And when he entered into the boat, his disciples followed
him: and behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was
covered with waves. Jesus performed His fifth miracle when, entering
into a boat at Capharnaum, He commanded the winds and the sea. The sixth,
when in the country of the Gerasenes He gave the swine into the power of
the demons. The seventh, when going into His own city He cured a second
paralytic, who was lying upon a bed. For the first paralytic healed was
the servant of the Centurion.
But he was asleep. And they came to him, and awakened him, saying:
Lord, save us, we perish. And Jesus saith to them: Why are you fearful,
O ye of little faith? We read a foreshadowing of this sign in Jonah
(Jn. i), who, while the others were in danger, he being safe, both slept
and was awakened; and at his command and by the mystery of what he suffered,
delivered his awakeners.
Then rising up he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came
a great calm. From this account we understand that all creatures hearken
to their Creator. For that which He rebukes, and which He commanded, hear
Him commanding; not in the sense of those heretics who believe that all
things are living, but by the power of the Creator, those things are responsive
to Him, which to us appear without perception.
But the men wondered, saying: what manner of man is this, for the
winds and the sea obey him? It was not the Disciples, but the
sailors, and the others who were in the ship that wondered. Unless someone
should contentiously hold that it was the Disciples who wondered then we
reply that they are fittingly called simply men, who had not yet learned
the power of the Saviour.
