Mark § 18

Even while he was asleep on the pillow, the Lord was testing his disciples, when a miracle was wrought that was calculated especially to put even the wicked to contrition. For when he arose, and rebuked the sea, and silenced the storm, he plainly disclosed two things: that the storm of the sea was not simply from winds, but from the fear of the Lord who walked upon it;2 and that the Lord who rebuked it was not a creature, but rather its creator.

They awakened the Word, who was sailing with them, and immediately the sea became smooth at the command of its Lord, and they were saved. They became proclaimers and teachers at the same time, attesting the miracles of our Savior, and also teaching us to imitate their example.

How mighty is the grace of water, in the sight of God and His Christ, for the confirmation of baptism! Never is Christ without water: if, that is, He is Himself baptized in water; inaugurates in water the first rudimentary displays of His power, when invited to the nuptials; invites the thirsty, when He makes a discourse, to His own sempiternal water; approves, when teaching concerning love, among works of charity, the cup of water offered to a poor (child); recruits His strength at a well; walks over the water; willingly crosses the sea; ministers water to His disciples.

The Lord takes with Him the disciples alone, allowing them to be witnesses of the coming miracle.

And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves were beating into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. And he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. While the disciples were sailing, Christ fell asleep, because when the faithful trample the world underfoot and meditate on the peace of the future kingdom in their minds, and, whether by the favorable breath of the Holy Spirit or by the rowing of their own effort, they eagerly cast behind their backs the infidelity of worldly pride, the time of the Lord's passion suddenly arrived. Hence it is fitting to mention that this event took place in the evening, to signify not only the sleeping of the Lord but also the very hour of the setting of the true sun. But as he ascended the stern of the cross, where he would take the sleep of death, the waves of persecutors, stirred by demonic storms, rose up. Yet it is not his patience that is disturbed by these, but the weakness of the disciples that is shaken, trembles, and is imperiled.

(Hom. in Matt. 28) The Lord took the disciples indeed, that they might be spectators of the miracle which was coming, but He took them alone, that no others might see that they were of such little faith. Wherefore, to show that others went across separately, it is said, And there were also with him other ships. Lest again the disciples might be proud of being alone taken, He permits them to be in danger; and besides this, in order that they might learn to bear temptations manfully. Wherefore it goes on, And there arose a great storm of wind; and that He might impress upon them a greater sense of the miracle which was to be done, He gives time for their fear, by sleeping. Wherefore there follows, And he was himself in the hinder part of the ship, &c. For if He had been awake, they would either not have feared, nor have asked Him to save them when the storm arose, or they would not have thought that He could do any such things.

(Hom. in Matt. 28) showing His humility, and thus teaching us many lessons of wisdom. But not yet did the disciples who remained about Him know His glory; they thought indeed that if He arose He could command the winds, but could by no means do so reposing or asleep. And therefore there follows, And they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

But so that they would not become proud because He sent the others away and took them, and at the same time, to teach them to endure dangers, He allows them to be in danger from the storm.

Therefore He allowed them to fall into the fear of danger, that they might experience His power in themselves, who saw others benefitted by Him.

And they woke him up and said to him: Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And the disciples woke the Lord, so that they would not perish by the savagery of the waves while he slept, because they most eagerly sought his resurrection, whose death they had seen, lest their minds perish forever in spiritual death if he himself were to sleep in the death of the flesh any longer. Hence it well follows:

And so he sleeps, leaving them in fear, in which their senses would be sharpened to perceive the significance of what was to come. For no one feels what takes place in another's body as acutely as that which happens in his own.

He was wearied, but He is the Rest of them that are weary and heavy laden. He was heavy with sleep, but He walked lightly over the sea. He rebuked the winds, He made Peter light as he began to sink.

For as many as are in the little ship of faith are sailing with the Lord; as many as are in the bark of holy church will voyage with the Lord across this wave-tossed life; though the Lord himself may sleep in holy quiet, he is but watching your patience and endurance: looking forward to the repentance, and to the conversion of those who have sinned. Come then to him eagerly, instant in prayer.

And He sleeps during this with the purpose that the miracle would seem all the more important to them, after they had become frightened. Otherwise, if the storm had occurred while Christ was awake, they would not have been frightened or would not have turned to Him with a plea for salvation. And so He allows them to be in fear from danger, so that they would come to an awareness of His power. Since they had only seen Christ's benefactions toward others but had not themselves experienced anything similar, there was a danger that they would become careless; therefore the Lord allows the storm to occur. He sleeps at the stern of the ship (it was, of course, wooden).

But He was sleeping upon the pillow of the ship, that is, on a wooden one.

Now, therefore, you may see that it is being told you of the unerring glory of God in providence; yet, as far as my small capacity shall be able, I will endeavour to set it forth. That He might re-create that Adam by means of the week, and bring aid to His entire creation, was accomplished by the nativity of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Who, then, that is taught in the law of God, who that is filled with the Holy Spirit, does not see in his heart, that on the same day on which the dragon seduced Eve, the angel Gabriel brought the glad tidings to the Virgin Mary; that on the same day the Holy Spirit overflowed the Virgin Mary, on which He made light; that on that day He was incarnate in flesh, in which He made the land and water; that on the same day He was put to the breast, on which He made the stars; that on the same day He was circumcised, on which the land and water brought forth their offspring; that on the same day He was incarnated, on which He formed man out of the ground; that on the same day Christ was born, on which He formed man; that on that day He suffered, on which Adam fell; that on the same day He rose again from the dead, on which He created light? He, moreover, consummates His humanity in the number seven: of His nativity, His infancy, His boyhood, His youth, His young-manhood, His mature age, His death. I have also set forth His humanity to the Jews in these manners: since He is hungry, is thirsty; since He gave food and drink; since He walks, and retired; since He slept upon a pillow; since, moreover, He walks upon the stormy seas with His feet, He commands the winds, He cures the sick and restores the lame, He raises the blind by His speech, -see ye that He declares Himself to them to be the Lord.

