Matthew 14:31
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?"
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand
The word "immediately" (Greek: εὐθέως, eutheos) signifies the urgency and readiness of Jesus to act. In the context of the stormy sea, this immediate action underscores Jesus' divine authority and His ever-present readiness to save those who call upon Him. The act of reaching out His hand is symbolic of divine intervention and grace. Historically, this reflects the consistent biblical theme of God's swift response to the cries of His people, as seen throughout the Old Testament, such as in the Psalms where God is described as a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

and took hold of him
The phrase "took hold" (Greek: ἐπιλαμβάνεται, epilambanetai) conveys a strong, firm grasp, indicating not just a physical action but a spiritual assurance. This act of taking hold is reminiscent of God's covenantal faithfulness, where He promises to uphold and sustain His people. In a broader scriptural context, it reflects the security believers have in Christ, who holds them firmly in His hand, as echoed in John 10:28-29, where Jesus assures that no one can snatch His sheep out of His hand.

'You of little faith,'
The term "little faith" (Greek: ὀλιγόπιστε, oligopiste) is a gentle rebuke that Jesus uses several times in the Gospels. It highlights the struggle between faith and doubt that believers often face. This phrase serves as a reminder of the necessity of faith in the Christian walk. Historically, this reflects the early church's challenges in maintaining faith amidst persecution and trials. It is a call to trust in God's promises and His power, as faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

He said, 'why did you doubt?'
The word "doubt" (Greek: ἐδίστασας, edistasas) implies a wavering or hesitation. In the context of Peter walking on water, it illustrates the human tendency to falter when faced with overwhelming circumstances. This question is not just a rebuke but an invitation to introspection and growth in faith. Scripturally, it aligns with James 1:6, which warns against doubting when asking God for wisdom, as doubt leads to instability. Historically, this reflects the early Christian community's need to remain steadfast in faith despite external pressures and internal uncertainties.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is the Son of God who performs miracles and teaches His disciples. In this event, He is walking on water and reaches out to Peter.

2. Peter
One of Jesus' disciples, known for his impulsive nature and strong faith. In this passage, Peter steps out of the boat to walk on water towards Jesus but begins to sink when he doubts.

3. Sea of Galilee
The body of water where this event takes place. It is a significant location in Jesus' ministry, often serving as a backdrop for His teachings and miracles.

4. The Disciples
The group of Jesus' followers who are in the boat witnessing this miraculous event. They represent the early church and the community of believers.

5. The Storm
The natural event that sets the scene for this miracle. It symbolizes the trials and challenges faced by believers.
Teaching Points
Faith and Doubt
Peter's experience teaches us about the importance of maintaining faith even in challenging circumstances. Doubt can cause us to "sink" spiritually, but Jesus is always there to lift us up.

Jesus' Immediate Response
The phrase "immediately Jesus reached out His hand" (Matthew 14:31) highlights Jesus' readiness to save and support us. We can trust in His prompt help when we call out to Him.

Focus on Christ
Just as Peter needed to keep his eyes on Jesus to walk on water, we must focus on Christ to navigate life's storms. Distractions and fears can lead us away from His path.

The Power of Calling Out
Peter's cry for help, "Lord, save me!" is a powerful reminder of the simplicity and effectiveness of prayer. In moments of crisis, calling on Jesus is our best recourse.

Growth Through Trials
This event illustrates how trials can strengthen our faith. Peter's experience, though initially a failure, ultimately contributed to his growth as a leader in the early church.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Peter's experience of walking on water and then sinking relate to your own experiences of faith and doubt?

2. In what ways can you keep your focus on Jesus during the "storms" in your life, and what practical steps can you take to maintain that focus?

3. How does Jesus' immediate response to Peter's cry for help encourage you in your prayer life?

4. Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by circumstances. How did your faith play a role in overcoming that situation?

5. How can the lessons from this passage be applied to strengthen the faith of your community or church group?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 8:23-27
Another instance where Jesus calms a storm, demonstrating His authority over nature and His ability to bring peace in chaos.

Hebrews 12:2
Encourages believers to fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, which relates to Peter's need to keep his focus on Christ.

James 1:6
Discusses the importance of faith without doubting, which directly connects to Peter's experience of sinking when he doubted.
Doubting ChristiansJ. Cooke.Matthew 14:31
Mr. Fearing ComfortedCharles Haddon Spurgeon Matthew 14:31
Safety of Believers in Seeming PerilsW. Arnot.Matthew 14:31
A Contention of Sense and FaithP.C. Barker Matthew 14:22-33
Lessons of the StormJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 14:22-33
Peter Walking on the SeaMarcus Dods Matthew 14:22-33
Walking on the SeaW.F. Adeney Matthew 14:22-33
Beginning to SinkJ. Vaughan, M. A.Matthew 14:28-33
Christ and Men's FearsDaniel Wilcox.Matthew 14:28-33
Doubting a Hindrance to the Christian LifeR. H. Baynes, B. A.Matthew 14:28-33
Failure in the Midst of SuccessP. Thompson.Matthew 14:28-33
Failure Teaching HumilitP. Thompson.Matthew 14:28-33
Impulse and RegulationBishop Huntingdon.Matthew 14:28-33
No Safety in Mere FeelingJ. Vaughan, M. A.Matthew 14:28-33
Peter in the StormT. Dale, M. A.Matthew 14:28-33
Peter's Unwise Experiment in FaithA. M. Stuart.Matthew 14:28-33
Presumption of Early MartyrsFrancis Bragge.Matthew 14:28-33
The Cause of SinkingJ. Vaughan, M. A.Matthew 14:28-33
The Earnest PrayerW. D. Harwood.Matthew 14:28-33
The Fear of Peter When Walking on the WaterC. Bradley.Matthew 14:28-33
The Religion of ImpulseD. Thomas, D. D.Matthew 14:28-33
Walking on the WatersW. M. Taylor, D. D.Matthew 14:28-33
People
Herod, Herodias, Jesus, John, Peter, Philip
Places
Galilee, Genneseret, Jerusalem, Sea of Galilee
Topics
Caught, Doubt, Faith, Forth, Grip, Hold, Immediately, Instantly, Laid, Mark, News, O, Reached, Saying, Says, Straight, Stretched, Waver, Wherefore
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 14:31

     5884   indecision
     8021   faith, nature of
     8026   faith, growth in
     8741   failure
     8849   worry

Matthew 14:22-33

     2012   Christ, authority

Matthew 14:28-31

     1418   miracles, responses

Matthew 14:29-31

     8726   doubters

Matthew 14:30-31

     8359   weakness, spiritual

Library
July 23. "Bring them Hither to Me" (Matt. xiv. 18).
"Bring them hither to Me" (Matt. xiv. 18). Why have ye not received all the fulness of the Holy Spirit? And how may we be anointed with "the rest of the oil?" The greatest need is to make room when God makes it. Look around you at your situation. Are you not encompassed with needs at this very moment, and almost overwhelmed with difficulties, trials and emergencies? These are all divinely provided vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill, and if you would but rightly understand their meaning, they would
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Grave of the Dead John and the Grave of the Living Jesus
'And John's disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.'--MATT. xiv. 12. 'And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy.'--MATT. xxviii. 8. There is a remarkable parallel and still more remarkable contrast between these two groups of disciples at the graves of their respective masters. John the Baptist's followers venture into the very jaws of the lion to rescue the headless corpse of their martyred teacher from a prison grave. They bear it
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Peter on the Waves
'And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.'--MATT. xiv. 28. We owe this account of an episode in the miracle of Christ's walking on the waters to Matthew alone. Singularly enough there is no reference to Peter's venturesomeness and failure in the Gospel which is generally believed to have been written under his special inspection and suggestion. Mark passes by that part of the narrative without a word. That may be because Peter was somewhat ashamed
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Martyrdom of John
'At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2. And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 3. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. 4. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Food of the World
'He gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20. And they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.'--MATT. xiv. 19, 20. The miracles of Scripture are not merely wonders, but signs. It is one of their most striking characteristics that they are not, like the pretended portents of false faiths, mere mighty deeds standing in no sort of intellectual relation to the message of which they claim to be the attestation,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The King's Highway
'And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26. And when the disciples saw Him walking
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Again on Matt. xiv. 25: of the Lord Walking on the Waves of the Sea, and of Peter Tottering.
1. The Gospel which has just been read touching the Lord Christ, who walked on the waters of the sea; [2566] and the Apostle Peter, who as he was walking, tottered through fear, and sinking in distrust, rose again by confession, gives us to understand that the sea is the present world, and the Apostle Peter the type of the One Church. For Peter in the order of Apostles first, and in the love of Christ most forward, answers oftentimes alone for all the rest. Again, when the Lord Jesus Christ asked,
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiv. 24, "But the Boat was Now in the Midst of the Sea, Distressed by the Waves. "
1. The lesson of the Gospel which we have just heard is a lesson of humility to us all, that we may see and know where we are, and whither we must tend and hasten. For that ship which carries the disciples, which was tossed in the waves by a contrary wind, is not without its meaning. Nor without a meaning [2541] did the Lord after He had left the multitudes, go up into a mountain to pray alone; and then coming to His disciples found them in danger, walking on the sea, and getting up into the ship
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Mr. Fearing Comforted
I think I shall be quite safe in concluding this morning, that there are some here who are full of doubting and fearing. Sure I am that all true Christians have their times of anxious questioning. The heart that hath never doubted has not yet learned to believe. As the farmers say, "The land that will not grow a thistle, will not grow wheat;" and the heart that cannot produce a doubt has not yet understood the meaning of believing. He that never doubted of his state--he may, perhaps he may, too late.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

First Withdrawal from Herod's Territory and Return.
(Spring, a.d. 29.) Subdivision A. Return of the Twelve and Retirement To the East Shore of Galilee. ^A Matt. XIV. 13; ^B Mark VI. 30-32; ^C Luke IX. 10; ^D John VI. 1. ^b 30 And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus; ^c when they were returned, ^b and they told { ^c declared unto} ^b him all things, whatsoever they had done, and whatsoever they had taught. [They had fulfilled the mission on which Jesus had sent them, and on returning each pair made to him a full report of their work.]
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Herod Antipas Supposes Jesus to be John.
^A Matt. XIV. 1-12; ^B Mark VI. 14-29; ^C Luke IX. 7-9. ^b 14 And ^c 7 Now ^a 1 At that season ^b King Herod [Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. See page 63.] ^c the tetrarch heard of all that was done ^a heard the report concerning Jesus, ^b for his name had become known: ^c and he was perplexed, because that it was said by some, that John was risen from the dead; 8 and by some, that Elijah had appeared; and by others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. [The work of Jesus impressed
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

First Withdrawal from Herod's Territory and Return.
(Spring, a.d. 29.) Subdivision B. Feeding the Five Thousand. ^A Matt. XIV. 13-21; ^B Mark VI. 33-44; ^C Luke IX. 11-17; ^D John VI. 2-14. ^c 11 But { ^a and} the multitudes heard thereof [heard of Jesus and his disciples crossing the lake], ^b 33 And they saw them going, and ^c perceiving it, ^b many knew them, ^d 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick. ^b and they ran together there on foot from all the cities, and outwent them. ^a
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Miraculous Feeding of the Five Thousand
In the circumstances described in the previous chapter, Jesus resolved at once to leave Capernaum; and this probably alike for the sake of His disciples, who needed rest; for that of the people, who might have attempted a rising after the murder of the Baptist; and temporarily to withdraw Himself and His followers from the power of Herod. For this purpose He chose the place outside the dominions of Antipas, nearest to Capernaum. This was Beth-Saida (the house of fishing,' Fisher-town,' [3198] as
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Night of Miracles on the Lake of Gennesaret
THE last question of the Baptist, spoken in public, had been: Art Thou the Coming One, or look we for another?' It had, in part, been answered, as the murmur had passed through the ranks: This One is truly the Prophet, the Coming One!' So, then, they had no longer to wait, nor to look for another! And this Prophet' was Israel's long expected Messiah. What this would imply to the people, in the intensity and longing of the great hope which, for centuries, nay, far beyond the time of Ezra, had swayed
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Preachings on the Lake.
Such was the group which, on the borders of the lake of Tiberias, gathered around Jesus. The aristocracy was represented there by a customs-officer and by the wife of one of Herod's stewards. The rest were fishermen and common people. Their ignorance was extreme; their intelligence was feeble; they believed in apparitions and spirits.[1] Not one element of Greek culture had penetrated this first assembly of the saints. They had very little Jewish instruction; but heart and good-will overflowed. The
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

Be of Good Cheer.
"BE of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matthew xiv:27). "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God believe also in Me. In my father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John xiv:1-3). "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Rationalistic Explanation.
PAULUS. But the champions of this theory may admit all this, and yet fasten the delusion upon the disciples of Christ, who were so dazzled by his character, words, and works, that they mistook an extraordinary man for a divine being, and extraordinary medical cures for supernatural miracles. This is the view of the older German Rationalism.[75]75 It forms a parallel to the heathen rationalism of Euhemerus, of the Cyrenaic school: he explained the gods of the Greek mythology as human sages, heroes,
Philip Schaff—The Person of Christ

Capernaum
From the things last spoken, we gather no trifling conjecture concerning the situation of the town of Capernaum. Josephus relates that the country of Gennesar, which we have described, was watered "with a spring of excellent water; the people thereabouts call it Capernaum." From that either the city hath its name, or rather that hath its name from the city; and the city from the pleasantness of the place. The evangelists, compared together, do make it clear, that this city was seated in the land
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Grave of John, and Another Grave
(MATTHEW XIV. 12.) "When some beloved voice, that was to you Both sound and sweetness, faileth suddenly, And silence, against which you dare not cry, Aches round you like a strong disease and new,-- What hope, what help, what music will undo That silence to your sense? Not friendship's sigh, Not reason's subtle count.... Nay, none of these! Speak, Thou availing Christ!--and fill this pause." E. B. BROWNING. "Tell Jesus"--The Sin-Bearer--The Resurrection of Jesus--The Followers of John, and of
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

The Confidence of Prayer. --Matt. xiv. 22
The Confidence of Prayer.--Matt. xiv. 22. Why thus, my soul, cast down? And why disquieted? Black though the tempest frown, The surge pass o'er thy head; Wait the fourth watch;--for One who saves Comes to thee, walking on the waves. Lord! Lord! if it be Thou, Bid me come down to Thee; Jesus! I know Thee now, And walk upon the sea; Faith fails; ah me! the gulf runs high, Save, Lord, I sink! O save, I die! I grasp thy outstretch'd hand; We climb the vessel's side; And lo! we touch the land, The
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

The Glory of Penitents and Pious People.
Who are they that compose yonder bright multitude? They are headed by a queen who does not wear a virgin's crown; and yet, she is so beautiful, and enjoys so intimate a union with Jesus. Who is she? She is Mary Magdalen, the bright queen of Penitents, and the star of hope to all who have grievously sinned in this world. She was once a sinner, and such a sinner! Her soul was the home of seven devils! She was a hireling of Satan, to catch the souls of men. But a flash of light came forth from the Heart
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

Christ's Encouragements
'Son, be of good cheer.'--MATT. ix. 2. This word of encouragement, which exhorts to both cheerfulness and courage, is often upon Christ's lips. It is only once employed in the Gospels by any other than He. If we throw together the various instances in which He thus speaks, we may get a somewhat striking view of the hindrances to such a temper of bold, buoyant cheerfulness which the world presents, and of the means for securing it which Christ provides. But before I consider these individually, let
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Dancing.
DANCING is the expression of inward feelings by means of rhythmical movements of the body. Usually these movements are in measured step, and are accompanied by music. In some form or another dancing is as old as the world, and has been practiced by rude as well as by civilized peoples. The passion for amateur dancing always has been strongest among savage nations, who have made equal use of it in religious rites and in war. With the savages the dancers work themselves into a perfect frenzy, into
J. M. Judy—Questionable Amusements and Worthy Substitutes

The Chronology
45. The length of the public ministry of Jesus was one of the earliest questions which arose in the study of the four gospels. In the second and third centuries it was not uncommon to find the answer in the passage from Isaiah (lxi. 1, 2), which Jesus declared was fulfilled in himself. "The acceptable year of the Lord" was taken to indicate that the ministry covered little more than a year. The fact that the first three gospels mention but one Passover (that at the end), and but one journey to Jerusalem,
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

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