23. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26. And he says to them, Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27. But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; Christ having performed many great and wonderful things on the land, passes to the sea, that there also He might Show forth His excellent power, presenting Himself before all men as the Lord of both earth and sea. And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him, not being weak but strong and established in the faith. Thus they followed Him not So much treading in His footsteps, as accompanying Him in holiness of spirit.
CHRYS. He took His disciples with Him, and in a boat, that they might learn two lessons; first, not to be confounded in dangers, secondly, to think lowly of themselves in honor. That they should not think great things of themselves because He kept them while He sent the rest away, He suffers them to be tossed by the waves. Where miracles were to be shown, He suffers the people to be present; where temptations and fears were to be stilled, there He takes with Him only the victors of the world, whom He would prepare for strife.
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; Therefore, having entered into the boat He caused the sea to rise; And, lo, there arose a great tempest in the sea, so that the boat was covered by the waves. This tempest did not arise of itself, but in obedience to the power of Him Who gave, commandment, who brings the winds out of his treasures. There arose a great tempest, that a great work might be wrought;. because by how much the more the waves rushed into the boat, so much the more were the disciples troubled, and sought to be delivered by the wonderful power of the Savior.
CHRYS. They had seen others made partakers of Christ's mercies, but for as much as no man has so strong a sense of those things that are done in the person of another as of what is done to himself, it was necessary that in their own bodies they should feel Christ's mercies. Therefore He willed that this tempest should arise, that in their deliverance they might have a more lively sense of His goodness. This tossing of the sea was a type of their future trials of which Paul speaks, I would not have you ignorant, brethren, how that we were troubled beyond our strength. But that there might be time for their fear to arise, it follows, But he was asleep. For if the storm had arisen while He was awake, they would either not have feared, or not have prayed Him, or would not have believed that He had the power to still it.
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; Wonderful, stupendous event! He that never slumbers nor sleeps, is said to be asleep. He slept with His body, but was awake in His Deity, showing that He bare a truly human body which He had taken on Him, corruptible. He slept with the body that He might cause the Apostles to watch, and that we all should never sleep with our mind. With so great fear were the disciples seized, and almost beside themselves, that they rushed to Him, and did not modestly or gently rouse Him, but violently awakened Him, His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish.
JEROME; Of this miracle we have a type in Jonah, who while all are in danger is himself unconcerned, sleeps, and is awakened.
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; O you true disciples! You have the Savior with you and do you fear danger? Life itself is among you, and are you afraid of death? They would answer, We are yet children, and weak, and are therefore afraid; whence it follows, Jesus says to them, Why are you afraid, O you of little faith? As though He had said, If you have known me mighty upon earth, why believe you not that I am also mighty upon the sea? And even though death were threatening you, ought you not to support it with constancy? He who believes a little will be reasoned with; he who believes not at all will be neglected.
CHRYS. If any should say, that this was a sign of no small faith to go and rouse Jesus;. it is rather a sign that they had not a fight opinion concerning Him. They knew that when wakened He could rebuke the waves, but they did not yet know that He could do it while sleeping. For this cause He did not do this wonder in the presence of the multitudes, that they should not be charged with their little faith; but He takes His disciples apart to correct them, and first stills the raging of the waters. Thereof He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
JEROME. From this passage we understand, that all creation is conscious of its Creator; for what may be rebuked and commanded is conscious of the mind commanding. I do not mean as some heretics hold, that the whole creation is animate - but by the power of the Maker things which to us have no consciousness have to Him.
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; There fore He gave commandment to time winds and the sea, and frown a great storm it became a great calm. For it behoves Him that is great to do great things; therefore lie who first greatly stirred the depths of the sea, now again commands a great calm, that the disciples who had been too much troubled might have great rejoicing.
CHRYS; Observe also that the storm is stilled at once entirely, and no trace of disturbance appears; which is beyond nature for when a storm ceases in the counsel of nature, yet the water is wont to be agitated for some time longer, but here all is tranquillity at once. Thus what is said of the Father, He spoke, and the storm of wind ceased, this Christ fulfilled in deed; for by His word and bidding only he stayed and checked the waters. For from His appearance, from His sleeping, and His using a boat, they that were present supposed Him a man only, and on this account they fell into admiration of Him; And the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?
GLOSS; Chrysostom explains this, What manner of man is this? His sleeping and His appearance showed the man; the sea and the calm pointed out the God.
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; But who were the men that marveled? You must not think that the Apostles are here meant, for we never find the Lord's disciples mentioned with disrespect; they are always called either the Disciples or the Apostles. They marveled them who sailed with Him, whose was the boat.
JEROME; But if any shall contend that it was the disciples who wondered, we shall answer they are rightly spoken of as' the men,' seeing they had not yet learned the power of the Savior.
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; This is not a question, What manner of man is this? but an affirmation that He is one whom the winds and the sea obey. What manner of man then is this? That is, how powerful, how mighty, how great! He commands every creature, and they transgress not His law; men alone disobey, and are therefore condemned by His judgment. Figuratively; we are all embarked in the vessel of the Holy Church, and voyaging through this stormy world with the Lord. The Lord himself sleeps a merciful sleep while we suffer, and awaits time repentance of the wicked.
HILARY; Or; he sleeps, because by our sloth He is cast asleep in us. This is done that we may hope aid from God in fear of danger; and that hope though late may be confident that it shall escape danger by the might of Christ watching within.
PSEUDO-ORIGEN; Let us therefore come to Him with joy saying with the Prophet, Arise, O Lord, why do you sleep? And He will command the winds, that is, the demons, who raise the waves, that is, the rulers of the world, to persecute the saints, and He shall make a great calm around both body and spirit, peace for the Church, stillness for the world.
RABAN; Otherwise; The sea is the turmoil of the world; the boat in which Christ is embarked is to be understood the tree of the cross, by the aid of which the faithful having passed the waves of the world arrive in their heavenly country, as on a safe shore, whither Christ goes with His own; whence He says below, he that will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. When then Christ was fixed on the cross, a great commotion was raised, the minds of His disciples troubled at His passion, and the boat was covered by the waves. For the whole strength of persecution was around time cross of Christ, on which He died; as it is here, But he was asleep. His sleep is death. The disciples awaken the Lord, when troubled at His death; they seek His resurrection with earnest prayers, saying, Save us, by rising again; we perish, by our trouble at Your death. He rises again, and rebukes the hardness of their hearts, as we read in other places. He commands the winds, in that He overthrew the power of the Devil; He commanded the sea, in that He disappointed the malice of the Jews; and there was a great calm, because the minds of the disciples were calmed when they beheld His resurrection.
BEDE; Or; The boat is the present Church, it which Christ passes over the sea of this world with His own, and stills the waves of persecution. Wherefore we may wonder, and give thanks.
Catena Aurea Matthew 8