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Who walked on water. Where does despair come from and how to overcome it for sure

From today we are on the Sea of Galilee. So many New Testament stories took place in the cities around this great lake.

I'm thinking about Matthew 14:22, where Yeshua walks on water.

The Bible says:

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“immediately Jesus compelled his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side ... until he let the people go. And having dismissed the people, He went up the mountain to pray in private; and stayed there alone in the evening. And the boat was already at a great distance from the shore, and it was tossed with waves, because the wind was nasty.

In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And the disciples, seeing Him walking on the sea, were troubled...

‘It’s a ghost,’ they cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately spoke to them and said, “Be of good cheer; it is I, do not be afraid.’ Peter answered Him, ‘Lord! if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.' 'Go,' said Yeshua. And, getting out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus, but, seeing a strong wind, he got scared and, starting to drown, cried out: ‘Lord! save me.’ Jesus immediately stretched out his hand, held him up.”

You know, a lot of people focus on Peter falling into the water. I don't focus on that, I focus on this simple zeal of Peter, that he was ready to walk on water. And you know, what Peter did, you never did, and I never did, he walked on water.

When I was a new believer, I heard a radio preacher talk about calling on the people to just take oil and pray for the people. He talked about a guy who accepted this challenge - went to the hospital, began to pray for people. They began to heal. Then he saw a dead body. He anointed him with oil and brought him back to life. And because of this, he was arrested. They took him, put him in jail... But they never took his butter! And he began to preach the gospel in prison. People began to flee.

And when I heard this story, it inspired me so much... I took the oil and went to the local hospital. And I just started the life of a believer, I was 19 years old ... I started going from ward to ward, praying for people, and after a while they kicked me out, but not before someone prayed a prayer of repentance and accepted the Lord.

And when my friends heard about it, they laughed, they say: "Oh, that simple-hearted zeal of young Ron." But you know what? I never thought of it in that light. I can't tell you that it was God who told me to do this. But I love this simple zeal of new believers who read the stories in the Bible and say: "Why can't I do it?"

You can do it, I can do it. Peter walked on this water.

Gospel According to Mark English Donald

3. Jesus walks on water (6:45-52)

And immediately he compelled His disciples to enter the boat and go forward to the other side to Bethsaida, while He would let the people go. 46 And having sent them away, he went up to the mountain to pray. 47 In the evening the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 And I saw them in distress on the voyage, because the wind was contrary to them; about the fourth watch of the night, he approached them, walking on the sea, and wanted to pass them. 49 When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 50 For they all saw him and were afraid. And straightway he spoke to them, and said to them, Be of good cheer; It's me, don't be afraid. 51 And he got into the boat with them; and the wind died down. And they were exceedingly amazed at themselves and marveled. 52 For they did not understand by the miracle of the loaves, because their hearts were hardened.

One remarkable miracle was followed by another, even more remarkable. As with the feeding of thousands, our judgment of the authenticity of what happened depends on our perception of who Jesus is and how His authority was exercised on earth. However, we need to remember that our attitude to this will depend, in turn, on what Mark and other authors tell in their Gospels, since they are, after all, the main eyewitnesses. They were neither fools nor deceivers. The main problem in the demythologization of gospel events is the appearance in the 20th century of many new myths that replaced the myths of the first centuries. As a result, it becomes unclear why Jesus died at all and why did He need to die for today? By accepting the stories as Mark presents them, we can answer both questions.

Apparently, Peter shared his memories of this event with the author. Quite typical of an eyewitness account is the remark in verse 48, which is rather difficult to understand - wanted to get past them. It can be seen how natural the power of Jesus over nature and how painful the struggle of the disciples, trying to realize the meaning of what is happening. This double angle of vision seems to be Mark's main goal.

What He made students... go ahead(45) shows that Jesus wanted to give them the rest they needed. It is difficult to determine the time of this incident, given the following phrases: ... how much time has passed ... and already a lot of time(35) and in the evening(47). However, it is quite possible to solve this problem if, together with Taylor, the reference in verse 35 is taken to mean "the day was drawing to a close." Verses 47 and 48 suggest that the time was indeed later, much later than when the crowd should have been sent out in search of food.

Mark again returns to an aspect of Jesus' ministry to which he would like to draw our attention (46). Not only did the disciples need rest, Jesus also needed prayerful fellowship with His Heavenly Father.

