"And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship,
and to go before him to the other side, while he sent the multitude
away." (Matt, xiv, 22.)
In this section, according to its mystical interpretation, we have a
summary description of the state of the Church, from the coming of
the Savior to the end of the world. For the Lord constrained his
Disciples to get into a ship, when he committed the Church to the
government of the Apostles and their followers. And thus to go
before him unto the other side,--that is, to bear onwards towards
the haven of the celestial country, before he himself should
entirely depart from the world. For, with his elect, and on account
of his elect, he ever remains here until the consummation of all
things; and he is preceded to the other side of the sea of this
world by those who daily pass hence to the Land of the Living. And
when he shall have sent all that are his to that place, then,
leaving the multitude of the reprobate, and no longer warning them
to be converted, but giving them over to perdition, he will depart
hence that he may be with his elect alone in the kingdom.
Whence it is added, "while he sent the multitude away." For in the
end of the world he will "send away the multitude" of his enemies,
that they may then be hurried by the Devil to everlasting
vdamnation. "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up in a
mountain to pray." He will not send away the multitude of the
Gentiles till the end of the world; but he did dismiss the multitude
of the Jewish people at the time when, as saith Isaiah, "He
commanded his clouds that they should rain no rain upon it"; that
is, he commanded his Apostles that they should preach no longer to
the Jews, but should go to the Gentiles. Thus, therefore, he sent
away that multitude, and "went up into a mountain"; that is, to the
height of the celestial kingdom, of which it had been written, "Who
shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall rise up in his
holy place?" For a mountain is a height, and what is higher than
heaven? There the Lord ascended. And he ascended alone, "for no man
hath ascended up into heaven save he that came down from heaven,
even the Son of Man which is in heaven." And even when he shall come
at the end of the world, and shall have collected all of us, his
members, together, and shall have raised us into heaven, he will
also ascend alone, because Christ, the head, is one with his
body. But now the Head alone ascends,--the Mediator of God and man
--the man Christ Jesus. And he goes up to pray, because he went to
the Father to intercede for us. "For Christ is not entered into
holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true, but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
It follows: "And when the evening was come, he was there alone."
This signifies the nearness of the end of the world, concerning
which John also speaks: "Little children, it is the last time."
Therefore it is said that, "when the evening was come, he was there
alone," because, when the world was drawing to its end, he by
himself, as the true high priest, entered into the holy of holies,
and is there at the right hand of God, and also maketh intercession
for us. But while he prays on the mountain, the ship is tossed with
waves in the deep. For, since the billows arise, the ship may be
tossed; but since Christ prays, it cannot be overwhelmed. ...
We may notice, also, that this commotion of the waves, and tottering
or half-sinking of Peter, takes place even in our time, according to
the spiritual sense daily. For every man's own besetting sin is the
tempest. You love God; you walk upon the sea; the swellings of this
world are under your feet. You love the world; it swallows you up;
its wont is to devour, not to bear up, its lovers. But when your
heart fluctuates with the desire of sin, call on the divinity of
Christ, that you may conquer that desire. You think that the wind is
then contrary when the adversity of this world rises against you,
and not also when its prosperity fawns upon you. For when wars, when
tumults, when famine, when pestilence comes, when any private
calamity happens even to individual men, then the wind is thought
adverse, and then it is held right to call upon God; but when the
world smiles with temporal felicity, then, forsooth, the wind is not
contrary. Do not, by such tokens as these, judge of the tranquillity
of the time; but judge of it by your own temptations. See if you are
tranquil within yourself; see if no internal tempest is overwhelming
you. It is a proof of great virtue to struggle with happiness, so
that it shall not seduce, corrupt, subvert. Learn to trample on this
world; remember to trust in Christ. And if your foot be moved,--if
you totter,--if there be some temptations that you cannot
overcome,--if you begin to sink, cry out to Jesus, Lord, save
me. In Peter, therefore, the common condition of all of us is to be
considered; so that, if the wind of temptation endeavor to upset us
in any matter, or its billows to swallow us up, we may cry to
Christ. He shall stretch forth his hand, and preserve us from the
deep.
It follows: "And when he was come into the ship, the wind ceased."
In the last day he shall ascend into the ship of the Church, because
then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory; which throne may not
unfitly be understood of the Church. For he who by faith and good
works now and always dwells in the Church shall then, by the
manifestation of his glory, enter into it. And then the wind shall
cease, because evil spirits shall no more have the power of sending
forth against it the flames of temptation or the commotions of
troubles; for then all things shall be at peace and at rest.
It follows: "Then they that were with him in the ship came and
worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." They
who remain faithfully in the Church amidst the tempests of
temptations will approach to him with joy, and, entering into his
kingdom with him, will worship him; and, praising him perpetually,
will affirm him of a truth to be the Son of God. Then, also, that
will happen which is written concerning the elect raised from death:
"All flesh shall come and shall worship before my face," saith the
Lord. And again: "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they
will always be praising thee." For him, whom with their heart they
believe unto righteousness, and with their mouth confess to
salvation, him they shall see with their heart to light, and with
their mouth shall praise to glory, when they behold how ineffably he
is begotten of the Father, with whom he liveth and reigneth, in the
unity of the Holy Ghost, God to all ages of ages. Amen.