MYTHOS
There appears to be two different myths involving Jesus and the Sea of Galilee which are largely the same thematically, as there was with the myths of Jesus feeding the four and five thousand. All of these the Sea of Galilee myths involve stormy weather and rough seas, with Jesus walking on the water in one version and Jesus calming the storm that is rocking the boat where Jesus and his disciples are in in the other.
Jesus walking on the water is found in Matthew 14:22-22, Mark 6:45-52, and John 6:16-23. Jesus calming the stormy sea is found in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25. Once again Matthew and Mark contain both stories, but Luke has Jesus calming the sea and John only has the story of Jesus walking on the water.
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JESUS CALMS THE STORMY SEA
I'll begin with the less dramatic of the two myths, Jesus calms the stormy sea. Since the three gospels in which this myth is found are almost identical, I am going to offer the portions of homily I delivered at Christ Episcopal in Yankton, SD on June 16, 2021. The gospel for that Sunday was Mark 4:35-41. For the purpose of this post, I am substituting myth for the word "miracle" in the original text of my homily:
"The myth of Jesus calming the sea paints a picture, an icon, or a triptych to meditate on. If this myth was to be depicted as a triptych, the first panel might portray a boat packed with Jesus’ disciples. The boat has a mast with the sail loosed from its fittings and flapping wildly in the wind. The boat is being buffeted by the waves on all sides and filling with water. Nobody is in control of the boat’s rudder. Jesus is asleep in the stern near the rudder and appears oblivious to the storm raging about him. The disciples, drenched with water, are depicted pleading with Jesus to wake up, with gesture suggesting they want him to take control of the rudder. Jesus does not appear wet at all and has a serene expression on his face.
In the second panel, we see Jesus standing serenely at the stern, ignoring the rudder, with one hand raised to the wind and the other pointing to the waves. He appears to be talking while his drenched disciples are crouched down and holding on to the sides of the boat, the mast, or each other.
In the third panel, Jesus hands are still in the position we saw them in the second panel, but now the sky is blue and cloudless, the sun is shining, and the sea is as calm as glass. The disciples are no longer wet, their faces are lit with a mix of amazement and laughter. If this triptych was in a museum, a docent might ask, 'As you are looking at this triptych, what do you think is going on? What is your take away?'”
JESUS WALKS ON WATER
Of the two myths, Jesus walking on water is by far the more dramatic. Nothing says myth than using an impossibility to explain a proclivity we humans are prone to. Jesus walking on the water is treated differently in each of the three Gospels it found. I want to start with John's account because oddly it is the most straightforward. It's as if John really didn't want to spend much time on it. In all three of the gospel accounts that contain this myth, this event takes place after the feeding of the five thousand. After which Jesus heads toward the hills. In Matthew and Mark Jesus went into the hills to be alone and pray. In the Gospel of John's case, it is to escape from the crowd who wanted to crown him king because he fed them.
John points out that Jesus's disciples went ahead of him in a boat to get to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Later when the sea was getting rough Jesus come to them walking on the water. Naturally the disciples frightened, but when Jesus says that it is him, they stop being afraid and helped him in the boat. That is all there is to it. The people on the side of the sea who were present when the disciples took off without Jesus wondered how he ended up in the boat when the disciples arrived.
Mark offers a similar account. After Jesus was praying around dawn, he noticed that the disciples were struggling with their oars as a wind came against them. Jesus takes off and walking towards them he almost passes them by. The disciples are frightened because they think Jesus is ghost, but Jesus tells them it is him and Jesus helps himself into the boat and immediately the wind stops blowing. Marks tells us that the disciple were amazed (as well they should have been) but Mark says they were amazed because they did not understand the miracle that Jesus did in feeding the five thousand because their hearts were "hardened."
The Gospel of Matthew basically follows the story line of Mark. Jesus goes into the hills to pray and sends his disciples into a boat to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. While Jesus is prayer a strong wind comes up and the disciples are struggling against it. When its about dawn, Jesus goes to them by walking on the water. As in Mark the disciples are terrified by what they perceive is a ghost coming towards them.
It is at this point that Matthew adds a twist to the whole story. The ever-questioning Peter offers a test to Jesus, "If you are who you say you are, tell me to come out on the water." That should give anyone ready pause to question Peter's sanity. As fisherman by trade, he should know, better than anybody, that people immediately sink if they step on water. At any rate, when Jesus says, "Come," Peter steps out of the boat and starts to walk towards Jesus, but then notices the waves and the wind and immediately starts to sink and cries out, "Lord save me." Jesus does, saying to Peter, "O you of little faith. Why did you doubt?" After entering the boat, the wind stops and all are safe.