After praying, Jesus sees the disciples fighting the wind on the lake (48) and goes to them right on the waters of the lake. The next sentence leaves us in the same confusion as the previous one! He wanted to get past them. Sometimes we have to admit our inability to understand something that makes us guess. The idea that He wanted to reach the opposite shore before the disciples seems far-fetched, since it is not clear why and for what purpose He would have done this. More convincing is the suggestion in Luke 24:28 and John 20:15 that Jesus seeks to help His disciples gain new perception or greater maturity. Although why Mark does not speak openly about this is not clear. Most likely, he just stays true to his sources. There is no such detail in the Gospel of Matthew. The third possibility is that Jesus actually walked by to see if they had learned their lesson from the previous occasion when He calmed the raging sea. They were alone in the boat and felt as lonely as when Jesus slept in the stern. Now He was with them again and again did nothing to help them. Will the disciples be able to understand this time that they are safe when He is near?

The answer is no! Not only did they not gain confidence in His presence, but they did not even recognize Him (49:50). He appeared in such a way that he not only failed to reassure them, but, in fact, confused them. Their reassurance or fright depended on the perception of the circumstances that had arisen in the light of their experience. They failed the test again. cried out and scared(49.50). When He made Himself known in the usual way, responding with words of comfort and exhortation not to be afraid, with His physical presence in the boat, they were as calm as then in the storm (50:51). But this time, too, they were astonished and marveled (51).

The way Mark explains their latest failure is also surprising (52), for we expect mention of the episode with the calming of the storm (4:35-41). However, he does not do this, and we are justified in asking what connection exists between the feeding of five thousand people and walking on water.

The explanation can be found in the Old Testament past. God fed His people not only with manna from heaven (Ex. 16), but also in other ways and in other places (1 Kings 17:8-16; 2 Kings 4:1-7, 42-44). Thus, He was known as the God who feeds His people (Neh. 9:15; Ps. 77:24,25). Participating in the feeding of the crowd, the disciples personally felt God, again miraculously feeding His people through Jesus Christ. They should have discovered this connection, for the Old Testament also speaks of God walking on or passing through the waters (Job 9:8; 38:16; Ps. 76:20; Isaiah 43:16). It is not necessary that they remember these passages. Rather, the experience of any such miracle was to be a way for them to understand who they had been communicating with for so long. Jesus, their Master, was endowed with an authority that they could only assume in the God revealed in Scripture. However, for them, apparently, the time of understanding has not yet come. They still perceived each miracle as something independent. They attributed them to Jesus, but had not yet learned to see deeper and further to discover the Source that would immediately open their eyes to Who He is.

This may explain the words of Jesus walking on the waters: It's me (I I am), which are reminiscent of the divine self-determination given in the Old Testament (Ex. 3:14; Is. 41:4; 43:10; 52:6). How could He, without going beyond the limits of His reincarnation and without imposing His will, speak out more clearly about what awaits from them the trust of faith?

This text is an introductory piece.

18. Why did God allow His sons to take for themselves a wife of their choice? And who are these sons if God has One Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ? Are we talking about angels here? Some think that here the expression "sons of God" should be understood as angels. However, it is not.

Jesus Christ walks on water After Jesus Christ fed a multitude of people with five loaves of bread and two fishes, He ascended a mountain near the sea alone to pray, and ordered His disciples to cross to the other side in a boat. The disciples obeyed this command of Jesus. But

3. Jesus walks on the water (6:45-52) And immediately urged His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead to the other side to Bethsaida, while He would let the people go. 46 And having sent them away, he went up to the mountain to pray. 47 In the evening the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 And I saw them in distress in

About holy water All our life next to us is a great shrine - holy water (in Greek "agiasma" - "shrine"). Consecrated water is an image of the grace of God: it cleanses believers from spiritual filth, sanctifies and strengthens them for the feat of salvation in God. We are diving for the first time

Peter walks on water One day Jesus said to His disciples: “Sail to the other side, and I will speak to the people. The students got into the boat and sailed away. Night came, it became very dark. And the boat sailed and sailed on the lake, as big as the sea. Suddenly a strong wind blew, a storm began.

