John Chrysostom, On John

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He sends the disciples away, and goes up into the mountain. But they, having been left behind by the teacher, when evening came, went down to the sea; and until the evening they waited for him, expecting he would come to them. But when evening came, they could no longer bear not to go in search of him; so great a love possessed them. For they did not say, "It is evening now, and night has fallen, where shall we go now? The place is dangerous, the time is perilous;" but burning with desire, they entered the boat. For the evangelist does not simply note the time, but so that through this he might show their fervent love. For what reason, then, does he send them away and depart? Or rather, for what reason does he appear again walking alone on the sea? In the first case, teaching them how great a thing his absence is, and making their desire greater; in the second, again showing his own power. For just as in his teaching they did not hear everything with the crowd, so also in the signs they did not see everything with the multitude. For it was necessary for them, who were about to be entrusted with the care of the world, to have something more than the rest. "And what signs did they see by themselves?" you ask. The transfiguration on the mountain, this one on the sea, the many and great things after the resurrection. But I also conjecture others from these. And they were going to Capernaum, not knowing for sure, but expecting to find him there, or even in the middle of the voyage. At least John hinted at this, saying that darkness had already fallen, and Jesus had not come to them, and the sea was stirred up by a great wind blowing. What then did they do? They are troubled; and there were many things from many quarters compelling them to be so; both from the time, for it was dark; and from the storm, for the sea was stirred up; and from the place, for they were not near the land, but having rowed about twenty-five stadia; and lastly, from the strange sight; for they see him walking on the sea; to whom, being greatly troubled, he says, "It is I; be not afraid." For what reason, then, did he appear? To show that it is he who will calm the storm. For the evangelist showed this, saying that they were willing to receive him; and immediately the boat was near the land. For not only did he make the voyage safe for them, but also with a fair wind. But to the crowd he did not show himself walking on the sea; for the sign was greater than their weakness could bear. But not even to the disciples did he appear 59.246 doing this for long, but as soon as he appeared, he departed from them. And to me this sign seems to be different from the one in Matthew. And that it is different is clear from many things. For he often performs the same signs, so as to prepare those who see them not only to be greatly astonished, but also to receive them with great faith. "It is I; be not afraid." With the word he also cast out fear from their souls. But elsewhere he does not do so. For this reason, then, Peter also said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you." Why then did they not immediately accept this then, but were persuaded now? Because then the storm still remained, tossing the boat; but now with his voice the calm came; or if not this, it is that former thing which I already said, that by often performing the same signs, he made the later ones easily received in time on account of the former. But for what reason did he not get into the boat? Wishing to work a greater miracle, and at the same time to reveal his divinity to them more clearly, and to show that when he gave thanks then, he did not do so needing help, but condescending to them. And he allowed the storm to happen, so that they might always seek him; and again he stopped it immediately, so that he might make his power known; but he did not get into the boat, so that he might work a greater miracle. The next day the crowd that stood there saw that there was no other boat there, except the one into which his disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered with them; they also got into other boats, that had come from Tiberias. And for what reason does he speak so precisely

