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For since they did not recognize him by sight, both because of the strangeness of his walking and because of the time, he makes himself known by his voice. What then says Peter, who is everywhere fervent and always leaps ahead of the others? “Lord, if it is you,” he says, “command me to come to you on the water.” He did not say, “Pray and beseech,” but, “Command.” Do you see how great his fervor? how great his faith? And yet from this he is often in danger, from seeking beyond measure. For here too he sought something very great, only because of love, not for display. For he did not say, “Command me to walk on the water;” but what? “Command me to come to you.” For no one loved Jesus so much. This he also did after the resurrection 58.506; he could not bear to come with the others, but leaped out ahead. But he demonstrates not only his love, but also his faith. For he not only believed that He is able to walk on the sea, but also that he can bring others to do so, and he desires to be near him quickly. And he said, "Come." And getting down from the boat, Peter walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me.” And immediately Jesus stretching out his hand took hold of him, and says to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” This is more wondrous than the former. For this reason this happens after that. For when he had shown that he commands the sea, then he also leads the sign on to what is more marvelous. For then he only rebuked the winds; but now he himself also walks, and grants to another to do this; which if he had commanded to happen at the beginning, Peter would not have accepted it in the same way, because he did not yet possess such great faith. 2. For what reason then did Christ permit it? For if he had said, “You cannot,” again, being fervent, he would have contradicted him. For this reason he persuades him from the facts, so that in the future he might be made sober-minded. But not even so does he hold back. Getting down, therefore, he is tossed by the waves; for he was afraid. And this caused the tossing; and the wind produced the fear. But John says that “they were willing to receive him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going;” indicating this very same thing. So that as they were about to be at the land, he got into the boat. Therefore, getting down from the boat, he went toward him, rejoicing not so much in walking on the waters, as in coming to him. And having overcome the greater thing, he was about to suffer ill from the lesser, I mean from the force of the wind, not of the sea. For such is human nature; often accomplishing great things, it is convicted in the lesser. As Elijah suffered in the case of Jezebel; as Moses in the case of the Egyptian; as David in the case of Bathsheba. So also this man; while the fear was still intense, he dared to step upon the waters, but against the blast of the wind he was no longer able to stand, and this though being near Christ. Thus it is of no benefit to be near Christ, if one is not near in faith. And this also showed the distance between the Teacher and the disciple, and it comforted the others. For if they were indignant at the two brothers, much more so here; for they had not yet been deemed worthy of the Spirit. But after these things they were not such. At any rate, everywhere they yield the first place to Peter, and in their public speeches they put him forward, even though he was more unpolished than the others. And why did he not command the winds to cease, but himself stretched out his hand and took hold of him? Because his faith was needed. For when what is from us is lacking, what is from God also comes to a standstill. Showing therefore that not the blast of the wind, but his little faith caused the upset, he says, “Why did you doubt, O you of little faith?” So that if his faith had not weakened, he would have easily stood even against the wind. For this very reason, even while taking hold of him, he allows the wind to blow, showing that it does no harm when faith is firm. And just as a fledgling that has left the nest before its time and is about to 58.507 fall, the mother bird, catching it up on her wings, brings it back to the nest, so also did Christ. And

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Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον, καὶ διὰ τὸ παράδοξον τῆς βαδίσεως καὶ διὰ τὸν καιρὸν, ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς δῆλον ἑαυτὸν ποιεῖ. Τί οὖν ὁ Πέτρος, ὁ πανταχοῦ θερμὸς καὶ ἀεὶ τῶν ἄλλων προπηδῶν; Κύριε, εἰ σὺ εἶ, φησὶ, κέλευσόν με πρὸς σὲ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Εὖξαι καὶ παρακάλεσον, ἀλλὰ, Κέλευσον. Εἶδες πόση ἡ θερμότης; πόση ἡ πίστις; Καίτοιγε ἐκ τούτου πολλαχοῦ κινδυνεύει, ἐκ τοῦ πέρα τοῦ μέτρου ζητεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα πολὺ μέγα ἐζήτησε, δι' ἀγάπην μόνον, οὐ δι' ἐπίδειξιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε, Κέλευσόν με βαδίσαι ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα· ἀλλὰ τί; Κέλευσόν με ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σέ. