Saturday, December 17, 2022

William L. Kynes on the Christology of Matthew 14:22-33

  

The manifestation of Jesus that follows (vv. 26, 27) is described in a way typical of biblical epiphany stories: the onlookers are frightened thinking they may have seen a ghost; then Jesus identifies himself and says, “Do not be afraid” (v. 27). Whether the εγω ειμι should be considered an allusion to divinity is debated, but in any case the implication of Jesus’ action is clear: in walking on the sea he is exercising the power of God. . . . here it is Jesus who “tramples the waves of the sea” (cf. Job 9:8). The worshipping confession in v. 33 of Jesus as the Son of God follows naturally from this action.

 

Again, as in the storm-stilling miracle, Jesus is not worshiped simply as a “miracle-worker” but as one in whom God exercising his salvific will. He acts here as the agent of the Father’s power, a relationship which is expressed in the term “Son of God.” This follows not only from what has been previously said about Jesus’ derived power and authority as generally seen in the gospel, but more specifically here from Jesus’ action of praying which is so prominent in this pericope (v. 23). The two examples of prayer in the gospel emphasize the intimate relationship with God as Father, and we may conclude that Jesus’ walking on the sea is a demonstration of his intimacy with the Father, such that for him “all things as possible” (cf. 17:20).

 

Jesus’ walking on the sea certainly has an epiphanic purpose, but because of the difficulty of the disciples in the boast, the story also includes a sea-rescue. The salvific significance of Jesus’ actions is not immediately obvious, but before examining this further, two preliminary points are obvious, but before examining this further, two preliminary points must be established. First, the disciples’ distress results from their inability to cross the sea. Their boat was being battered by the waves cause by a contrary wind (v. 25). Second, those steeped in the Old Testament tradition would not understand Jesus’ miracle so much as a violation of natural law, but as a demonstration of divine power. Job 9:8, which celebrates God’s power as creator, speaks of the Lord “trampling the waves of the sea” and hereby indicates his dominance over the evil forces that exist there. God’s dominance of the sea is frequently related to the Exodus and to God’s power to make a path through the sea. This provides a conjunction of ideas relevant to Jesus’ activity in 14:22-33: in walking on the sea, Jesus demonstrates his dominance over it, defeating and conquering its power; but also, as Heil contends, “The fact that Jesus himself crosses the sea means that it is now crossable for his disciples and thus results in their rescue.” (Walking, 50) Jesus acts as the agent of his Father’s power in crossing the sea, and in so doing, he saves his disciples form their distress. (William L. Kynes, A Christology of Solidarity: Jesus as the Representative of His People in Matthew Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1991], 68-69, emphasis in bold added)

 

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