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Ἀφίησι τοὺς μαθητὰς, καὶ ἀνέρχεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος. Οἱ δὲ τοῦ διδασκάλου ἀπολειφθέντες, ὡς ὀψία ἐγένετο, κατέβησαν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν· καὶ μέχρι μὲν τῆς ἑσπέρας περιέμενον αὐτὸν, ἥξειν προσδοκῶντες πρὸς αὐτούς. Γενομένης δὲ ἑσπέρας, οὐκ ἔτι ἀνέχονται μὴ ἐπιζήτησιν αὐτοῦ ἐλθεῖν· τοσοῦτος αὐτοὺς κατεῖχεν ἔρως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπον· Ἑσπέρα νῦν ἐστι, καὶ νὺξ κατέλαβε, ποῦ νῦν ἀπελευσόμεθα; ἐπικίνδυνος ὁ τόπος, ἐπισφαλὴς ὁ καιρός· ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ πόθου πυρούμενοι, ἐνέβησαν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς καὶ τὸν καιρὸν ἐπισημαίνεται, ἀλλ' ὥστε διὰ τούτου τὴν θερμὴν αὐτῶν ἀγάπην ἐμφῆναι. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἀφίησιν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀναχωρεῖ; μᾶλλον δὲ, τίνος ἕνεκεν φαίνεται πάλιν μόνος ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης βαδίζων; Ἐκείνῳ μὲν διδάσκων αὐτοὺς πόσον ἐστὶν ἡ ἀπόλειψις, καὶ τὸν πόθον ἐργαζόμενος μείζονα· τούτῳ δὲ πάλιν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν ἐνδεικνύμενος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ οὐ μετὰ τοῦ ὄχλου πάντα ἤκουον, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν σημείων οὐ μετὰ τοῦ πλήθους πάντα ἑώρων. Ἐχρῆν γὰρ αὐτοὺς μέλλοντας ἐγχειρίζεσθαι τῆς οἰκουμένης τὴν προστασίαν, ἔχειν τι τῶν λοιπῶν πλέον. Καὶ ποῖα σημεῖα καθ' ἑαυτοὺς εἶδον; φησί. Τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους, τοῦτο τὸ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ὄντα. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἕτερα στοχάζομαι ἀπὸ τούτων. Ἤρχοντο δὲ εἰς Καπερναοὺμ, τὸ μὲν σαφὲς οὐκ εἰδότες, ἐκεῖ δὲ προσδοκῶντες, εὑρήσειν αὐτὸν, ἢ καὶ κατὰ μέσον τὸν πλοῦν. Τοῦτο γοῦν ὁ Ἰωάννης ᾐνίξατο εἰπὼν, ὅτι σκοτία ἤδη ἐγεγόνει, καὶ οὐκ ἐληλύθει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἥ τε θάλασσα μεγάλου ἀνέμου πνέοντος διηγείρετο. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; Ταράσσονται· πολλὰ δὲ ἦν τὰ τοῦτο ποιεῖν αὐτοὺς ἀναγκάζοντα, καὶ πολλαχόθεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ· σκοτία γὰρ ἦν· καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος· ἡ γὰρ θάλασσα διηγείρετο· καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου· οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν ἐγγὺς τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ' Ἐληλακότες ὡς σταδίους εἰκοσιπέντε· καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ παραδόξου τὸ τελευταῖον· Θεωροῦσι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης περιπατοῦντα· οἷς καὶ ταραχθεῖσι σφόδρα λέγει· Ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐφάνη; ∆εικνὺς ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν χειμῶνα λύσων. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐνέφηνεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἤθελον λαβεῖν αὐτόν· καὶ εὐθέως τὸ πλοῖον ἐγγὺς τῆς γῆς ἐγένετο. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἀσφαλῆ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ οὐρίων αὐτοῖς παρέσχε τὸν πλοῦν. Τῷ ὄχλῳ δὲ οὐκ ἐπέδειξεν ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης περιπατοῦντα· μεῖζον γὰρ ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀσθένειαν τὸ σημεῖον ἦν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὤφθη 59.246 ἐπὶ πολὺ τοῦτο ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ ἅμα τε ὤφθη, καὶ ἀπέστη ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δοκεῖ τὸ σημεῖον ἕτερον εἶναι τοῦ παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ κειμένου Καὶ ὅτι ἕτερον, πολλαχόθεν δῆλον. Πολλάκις γὰρ τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖ σημεῖα, ὥστε παρασκευάσαι μὴ μόνον σφόδρα ξενίζεσθαι τοὺς ὁρῶντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὰ δέχεσθαι πίστεως. Ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε. Μετὰ τοῦ ῥήματος καὶ τὴν δειλίαν ἐξέβαλεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνων ψυχῆς. Ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ οὐχ οὕτω ποιεῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἔλεγε· Κύριε, εἰ σὺ εἶ, κέλευσόν με πρὸς σὲ ἐλθεῖν. Πόθεν οὖν τότε μὲν οὐκ εὐθέως τοῦτο ἐδέξαντο, νῦν δὲ ἐπείσθησαν; Ὅτι τότε μὲν ἔτι ὁ χειμὼν ἐπέμενε σαλεύων τὸ πλοῖον· νῦν δὲ μετὰ τῆς φωνῆς ἡ γαλήνη παρεγένετο· ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, τὸ πρότερον ἐκεῖνό ἐστιν ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ὅτι πολλάκις τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῶν σημεῖα, εὐπαράδεκτα τῷ χρόνῳ τὰ δεύτερα ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων εἰργάζετο. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ πλοῖον; Τὸ θαῦμα μεῖζον ἐργάσασθαι βουλόμενος, καὶ ἅμα τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῖς ἐκκαλύψαι τρανότερον, καὶ δεῖξαι ὅτι τότε εὐχαριστήσας, οὐχὶ δεόμενος βοηθείας τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνοις συγκαταβαίνων. Καὶ εἴασε μὲν γενέσθαι τὸν χειμῶνα, ἵνα ἀεὶ αὐτὸν ἐπιζητῶσιν· ἔπαυσε δὲ πάλιν εὐθέως, ἵνα τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ γνωρίσῃ· οὐκ ἐνέβη δὲ εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, ἵνα τὸ θαῦμα μεῖζον ἐργάσηται. Τῇ ἐπαύριον ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ἑστηκὼς ἰδὼν ὅτι ἄλλο πλοιάριον οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖ, εἰ μὴ ἓν εἰς ὃ ἀνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὐ συνεισῆλθεν· ἐνέβησαν καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰς ἕτερα πλοιάρια, ἐλθόντα ἀπὸ Τιβεριάδος. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀκριβολογεῖται ὁ