Pay close attention to the Lord's words; whenever he instructs us about the Father, he knows that by using terms of personal authority, such as "I will; be clean"; and "Peace! Be still!" and "But I say to you"; and "You deaf and dumb spirit, I command you";18 and other similar expressions, we will be led to recognize his authority as master and creator. By these encounters we are meeting the Father of the Son, the Father who creates through the Son. This does not insinuate that the Father's creation is imperfect, or that the Son's energy is feeble, but shows their unity of will.

And rising, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Indeed, rising, he rebuked the wind, because he subdued the pride of the devil, who had the power of death, while celebrating his resurrection. He also commanded the sea to be silent and restored calm, because by overcoming death and rising from the grave, he subdued the mad rage of the Jews, who had shouted, shaking their heads: If he is the Son of God, let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him (Matt. 27). It is noteworthy according to the letter that all creatures are aware of their Creator. For those to whom he rebukes and commands, they feel the One commanding. Not by the error of heretics, who think that all things are living beings, but by the majesty of the Creator. For those things that are insensible to us are sensible to Him.

(non occ.) For from the troubling of the sea there arises a certain sound, which appears to be its voice threatening danger, and therefore, by a sort of metaphor, He fitly commands tranquillity by a word signifying silence: just as in the restraining of the winds, which trouble the sea with their violence, He uses a rebuke. For men who are in power are accustomed to curb those, who rudely disturb the peace of mankind, by threatening to punish them; by this, therefore, we are given to understand, that, as a king can repress violent men by threats, and by his edicts sooth the murmurs of his people, so Christ, the King of all creatures, by His threats restrained the violence of the winds, and compelled the sea to be silent. And immediately the effect followed, for it continues, And the wind ceased, which He had threatened, and there arose a great calm, that is, in the sea, to which He had commanded silence.

When he disperses its waves, Habakkuk's words are fulfilled, where he speaks of the Lord "scattering the waters in his passage." When at his rebuke the sea is calmed, Nahum's prophesy is fulfilled: "He rebukes the sea and makes it dry."

Having awakened, Christ rebukes first the wind, since it is the cause of the agitation of the sea, and then calms the sea as well.

But He arising, rebukes first the wind, which was raising the tempest of the sea, and causing the waves to swell, and this is expressed in what follows, And he arose, and rebuked the wind; then He commands the sea; wherefore it goes on, And he said to the sea, Peace, be still.

And he said to them: Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? They are rightly reproached, who were afraid with Christ present, since certainly whoever adheres to him cannot perish. This is similar to when, after the sleep of death, he appeared to the disciples and reproached their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen (Mark 16). And again he said to them: O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? (Luke 24) As if by the metaphor of a ship he were to say: Was it not necessary for Christ to be asleep, while waves from everywhere beat upon the ship in which he was sleeping, and thus, having been awakened, with the surging waves immediately calmed, to reveal the power of his divinity to all? And they feared with great fear, and said to one another: Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Matthew writes it thus: And the men were amazed, saying: What kind of man is this? etc. Therefore, not the disciples, but the sailors and the others who were in the ship were amazed, and doubted about the person to whom the wind and the sea obeyed. But if anyone contentiously wants to say that those who were amazed were the disciples, we will respond that they are rightly called men because they had not yet known the power of the Savior. And we too, each individually, imbued with the sign of the Lord's cross, intending to leave the world, indeed board the ship with Jesus, we try to cross the sea. But though he who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, yet he often seems to sleep while we sail, as among the roars of the sea itself, when amid the persistent efforts of virtues, or of unclean spirits, or of few men, or even by the force of our own thoughts, the brightness of faith becomes obscured, the height of hope melts away, the flame of love grows cold. Yet amid such storms, it is necessary for us to run to that helmsman, to rouse him diligently, who does not serve but commands the winds. Immediately he will calm the storms, restore tranquility, and grant the harbor of salvation.

He also rebukes the disciples for not having faith. For if they had had faith, they would have believed that even while sleeping He could preserve them unharmed.

He rebuked His disciples, for not having faith; for it goes on, And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have not faith? For if they had had faith, they would have believed that even when sleeping, He could preserve them safe.

When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune—shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him.… A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: "Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him."

The ship carried his humanity, but the power of his Godhead carried the ship and all that was in it. In order that he might show that even his humanity did not require the ship, instead of the planks which a shipwright puts together and fastens, he, like the architect of creation, made the waters firm and joined them together solidly under his feet. So just as the Lord strengthened the hands of Simeon the priest, that his arms might bear up in the temple the strength that was bearing up all, so did he strengthen the feet of Simon the apostle, that they might bear themselves up on the water. So that name which bore the first-begotten in the temple was afterwards borne up by the first-begotten in the sea.

The disciples said among themselves, "Who then is this?" because they still had an indefinite conception of Him. Since Christ calmed the sea by a single command, and not with a rod, like Moses, not with a prayerful cry, like Elisha at the Jordan, not with an ark, like Joshua, for this reason He appeared to them as more than a man; but in that He slept, He appeared to them again as a man.

There follows, And they feared with a great fear, and said one to another, &c. For they were in doubt about Him, for since He stilled the sea, not with a rod like Moses, nor with prayers as Elisha at the Jordan, nor with the ark as Joshua, the son of Nun, on this account they thought Him truly God, but since He was asleep, they thought Him a man.