MEANING
The original meaning of these myths of the miraculous calming of the sea is that Jesus is truly the Son of God; as evidenced by the wind and wave obeying him. But every myth, biblical or other, is layered with meanings. Mythic stories are there for us to explore and probe the meaningful depths they contain.
As the wilderness is used as a metaphor for transitional and/or transformative periods in biblical mythology, storms on the sea are a metaphor for the storms we encounter in life, those moments when it is rough going is caused by some form of chaos. Whatever blows our way or is impeding our progress is when Jesus comes to us in order to calm the chaotic environment we find ourselves in.
In the story of Jesus calming the stormy sea, Jesus is asleep, resting on a pillow in the stern of the boat. It is only when awakened to the disciples's fear he calmly rebukes the wind and immediately everything is back to normal. The meaning of this myth is quite simple when the disciple proclaim, "Surely this must be the Son of God; " Even the wind and the waves obey him."
Awakening Jesus is a metaphor for prayer in this myth. In some ways, this myth implies that Jesus, knowing that everything will ultimately turn out just fine, doesn't seem a bit bothered by the chaos of the environment. Jesus knows everything will turn out just fine, but as far as Jesus' disciples are concerned everything is not fine. They fear being swamped by the waves and drowning in the sea. Jesus is awakened by their pleas for him to wake up and do something. Jesus awakens and rebukes the wind and the wave and immediately the sea is miraculously calm as if nothing ever happened.
Did Jesus know the storm was scaring the dickens out of his disciples? Was he waiting for them to come to him and ask for help? Perhaps. The Gospel of Mark implies a connection between the disciples failure to see the miracle that took place in feeding the five thousand and probably didn't see the "miracle" in the feeding of the four thousand either because feeding themselves was not the issue for them, even though they were concerned about a large number of hungry people.. It is probable, in Mark's view, that Jesus delayed in stopping the storm until they demonstrated a personal need for an answer to their immediate concerns.
In the myth of Jesus walking on the water, Jesus takes leave of his disciples to go off on his own to recoup by heading into the hills - the high place above the fray of life and nearer to heaven from where he can see his disciples, his followers, struggling against the sea of life. Interestingly, Jesus doesn't stop praying when he sees them struggle. He completes his moment of meditation and prayer and when a new day is about to dawn he comes down from the hill walking on the surface of surface of the water as his disciples are battling the forces of nature.
Jesus is unaffected by the storm, a sign of his being above nature (supernatural) and beyond the limitations of other mere humans. Jesus knows that he will calm the storm. He could have done it from where he was praying but he comes to them on the water instead. Why? As mentioned above to prove a point of his ability to do the miraculous in order to meet their needs. Their lack of faith is the issue in both of these mythic representations.
Matthew's Petrine twist to the myth of Jesus walking on the water is both baffling and intriguing. If Jesus walking on water is not enough, Matthew drags Peter into the scene for a purpose that is not entirely clear. The absurdity of this twist to the original story begs either its dismissal or a deeper look into its presence. What is absurd about this story is Peter's response to Jesus declaration that he is Jesus, "Lord if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water." WAIT - WHAT?
If Peter had any doubts about who he was talking to why make such a ridiculous suggestion?
Perhaps therein lies the point of Matthews version of this myth. If one follows the story of Peter in the Gospels, one can see that Peter has a problem with distinguishing between what he believes should be true and faith that will lead him to what is actually true. In the twenty-first century we are seeing this difference between beliefs and faith being played out in real time in our politics and in the rise of Christian Nationalism within the United States. What we believe to be true can carry us only so far before one starts realizing that one is in deep water and sinking fast.
Belief is not Faith.
What Peter believed prompted him to jump overboard. If Peter had faith, he would have waited in the boat to discern whether it was truly Jesus. He would not have challenged Jesus to perform a personal miracle to validate his belief. As a mythic story this Petrine twist exposes the naivety of those who possess ardent religious beliefs in the absurd.
Peter's belief that he could walk on water if Jesus' says faltered as soon as he comes to realizes that the sea he is walking on is anything but a walk in the park. If this wasn't a mythic story, he would have started sinking before both feet hit the water, but as a myth we need to suspend the rational to explore the meaning it is offering. Even though Peter is able to make a few steps towards Jesus, the sea being rough and the waves are high, his common sense kicks in at the most inopportune time making him realize he should be sinking which he immediately does. If this myth was written in the present day, the author or authors might have been compelled to attach a warning banner which would read: "Kids, don't try walking on water!"
Personal beliefs that are not based on fact or experience can be fatal; especially, when the obvious is being ignored in the belief that the obvious does not apply to one. How many cults in recent years have led people to take their own lives, to justify killing as righteous cause? These myths possess the tint of truth. Faith is not belief. Faith discerns. Faith does not challenge. Faith awaits.
Until next time, stay faithful.
Norm
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