And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune—shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him…. A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: “Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him.”
The ship carried his humanity, but the power of his Godhead carried the ship and all that was in it. In order that he might show that even his humanity did not require the ship, instead of the planks which a shipwright puts together and fastens, he, like the architect of creation, made the waters firm and joined them together solidly under his feet. So just as the Lord strengthened the hands of Simeon the priest, that his arms might bear up in the temple the strength that was bearing up all, so did he strengthen the feet of Simon the apostle, that they might bear themselves up on the water. So that name which bore the firstbegotten in the temple was afterwards borne up by the firstbegotten in the sea.
For from the troubling of thesea there arises a certain sound, which appears to be its voice threatening danger, and therefore, by a sort of metaphor, He fitly commands tranquility bya word signifying silence: just as in the restraining of the winds, which trouble the sea with their violence, He uses a rebuke. And immediately the effect followed, for it continues, “And the wind ceased,” when He had threatened, “and there arose agreat calm,” that is, in the sea, to which He had commanded silence.
For they were worthy to hear mysteries apart, in the most secret haunt of wisdom, for they were men, who, removed from the crowds of evil thoughts, remained in the solitude of virtue; and wisdom is received in a time of quiet.
After His teaching, they come from that place to the sea, and are tossed by the waves. Wherefore it is said, “And the same day, when the even was come”.
Mystically, however, the hinder part of the ship is the beginning of the Church, in which the Lord sleeps in the body only, for He never sleepeth who keepeth Israel; for the ship with its skins of dead animals keeps in the living, and keeps out the waves, and is bound together by wood, that is, by the cross and the death of the Lord the Church is saved. The pillow is the body of the Lord, on which His Divinity, which is as His head, has come down. But the wind and the sea are devils and persecutors, to whom He says Peace, when He restrains the edicts of impious kings, as Hewill.The great calm is the peace of the ...
Hom. in Matt. 28: The Lord took the disciples indeed, that they might be spectators of the miracle which was coming, but He took them alone, that no others might see that they were of such little faith. Wherefore, to show that others went across separately, it is said, “And there were also with Him other ships. "Lest again the disciples might be proud of being alone taken, He permits them to be in danger; and besides this, in order that they might learn to bear temptations manfully. Wherefore it goes on, “And there arose agreat storm of wind;” and that He might impress upon them a greater sense of the miracle which was to be done, He gives time for their fear, by sleeping. Wherefore there follows, “And He was Himself in the hinder part of the ship "For if He had been awake, they would either not have feared, not have asked Him to save them when the storm arose, or they would not have thought that He could do any such things.
Hom. in Matt. 28: Shewing His humility, and thus teaching us ...
For the Lord is said to have had three places of refuge, namely, the ship, the mountain, and the desert. Asoften as He was pressed upon by the multitude, He used to fly to one of these. When therefore the Lord saw many crowds about Him, as man, He wished to avoid their importunity, and ordered His disciples to go over to the other side.
Therefore He allowed them tofall into the fear of danger, that they might experience His power in themselves, who saw others benefitted by Him. But He was sleeping upon the pillow of the ship, that is, on a wooden one.
But He arising, rebukes first the wind, which was raising the tempest of the sea, and causing the waves toswell, and this is expressed in what follows, “And He arose, and rebuked the wind;” then He commands the sea. Wherefore it goes on, “And He said to thesea, Peace, be still.”.
He rebuked His disciples fornot having faith; for it goes on, “And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?” How is it that ye have not faith? For if they had faith, they would have believed that even when sleeping, He could preserve them safe. There follows, “And they feared with agreat fear, and said one to another "For they were in doubt about Him, for since He stilled the sea, not with a rod like Moses, nor with prayers as Elisha at the Jordan, nor with the ark as Joshua, the son of Nun, on...