31. I did not know Him; but for this he came to baptize with water, that he might be revealed to Israel. 32 And John testified, saying, I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and dwell on him. 33. I did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, On whom will you see the Spirit descending and

20. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be reproved, because they are evil, 21. but he who does what is right goes to the light, that his works may be manifest, because they are done in God. Christ spoke now about a certain circle of persons from the Jewish

5. Jesus, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a multitude of people were coming to him, said to Philip, Where can we buy bread to feed them? 6. He said this, testing him; for he himself knew what he wanted to do. The Lord addresses a question to Philip, so that he is convinced that the usual

20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him; Mary was at home. 21. Then Martha said to Jesus: Lord! if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22. But even now I know that whatever You ask God, God will give You. Some interpreters (e.g. Geikie) believe that

12. On the next day, a multitude of people who came to the feast, having heard that Jesus was going to Jerusalem. The events mentioned in verses 10-11, of course, could not take place during only one day, and therefore the expression "on the next day" must be understood in the meaning of the designation of the day,

35. Then Jesus said to them, For a little while the light is with you; walk while there is light, lest darkness overtake you: but he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36. As long as the light is with you, believe in the light, that you may be children of the light. Having said this, Jesus departed and hid from them. The Lord meets again

12. Jesus says to them: Come, have dinner. None of the disciples dared to ask Him: who are You?, knowing that it is the Lord. 13. Jesus comes, takes the bread and gives them, also the fish. 14. This is the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. Reverent fear is not

30. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, began to cry: Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David! (Mark 10:46, 47; Luke 18:35-38). Matthew speaks of two blind men whom the Savior healed after leaving Jericho; Mark - about one thing, calling him by name (Bartimaeus);

Jesus walks on the water (Mark 6:45-51; John 6:16-21)22 Immediately afterwards, Jesus told the disciples to get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while He Himself remained until He sent the people away. 23 And when the people had dispersed, Jesus went up the mountain alone to pray. Evening came and Jesus

Jesus walks on water (Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-51)16 When evening came, Jesus' disciples went down to the lake 17 and got into a boat and sailed across the lake to Capernaum. It was already dark, but Jesus was not there. 18 The lake raged because a strong wind blew. 19 Swim about twenty-five or

On water as on land In Novgorod in the XIV century lived Nicholas, the holy fool for Christ's sake. From his youth he went to temples, fell in love with prayer and fasting. Seeing his virtuous life, people began to praise him. Then the blessed one, frightened of glory, began to play the fool for the sake of the Lord.

The episode we are talking about in today's reading - the walking of Christ on the waters - is unique in its own way. It is told about in three gospels: from Matthew, Mark and John, only Luke is silent about this event. On the other hand, all four Gospels describe an episode that immediately precedes the walking on the water, namely, what we heard about in church last week, the feeding of five thousand people with five loaves. This is important, because in order to better understand the meaning of today's reading, one should first outline the general context: where and when the described event occurs. Then we will understand what it meant for the participants in these events, for the apostles, in particular - for the Apostle Peter, and also - what does it mean for us today?

So, comparing the different Gospels, we can conclude that this event took place during the celebration of the Jewish Passover, in the spring of the third year of the Lord's earthly ministry, that is, a year before the Passion of Christ. This is a special time for the Lord. Evangelist Matthew in the same 14th chapter tells about the death of John the Baptist by Herod. The public ministry of the Lord, the Galilean period during which Christ preaches, works miracles, gathers disciples and chooses the closest apostles from them, is drawing to a close. This period ends with the great miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish - Christ will not work more such large-scale miracles.

At the same time, a difficult situation develops around Christ: Herod, hearing the rumor about Jesus, remembers the murdered John and believes that Christ is the resurrected Baptist. Apparently, some kind of oppression begins: it is not for nothing that in the subsequent chapters the Evangelist Matthew says that Jesus and his disciples go to the limits of Tire and Sidon, that is, leave the possessions of Herod. The relations of the Lord with the top of the Jewish society - the scribes and Pharisees - are becoming more and more tense.

So, on the one hand, Christ is surrounded by the closest disciples-apostles, on the other hand, his opponents are activated. Herod pursues Him, the Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees are increasingly dissatisfied with His activities.

And against this background, the miracle of feeding five thousand first occurs, and on the same night - walking on the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bGalilee.

These events take place in Galilee, not far from the city of Capernaum. Evangelist Matthew and Evangelist Mark do not say why the Lord sent the disciples separately from Himself in a boat, why they had to leave from there at all. But the Evangelist John explains: the people, impressed by the miracle of feeding the five thousand, wanted to “come and take Him by chance and make Him king” (Jn 6.15). The gospels go on to say that the crowds followed the boat that the disciples boarded in the hope of seeing Jesus Christ. Apparently, this is why the Lord sends His disciples separately.

