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we were burdened excessively, beyond our power, so that we despaired even of life; and after this again, Who delivered us from so great a death. Showing then from this, that one must be of good courage, even if great waves are stirred up, and that he manages all things for our benefit, he first rebukes them. For even their being thrown into confusion happened for their benefit, so that the miracle might appear greater, and the memory of what happened might become lasting. For when something paradoxical is about to happen, many things are prepared beforehand that create memory, so that after the miracle has passed, they might not fall into forgetfulness. Thus also Moses is first afraid of the serpent, and he is afraid not simply, but even with much anguish, and then he sees that paradoxical thing happening. Thus also these men, having first expected to perish, were then saved; so that by acknowledging the danger, they might learn the greatness of the miracle. For this reason he also sleeps; for if it had happened while he was awake, either they would not have been afraid, or they would not have called upon him, or they would not even have thought him able to do such a thing. For this reason he sleeps, giving opportunity for their cowardice, and making their perception of what was happening clearer. For one does not see things happening in the bodies of others in the same way as things happening in oneself. Since, therefore, they saw everyone receiving benefits, but had enjoyed none themselves, and they were at ease, (for they were neither lame, nor had any other such sickness), and it was necessary for them to enjoy his benefits through their own perception; he permits the storm, so that through the deliverance they might receive a clearer perception of the benefit. For this reason he does not do this in the presence of the crowds, so that they might not be condemned for little faith; but taking them alone he corrects them, and before the storm of the waters he calms the storm of their soul, rebuking and saying: Why are you cowardly, you of little faith? and at the same time teaching that fear is produced not by the bringing on of temptations, but by the weakness of the mind. But if someone should say that it was not of cowardice, nor of little faith, to go and wake him, I would say this, that this very thing was a great sign of not having the proper opinion about him. For they knew that he is able to rebuke when awakened; but that he could do so even while sleeping, they did not yet know. And why do you wonder, if now, when even after many other miracles they were still imperfectly disposed? Therefore they are also often rebuked, as when he says, Are you also still without understanding? Do not wonder then, 57.352, if while the disciples were imperfectly disposed the crowds imagined nothing great about him; For they were marveling, saying: What kind of man is this, that even the sea and the winds obey him? But Christ did not rebuke them because they called him a man, but waited, teaching them through the signs that their supposition was mistaken. From where did they suppose him a man? Both from his appearance, and from his sleeping, and from his using a boat. For this reason indeed they fell into perplexity, saying: What kind of man is this? For his sleep and his appearance showed a man; but the sea and the calm revealed a God. 2. For since Moses also did something of this kind once, from this also he shows his superiority; and that the one works miracles as a servant, but the other as a Master. For he did not hold out a rod like that one, nor stretch out his hands to heaven, nor did he need prayer; but just as it is fitting for a master commanding a handmaid, and a Creator his creation, so he both calmed and bridled it by word and command alone; and immediately the whole squall ceased, and not even a trace of the disturbance remained. For the evangelist showed this by saying: And there was a great calm. And what had been said of the Father as a great thing, this he himself showed again through his works. And what had been said about him? He spoke, it says, and a stormy wind arose. So also here: He spoke, and there was a great calm. Wherefore the crowds especially marveled at him, who would not have marveled, if he had acted as that one did. But when he disembarked from the sea, another more fearful miracle follows. For the demoniacs, just like wicked runaway slaves seeing their master, were saying: What have we to do with you, Jesus, Son of God?