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτως ἐφίλει τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Τοῦτο καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐποίη 58.506 σεν· οὐκ ἠνέσχετο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλὰ προεπήδησεν. Οὐ τὴν ἀγάπην δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐπιδείκνυται. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐπίστευσεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς δύναται περιπατεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἑτέρους ἐνάγειν καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖ ταχέως ἐγγὺς αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Ἐλθέ. Καὶ καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου ὁ Πέτρος, περιεπάτησεν ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα, καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Βλέπων δὲ τὸν ἄνεμον ἰσχυρὸν, ἐφοβήθη, καὶ ἀρξάμενος καταποντίζεσθαι, ἔκραξε λέγων· Κύριε, σῶσόν με. Εὐθέως δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὀλιγόπιστε, εἰς τί ἐδίστασας; Τοῦτο τοῦ προτέρου παραδοξότερον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μετ' ἐκεῖνο τοῦτο γίνεται. Ὅτε γὰρ ἔδειξεν, ὅτι κρατεῖ τῆς θαλάσσης, τότε καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ θαυμαστότερον ἐξάγει τὸ σημεῖον. Τότε μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἀνέμοις ἐπετίμησε μόνον· νυνὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς βαδίζει, καὶ ἑτέρῳ παραχωρεῖ τοῦτο ποιεῖν· ὅπερ εἰ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν γενέσθαι ἐκέλευσε, οὐκ ἂν ὁμοίως κατεδέξατο ὁ Πέτρος, διὰ τὸ μηδέπω τοσαύτην κεκτῆσθαι πίστιν. βʹ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπέτρεψε; Καὶ γὰρ εἰ εἶπεν, Οὐ δύνασαι, πάλιν θερμὸς ὢν ἀντεῖπεν ἄν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτὸν πείθει, ἵνα εἰς τὸ μέλλον σωφρονισθῇ. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀνέχεται. Καταβὰς τοίνυν κλυδωνίζεται· ἐφοβήθη γάρ. Καὶ τοῦτο τὸ κλυδώνιον ἐποίησε· τὸν δὲ φόβον ὁ ἄνεμος εἰργάσατο. Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης φησὶν, ὅτι Ἤθελον λαβεῖν αὐτὸν εἰςτὸ πλοῖον, καὶ εὐθέως τὸ πλοῖον ἐγένετο εἰς τὴν γῆν, εἰς ἣν ὑπῆγον· τὸ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο δηλῶν. Ὥστε μελλόντων αὐτῶν πρὸς τῇ γῇ γίνεσθαι, ἐπέβη τοῦ πλοίου. Καταβὰς τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου, πρὸς αὐτὸν ᾔει, οὐχ οὕτω τῷ περιπατεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων, ὡς τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔρχεσθαι χαίρων. Καὶ τοῦ μείζονος περιγενόμενος, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλάττονος ἔμελλε πάσχειν κακῶς, τῆς τοῦ ἀνέμου λέγω ῥύμης, οὐ τῆς θαλάττης. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις· πολλάκις τὰ μεγάλα κατορθοῦσα, ἐν τοῖς ἐλάττοσιν ἐλέγχεται. Οἷον ὁ Ἠλίας ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰεζάβελ ἔπαθεν· οἷον ὁ Μωϋσῆς ἐπὶ τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου· οἷον ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐπὶ τῆς Βηρσαβεέ. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος· ἔτι τοῦ φόβου ἐνακμάζοντος ἐπιβῆναι τῶν ὑδάτων ἐθάῤῥησε, πρὸς δὲ τὴν τοῦ ἀνέμου ἐμβολὴν οὐκέτι ἠδυνήθη στῆναι, καὶ ταῦτα ἐγγὺς ὢν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὕτως οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ ἐγγὺς εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μὴ πίστει ὄντα ἐγγύς. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὸ μέσον ἐδείκνυ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου καὶ τοῦ μαθητοῦ, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους παρεμυθεῖτο. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν ἠγανάκτησαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐνταῦθα· οὔπω γὰρ ἦσαν Πνεύματος ἠξιωμένοι. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα οὐ τοιοῦτοι. Πανταχοῦ γοῦν τῶν πρωτείων παραχωροῦσι τῷ Πέτρῳ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς δημηγορίαις αὐτὸν προβάλλονται, καίτοιγε ἀγροικότερον τῶν ἄλλων διακείμενον. Καὶ διατί οὐκ ἐπέταξε τοῖς ἀνέμοις παύσασθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ; Ὅτι τῆς ἐκείνου πίστεως ἔδει. Ὅταν γὰρ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἐλλιμπάνῃ, καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἵσταται. ∆εικνὺς τοίνυν ὅτι οὐχ ἡ τοῦ ἀνέμου ἐμβολὴ, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐκείνου ὀλιγοπιστία τὴν περιτροπὴν εἰργάσατο, φησίν· Εἰς τί ἐδίστασας, ὀλιγόπιστε; Ὥστε εἰ μὴ ἡ πίστις ἠσθένησε, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνεμον ἂν ἔστη ῥᾳδίως. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενος αὐτοῦ, τὸν ἄνεμον ἐᾷ πνεῖν, δηλῶν ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐκεῖνος παραβλάπτει, ὅταν ἡ πίστις ᾖ πεπηγυῖα. Καὶ καθάπερ νεοττὸν πρὸ καιροῦ τῆς καλιᾶς ἐξελθόντα καὶ μέλλοντα κατα 58.507 πίπτειν, ἡ μήτηρ ταῖς πτέρυξι διαβαστάσασα πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν καλιὰν ἄγει, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησε. Καὶ