So, after the miracle of feeding the five thousand loaves, something happened that Christ warned about at the very beginning of His ministry. Satan in the desert, tempting Him, offered to take stones and make bread out of them. Like, do this - and people will follow You, You will become an earthly king. But the Lord did not come to accept earthly power. And that's what people want: they saw that this preacher can feed them, and they want to make Him king. That is why Christ is hiding. He avoids the people, at first he goes alone to the mountain to pray, and sends the disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee ahead of Himself.

On the night the disciples set off on their journey without Christ, a storm broke out on the Sea of Galilee. Judging by the words of the evangelist, the storm continued for most of the night - we can draw such a conclusion by reading the words about the fourth watch, during which the disciples saw Christ walking on the waves. At this time in Palestine, the day was divided in the same way as in Rome. For example, the night was divided into four watches. This means that the students struggled with the waves for three quarters of the night - three guards - and at the same time they were able to swim quite a bit: only 25-30 stadia (one stadia - about 180 meters).

And so, when the disciples were already exhausted in the midst of the waves, they saw Christ walking on the raging lake. Why does the Lord do this? To understand this, let's look at the reaction of the apostles. The Apostle Peter is the first to respond, which is not surprising: not for the first and not the last time Peter acts as the "mouth of the apostles", speaking for everyone. The reason for this is Peter's character: impulsive, hot, zealous.

It is Peter who rushes to Christ and tries to walk towards Him even on the waves. And here we can compare this episode with a passage from the Gospel of Luke about a miraculous catch, when, according to the word of Christ, the future apostles take nets full of fish out of the water, although before that they had been unsuccessful all night. The Apostle Peter then, seeing this miracle, said on behalf of everyone: get out of me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. Then Peter still knew little of Christ, but his heart felt that before him was not just a man, but a messenger from God. Then Peter got scared.

In the current reading, Peter's reaction is different. Peter has long been with Christ, is one of His closest apostles, has seen many miracles, heard sermons. And here Peter behaves differently than in the situation of a miraculous catch - he himself asks to go to Christ: “Lord, if this is You, command me to come to You on the water!” (Matthew 14:28). Christ tells him to go.

And then an event occurs that perfectly characterizes the Apostle Peter. He follows his impulse to go to Christ, to be with God, but as a human being, he is afraid. And at some point, fear takes over and Peter begins to sink.

Here is a very interesting commentary of St. John Chrysostom to this place: “It is useless to be with Christ for those who have not come to Him by faith.” Almost three years have passed, as the apostles are next to the Lord, they already know that their Teacher is a special person, sent from God, but fear continues to live in their hearts. The gospel does not idealize the apostles, but shows them as real people. Even during the Last Supper, a few hours before the Passion, they argue among themselves: which of them will be in the most honorable place in the kingdom of the coming Messiah.

Fear and doubt will remain in the disciples until the event of Pentecost, when the fire of the Holy Spirit will consume their human passions and infirmities, turning the apostles into pillars of faith.

So in today's reading we see a vivid combination of faith and unbelief, doubt in the heart of the apostles. This doubt almost destroys Peter, he almost drowned, frightened by the waves, but Jesus saves him and together they enter the boat. And immediately the storm subsides. And the disciples, seeing all this, confess Jesus: “Truly You are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).

On the one hand, this is a strong confession. On the other hand, one should not see in him the final heartfelt acceptance by the apostles that Jesus is the true God. In this case, "Son of God" does not mean the confession of Christ as the hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, as we Christians are accustomed to believe. This is just a designation of a righteous man, a holy person who has pleased God and, because of this, has special miraculous gifts.

But after two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, in response to Christ's question, "Whom do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:13) Apostle Peter, again speaking on behalf of all the disciples, will say: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God (M 16:16). And this will already be a confession of the Messianic dignity of Jesus, higher than in today's episode.

Nevertheless, even today's confession means a lot. Evangelist Mark notes with bitterness that the apostles were not impressed by the miracle of feeding the five thousand (Mark 6:52). And, apparently, by the miracle of walking on water, Christ teaches His disciples another divine lesson. This lesson became a new step for the students on the path of true confession of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, Christ, Son of God, Savior.