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ὑπερβολὴν ἐβαρήθημεν ὑπὲρ δύναμιν, ὥστε ἐξαπορηθῆναι ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦ ζῇν· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν, Ὃς ἐκ τηλικούτων θανάτων ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς. ∆εικνὺς τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι θαῤῥεῖν χρὴ, κἂν μεγάλα διεγείρηται τὰ κύματα, καὶ ὅτι πάντα συμφερόντως οἰκονομεῖ, πρῶτον αὐτοῖς ἐπιτιμᾷ. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ θορυβηθῆναι συμφερόντως ἐγίνετο, ὥστε μεῖζον φανῆναι τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ διηνεκῆ γενέσθαι τοῦ συμβάντος τὴν μνήμην. Ὅταν γὰρ παράδοξόν τι γενέσθαι μέλλῃ, πολλὰ προκατασκευάζεται πρότερον μνήμης ποιητικὰ, ἵνα μὴ μετὰ τὸ παρελθεῖν τὸ θαῦμα εἰς λήθην ἐμπέσωσιν. Οὕτω καὶ Μωϋσῆς πρότερον φοβεῖται τὸν ὄφιν, καὶ φοβεῖται οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀγωνίας, καὶ τότε ὁρᾷ τὸ παράδοξον ἐκεῖνο γινόμενον. Οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι, προσδοκήσαντες ἀπόλλυσθαι πρότερον, τότε ἐσώθησαν· ἵνα ὁμολογήσαντες τὸν κίνδυνον, μάθωσι τοῦ θαύματος τὸ μέγεθος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ καθεύδει· εἰ γὰρ ἐγρηγορότος ἐγένετο, ἢ οὐκ ἂν ἐφοβήθησαν, ἢ οὐκ ἂν παρεκάλεσαν, ἢ οὐδ' ἂν ἐνόμισαν αὐτὸν δύνασθαι τοιοῦτόν τι ποιεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καθεύδει, διδοὺς καιρὸν τῇ δειλίᾳ, καὶ τρανοτέραν αὐτοῖς ποιῶν τὴν αἴσθησιν τῶν γινομένων. Οὐ γὰρ ὁμοίως τις ὁρᾷ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις σώμασι γινόμενα, καὶ τὰ ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πάντας εἶδον εὐεργετηθέντας, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ οὐδενὸς ἀπολελαυκότας, καὶ ὕπτιοι ἦσαν, (οὔτε γὰρ χωλοὶ, οὔτε ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον νόσημα εἶχον), ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς διὰ τῆς οἰκείας αἰσθήσεως ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν· συγχωρεῖ τὸν χειμῶνα, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς σαφεστέραν λάβωσιν αἴσθησιν τῆς εὐεργεσίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ παρόντων τῶν ὄχλων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὥστε μὴ καταγνωσθῆναι ὀλιγοπιστίας· ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς μόνους λαβὼν διορθοῦται, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος τῶν ὑδάτων τὸν χειμῶνα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν λύει, ἐπιτιμῶν καὶ λέγων· Τί δειλοί ἐστε, ὀλιγόπιστοι; καὶ παιδεύων ὁμοῦ, ὅτι τὸν φόβον οὐχ ἡ τῶν πειρασμῶν ἐργάζεται ἐπαγωγὴ, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς διανοίας ἀσθενές. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις, ὅτι δειλίας οὐκ ἦν, οὐδὲ ὀλιγοπιστίας, τὸ προσελθόντας ἐγεῖραι, ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι, ὅτι τοῦτο αὐτὸ μάλιστα σημεῖον ἦν τοῦ μὴ τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἔχειν. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ δύναται ἐπιτιμᾷν ἐγερθεὶς, ᾔδεσαν· ὅτι δὲ καὶ καθεύδων, οὐδέπω. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ νῦν, ὅπου γε καὶ μετὰ πολλὰ ἕτερα θαύματα ἀτελέστερον ἔτι διέκειντο; ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπιτιμῶνται πολλάκις, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, Ἀκμὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀσύνετοί ἐστε; Μὴ τοίνυν θαυμά 57.352 σῃς, εἰ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀτελέστερον διακειμένων οἱ ὄχλοι οὐδὲν μέγα περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐφαντάζοντο· Ἐθαύμαζον γὰρ λέγοντες· Ποταπός ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι καὶ ἡ θάλασσα καὶ οἱ ἄνεμοι ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ; Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐπετίμησεν, ὅτι ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν ἐκάλουν, ἀλλ' ἀνέμενε, διὰ τῶν σημείων αὐτοὺς διδάσκων, ὅτι πεπλανημένη ἦν αὐτῶν ἡ ὑπόληψις. Πόθεν δὲ ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν ἐνόμιζον; Ἀπό τε τῆς ὄψεως, ἀπό τε τοῦ ὕπνου, καὶ τοῦ πλοίῳ κεχρῆσθαι. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο εἰς ἀμηχανίαν ἐξέπιπτον λέγοντες· Ποταπός ἐστιν οὗτος; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὕπνος καὶ τὸ φαινόμενον ἄνθρωπον ἐδείκνυ· ἡ δὲ θάλαττα καὶ ἡ γαλήνη Θεὸν ἐνέφαινεν. βʹ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐποίησέ τι τοιοῦτόν ποτε, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δείκνυσι τὴν ὑπεροχήν· καὶ ὅτι ὁ μὲν ὡς δοῦλος, ὁ δὲ ὡς ∆εσπότης θαυματουργεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ ῥάβδον ἔτεινεν ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος, οὐδὲ χεῖρας ἐξέτεινεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὐδὲ εὐχῆς ἐδεήθη· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ εἰκὸς δεσπότην ἐπιτάττοντα θεραπαινίδι, καὶ ∆ημιουργὸν κτίσματι, οὕτως αὐτὴν κατέστειλέ τε καὶ ἐχαλίνωσε λόγῳ καὶ ἐπιτάγματι μόνον· καὶ πᾶσα εὐθέως ἐλύετο ἡ ζάλη, καὶ οὐδὲ ἴχνος ἀπέμενε τῆς ταραχῆς. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδήλωσεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἰπών· Καὶ ἐγένετο γαλήνη μεγάλη. Καὶ ὅπερ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὡς μέγα εἴρητο, τοῦτο αὐτὸς διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπεδείξατο πάλιν. Τί δὲ εἴρητο περὶ αὐτοῦ; Εἶπε, φησὶ, καὶ ἔστη πνεῦμα καταιγίδος. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα· Εἶπε, καὶ ἐγένετο γαλήνη μεγάλη. ∆ιὸ μάλιστα καὶ ἐθαύμαζον οἱ ὄχλοι αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσαντες, εἴπερ οὕτως ἐποίησεν ὡς ἐκεῖνος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπέβη τῆς θαλάττης, διαδέχεται θαῦμα ἕτερον φοβερώτερον. ∆αιμονῶντες γὰρ καθάπερ δραπέται πονηροὶ δεσπότην ἰδόντες, ἔλεγον· Τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοὶ, Ἰησοῦ Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ;