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+--- Thread: NT Doctrine -- Matthew 14:10-36 (/thread-953.html)
NT Doctrine -- Matthew 14:10-36 - Ed Hurst - 12-18-2021
The chronology at this point is not disputed much. The Twelve went off on their mission and Jesus continued working His way through the cities and towns in Galilee. They eventually return and meet with Jesus, most likely at His home base in Capernaum. Due to all the exposure, they couldn't get a break. On top of this, Jesus learns that His cousin, John the Baptist, has been executed. They really need some time to process where things stand at this point.
So Jesus orders them to take a boat eastward across the northern tip of the sea to an area southeast of Bethsaida. That was a major city in those days, and it controlled a significant amount of territory. The most likely place to account for all the details in this next event is down the shore south, where a nice beach results from the silt carried down by a stream today called Nahal Kanaf. It has been a quiet and remote recreational area from ancient times.
But the pestering crowds could see their track on the sea. Some followed in their own boats, while a great many simply hurried along the shore, fording the upper Jordan River and a couple of smaller streams to catch up with Jesus and His crew when they came ashore. By the time Jesus disembarked, there was already a crowd waiting. Another retreat ruined, Jesus proceeded to teach and perform miracles because their needs were so great. This is what comes from restoring the Covenant to a nation long denied the blessings of shalom.
When it was late in the day, His disciples wisely counseled to dismiss the crowd. There were no towns anywhere in the area, and few of these people had thought to pack a lunch. Indeed, the Twelve had nothing at this point. Jesus said they should feed the crowd first. A search turned up a snack -- five pita cakes and a couple of preserved small fish (smoked or pickled). Jesus said that would do. He ordered His disciples to organize the crowd into groups of fifty, which is just about the typical size of an extended family household.
As the crowd watched, Jesus took this snack, offered a ritual prayer to the Father, then began tearing the pita and fish into pieces. But He kept doing this and the bread and fish never ran out. When the whole crowd had eaten what they wanted, there was enough left over to fill the empty lunch baskets of the Twelve for tomorrow -- their own "daily bread." To break up the crowd, Jesus ordered His crew to get back in the boat and head across toward Gennesaret on the western shore of Galilee. Then He turned and climbed up one of the hills nearby.
Jesus could watch the disciples' progress rowing across the sea from the crest of the ridge. It was slow going because the wind was contrary. Toward the wee hours of the morning, it became almost stormy. Jesus simply hiked down to the shore and kept walking out onto the water. It wasn't too long of a hike to catch up with the boat, maybe 6 miles (10 km). Most of them were seamen of some stripe in the first place, possessed of the same superstitions about what they saw. They were convinced that Jesus was a ghost heralding their demise by drowning in this storm.
Jesus seemed almost nonchalant in greeting them and said not to worry; they weren't going to die, after all. Peter recognized His voice and, in great emotional relief, asked to come out and join Him on the water. Jesus beckoned him. That worked for just a few steps before Peter's emotions suddenly shifted back again to fear and he started to sink. Jesus snatched him up and scolded him for doubting, especially after several weeks filled with incredible miracles.
As soon as they got in the boat, the wind simply died down. That was not uncommon on the Sea of Galilee, with high winds howling quite suddenly out of nowhere and then abruptly fading into dead calm again, but the timing here was quite meaningful.
They arrived at Gennesaret around sunrise. In no time, the local fishermen spread the word and here came the crowds once more. Their faith was such that they asked only to touch the hem of Jesus' rabbinical robe as He passed by. Sure enough, they were healed by this.
Things are coming to a crescendo. Herod Antipas was quite puzzled at what was happening in his jurisdiction. He had executed John the Baptist, but the common superstitions of folks in his palace suggested that this might be explained by John rising from the grave. Folks in that part of the world figured anyone who came back from the dead would have unusual powers. It never occurred to them that this was simply the Covenant rushing back into place to bless the people. This was miracles on a scale impossible to believe.
The instructions Jesus gave the Twelve still echo here -- time was short before He had to make His move. With miracles like this, it would be a breeze to take down the current political system, and the rulers were starting to feel threatened. This man was preaching a Messianic kingdom, and feeding 5000 from a single basket lunch bore a strong resemblance to one of the common false Messianic expectations. But Jesus has been teaching all along that His kingdom was not that kind of thing. The miracles were simply the manifestation of what He taught. Only the Pharisees paid enough attention to Jesus' teaching to be aware of that, and they felt their political position threatened for a somewhat different reason. They had no miracles to back up their teaching.
And the inevitable conflict with them was just a few more steps along the path Jesus was taking.