We also note that this is not the first episode when Jesus pacifies the water element with one wave. He had already fallen with his disciples into a storm at sea and tamed it with a single word. The Gospel tells us about several miracles of Jesus over the natural nature: the transformation of water into wine, the drying up of a fig tree, and the calming of a storm. In such episodes, Christ appears before us as the ruler of the universe, the one who has the power to command the world.

Today's reading can be interpreted in a broader context, if we talk not only about it, but together with the episode that precedes walking on water. Bishop Cassian (Bezobrazov) connects walking on the waters with the miracle of the multiplication of bread and says that here Christ symbolically appears as Moses who led Israel through the sea. Jesus walks on the waters - and the apostles follow Him.

We can say that Jesus ends the Galilean period of His ministry with the miracle of walking on water, which was typified in the Old Testament by the salvation of Israel from the persecutor Pharaoh and the transition to a new life in the promised land. By this, He, as it were, tells His disciples that those who follow Him will make the transition from death to life, from ignorance of God to knowledge of God.

Gospel of Matthew (14:22-34)
“And immediately Jesus compelled His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the people away. And having dismissed the people, He went up the mountain to pray in private; and stayed there alone in the evening. And the boat was already in the middle of the sea, and it was being beaten by waves, because the wind was contrary. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And the disciples, seeing Him walking on the sea, were troubled, and said, This is a ghost; and cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, Take heart; It's me, don't be afraid. Peter answered Him, “Lord! if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. He said: go. And, getting out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus, but, seeing a strong wind, he was frightened and, starting to drown, cried out: Lord! save me. Jesus immediately stretched out his hand, supported him and said to him: You of little faith! why did you doubt? And when they entered the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat approached, bowed to Him and said: Truly You are the Son of God. And having crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.

Almost a third of the chapter of Matthew 14 is occupied by the amazing story of the end of the earthly life of John the Baptist. When his disciples tell Jesus about this, he retires to the wilderness, apparently to mourn and pray. But people from several cities immediately rushed after Him. And what? Angry and driven away? — No, he took pity and healed the sick. This is how selfless the ministry of a perfect God and a perfect Man was every day.

And in the evening, the Apostles saw that many people were in a deserted place without any means of food. The natural human concern is to invite them to retire, so as not to perish, but to engage in self-supply. But this is not the care of God. Christ says: "They don't have to go, you give them something to eat." Note: not “I will give”, but “you give.” So that they do not sit with their hands folded, but dare in the fullness of hope.

In any case, the disciples honestly laid out everything they had: five loaves and two fish. And Christ, while they were carrying this simple food to Him, had already ordered the people to lie down, preparing for the meal. Taking the loaves and fishes, he looked up at the sky (he prayed to the Father) and blessed the food. And when He broke the bread and gave it to the Apostles, these few pieces did not end in any way, and when everyone was already full, there were pieces left for 12 rather big baskets. Meanwhile, of those gathered there were about five thousand only adult men, and there were also women and children.

Was the episode of the multiplication of loaves a social service? - But he wasn't; it was a clear explanation that those who thirsted for spiritual bread would also receive bodily bread. If you think about it, then feeding the hungry is not a service at all, but an elementary movement of the soul. True, respect for oneself and one’s precious efforts is now so widespread that the words “hello” and “goodbye” will soon be considered as a service, and if someone misses a woman at the door, this is already a feat of selflessness.

And at the same time, in the miracle of the multiplication of bread, there is a call to the Apostles - to act in the name of God, to act, and not to hope that He will do everything. This call will be reinforced in the next episode.

Reasonably assuming that people, although now well-fed, would later demand more and more bread, Christ quickly (“immediately”) dragged the disciples into the boat and ordered them to cross to the other side, and Himself, having dismissed the people, went up the mountain for solitary prayer. and stayed there late. And on the lake (“sea”) there was a wind, and the boat was beaten by waves. Quite late (“at the fourth watch”, and this time between four and six o’clock in the morning is the most difficult for those who are awake; in modern life it is called “dog watch”, and most of all suicides and deaths from heart disease at this time) to Jesus came up in a boat on the water. The apostles did not experience joy, but only horror, deciding that they saw a ghost, and screamed in fear. And Christ said to them: "Be of good cheer, it is I, do not be afraid." And how many times did He call them to cheerfulness and courage!

