But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
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John Chrysostom
AD 407
But Christ chode not with them for calling Him a man, but waited to teach them by His signs, that their supposition was mistaken. But from what did they think Him a man? First from His appearance, then from His sleeping, and His making use of a ship. So on this account they were cast into perplexity, saying, What manner of man is this? since while the sleep and the outward appearance showed man, the sea and the calm declared Him God.
For because Moses had once done some such thing, in this regard also does He signify His own superiority, and that the one works miracles as a slave, the other as Lord. Thus, He put forth no rod, as Moses did, neither did He stretch forth His hands to Heaven, nor did He need any prayer, but, as was meet for a master commanding His handmaid, or a creator His creature, so did He quiet and curb it by word and command only; and all the surge was straightway at an end, and not one trace of the disturbance remained. For this the evangelist declared saying, An...
How did they know he was a man? They could see him sleeping. He commanded a ship. So why were they so perplexed about his humanity, saying, “What manner of man is this?” His sleeping showed he was a man. His calming of the seas declared him God. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily
Finally it was by Christ’s mere command that he controlled the sea, struck back the winds, stopped the whirlwinds, brought back the calm. Then those who were crossing the sea perceived, believed and acknowledged that he is the very Creator of all.
