]

  54 And when they were come out of the boat, straightway the people knew him,

  ^a 35 And when the men of that place knew him, they sent into ^b and ran round about that whole region, and began to carry about

their beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. ^a and brought unto him all that were sick;

  ^b 56 And wheresoever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces,

  ^a 36 and they besought him that they might only touch ^b if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

[Though the apostles had started their boat toward Capernaum, the storm appears to have deflected their course, and the language of the text suggests that they probably came to land at the south end of the plain, somewhere near Magdala, and made a circuit of the cities in the plain of Gennesaret on their way to Capernaum. As he did not stop in these cities, the sick were laid in the street that they might touch him in passing through. Moreover, as they knew the course that he was taking, by running ahead they could anticipate his arrivals and have the sick gathered to take advantage of his presence. The story of the woman who touched the hem of his garment had evidently spread far and wide, and deeply impressed the popular mind.]

  ^a 35 And when the men of that place knew him, they sent into ^b and ran round about that whole region, and began to carry about

  ^b 56 And wheresoever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces,

  ^a 36 and they besought him that they might only touch ^b if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.