And so Peter, this wonderful man, full of life and striving for the truth, answered: “Lord! if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” So much content in these words! - here is faith, thirsting for strengthening, and the desire to test yourself and the degree of your dignity ... The answer is laconic: "go." Peter, in a fit of faith, love and hope, immediately jumped out of the boat ... and walked, walked on the water! Yes, that's the trouble - he looked at the terrible waves, got scared, lost self-confidence and began to sink. But he did not completely lose faith and shouted: “Lord! save me". And the outstretched hand of Christ supported him. And the Lord said to him: “O you of little faith! Why did you doubt?"

The permissibility of doubt is constantly discussed, and there are always two extreme poles: people who seriously consider doubt the only sign and content of independent thinking, and those who, with metal in their eyes and voice, assert that there can be no room for doubt - according to the well-known model, "the doctor said , to the morgue, means to the morgue.

But you need to distinguish: either they are trying to foist on you some kind of charlatan remedy for all diseases, including social ones (the most common in the latter case is this: “Very simple. You need to destroy everyone who does not agree”), or the Lord Himself powerfully involved you in a miracle and another life came. In the first case, the rejection of doubt leads to death, in the second, the admission of doubt. How to distinguish? - listen to the voice of God, there are no other recipes in this life.

And here's what's interesting: when Christ and Peter supported by him entered the boat, the wind died down. When the Savior, sending the Apostles to preach, said, “He who endures to the end will be saved,” He may have had in mind not only the persecutions that were discussed there. but in general such an unpleasant property of a fallen world. which makes every misfortune seem utterly unbearable just before it ends. No wonder it is said that darkness thickens before dawn. Knowing this is not only useful, but also necessary in order to drive out despair with hope.

The boat has landed on the shore; it was the land of Gennesaret. As usual, many sick people were brought to the Savior, whom He healed. But the scribes and Pharisees did not slow down with terribly accusations of violating the "tradition of the elders." This is also typical for them: when it turns out that it is hardly possible to rely on the authority of Scripture, because it does not support them, we resort to the authority of the elders, and here any counterarguments should fall silent. In this case, the accusation boiled down to the fact that the disciples of Christ eat bread without first washing their hands. Christ's answer was apt and striking: “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded: Honor your father and mother; and: whoever speaks evil of his father or mother, let him die by death. But you say: if someone says to a father or mother: a gift to God is what you would use from me, he may not honor his father or mother; thus you make void the commandment of God by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying, These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; but in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines, the commandments of men.”

And here we just have to heed these words and accept them. Moreover, Christ addressed the people specially called by him: “Listen and understand! it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth defiles a person.” Unfortunately, the Apostles, according to human understanding, regretted that the Pharisees were offended by these words. In fact, a truly verbal temptation occurs when one is led to evil, but if someone is tempted by the words of truth, this is already alarming. No wonder the Lord said to this: “Every plant that my heavenly father has not planted will be uprooted; leave them: they are the blind leaders of the blind; but if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.”

That is the reason for these words, which have received the widest popularity since that time! And when the thorough Peter asked them to interpret them, Jesus said, “Do you also not yet understand? don't understand yet. that whatever enters the mouth goes into the belly and is thrown out? but what comes out of the mouth comes out of the heart - this defiles a person, because from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemy - this defiles a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.” Almost two thousand years have passed since then, but has the talk about acceptable / unacceptable food subsided? about virtuous and non-virtuous ways of eating it? alas for us.

But here's another thing to watch out for: Christ is to a certain extent impatient: "Do you not yet understand?" On other occasions, he also reproached the disciples for the fact that their hearts were still petrified ... Do we understand clearly enough. that willingness and determination are virtues? That the Virgin Mary, who received the Annunciation, showed precisely readiness and determination? That faith manifests itself in this way? “Here I am,” says Abraham, having heard the call of God, and this is where the history of human salvation begins: with a decisive step of a man full of readiness.

And then a pagan Canaanite turned to Him, crying out that she was asking for mercy, that her daughter was cruelly raging. But Christ was silent. The students asked him to let her go, because she screams, which attracts completely unnecessary attention. The Lord said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Indeed, for the messianic ministry it was, as they say, necessary and sufficient to proclaim the Gospel to Israel. But the Canaanite woman only approached with bows - and kept asking for help, driven by her motherly grief. The denouement of this episode cannot leave anyone indifferent, because we cannot expect such words from Christ: “It is not good to take bread from children and throw it to dogs.” It was said extremely harshly, and to judge whether this was a deliberate test, in my opinion, is not entirely appropriate: the risk of arbitrary interpretations is too great. But the answer of this woman is captivating precisely by the impulse, precisely by the determination to go to the end: "And the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters." And He Who desires salvation for all and sees hearts answered: “Great is thy faith; let it be done to you as you wish." The possessed woman was immediately healed. And we can think again about how important the boldness of faith is.

And at the Lake of Galilee (sea), Christ healed a multitude of people. And people glorified God. The miracle of the multiplication of loaves also took place here, preceded by the words of Christ: “I have pity on the people, because they have been with me for three days, and they have nothing to eat; I don’t want to let them go hungry, so that they don’t weaken on the road. ” Therefore, when it is stated that everything should be done as Christ taught, it would be useful to feed the people after the service, "so that they do not weaken on the road." And there is no need to say that we will build temples within walking distance, and everything will be in order. Because if we assume that people should pray in the church that is closest to them, then no matter how empty the Lavra is.

And the Apostles again wonder where to get food from. And it is possible that they are right: there is a tangible difference between daring and getting used to a miracle. And between a careful attitude to a miracle and disbelief in it - too, and this will be discussed in the next chapter.

Yes, the courage of faith and determination are very important things, and we should not forget about them. But it’s just that they don’t take the play of muscles and pressure for them - such that it’s useful to sadly think about: after all, there is no commandment about the bliss of those who are the first to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, at the same time pushing others ... Christian boldness is a completely special thing, it is not is associated with such now welcomed qualities as ambition (once it was a reproach, now it is exalted), assertiveness, etc. One smart person noticed that the most ardent journalistic defenders of Orthodoxy are mainly those who themselves do nothing for Christian enlightenment does not. But upholding the truth of Christ, albeit with a quiet voice and weak forces, is the boldness in the Lord. And if this truth is not obvious to many, who, after all, can beat, then this is loyalty to Christ.

Because the world works like this: sometimes quiet words reach millions and settle in their souls, while loud ones simply get stuck in their ears.

... But in general, it is useful to recall the history of the apostolic preaching. This was the audacity of the weak. They all died. And they won.

Peter wants to be with God so much that it doesn’t matter to him that there are waves under him and he himself doesn’t know how to walk on water: he believes. Then he becomes afraid, his faith weakens and Peter drowns. But Christ comes to the rescue. Priest Konstantin POLSKOV, candidate of philosophical sciences, cleric of the church of St. Nicholas in Kuznetsy (Moscow). Rescue of the drowning Peter. 10th century book miniature from Codex Egberti, fol. 27v.(1)

And against this background, the miracle of feeding five thousand first occurs, and on the same night - walking on the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bGalilee.

These events take place in Galilee, not far from the city of Capernaum. Evangelist Matthew and Evangelist Mark do not say why the Lord sent the disciples separately from Himself in a boat, why they had to leave from there at all. But the evangelist John explains: the people, impressed by the miracle of feeding the five thousand, wanted "come, accidentally take Him and make him king"(John 6.15). The gospels go on to say that the crowds followed the boat that the disciples boarded in the hope of seeing Jesus Christ. Apparently, this is why the Lord sends His disciples separately.

In the current reading, Peter's reaction is different. Peter has long been with Christ, is one of His closest apostles, has seen many miracles, heard sermons. And here Peter behaves differently than in the situation of a miraculous catch - he himself asks to go to Christ: “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water!”(Matthew 14:28). Christ tells him to go.

Gospel of Matthew (14:22-34)
“And immediately Jesus compelled His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the people away. And having dismissed the people, He went up the mountain to pray in private; and stayed there alone in the evening. And the boat was already in the middle of the sea, and it was being beaten by waves, because the wind was contrary. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And the disciples, seeing Him walking on the sea, were troubled, and said, This is a ghost; and cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, Take heart; It's me, don't be afraid. Peter answered Him, “Lord! if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. He said: go. And, getting out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus, but, seeing a strong wind, he was frightened and, starting to drown, cried out: Lord! save me. Jesus immediately stretched out his hand, supported him and said to him: You of little faith! why did you doubt? And when they entered the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat approached, bowed to Him and said: Truly You are the Son of God. And having crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.

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