Today's reading tells us how Jesus calmed the storm that arose on the Lake of Gennesaret while His disciples were crossing to the other shore. And it is usually this very fact that makes the greatest impression on the reader, for in this way...
Today's reading tells us how Jesus calmed the storm that arose on the Lake of Gennesaret while His disciples were crossing to the other shore. And it is usually this very fact that makes the greatest impression on the reader, for in this way Jesus' power over the forces of nature, which are beyond the control of an ordinary person, is emphasized.
Yet here too what stands before us is once again nothing other than a manifestation of the fullness of the Kingdom. It truly begins to penetrate our world, which is not yet fully transformed, and to change its nature. In essence, what we see here is not the calming of the storm, but its disappearance in the peace in which the Kingdom always abides. It differs from mere calming in exactly the same way as the healings performed by Jesus differ from ordinary cures achieved by purely medical means. Jesus does not cure diseases; He simply brings a person into the Kingdom, where there is no place for them, and the person is made well. The same is true of the storm: bearing the Kingdom within Himself, Jesus does not calm it, but transforms nature, making it part of the Kingdom, where there is no place for a storm. It is no accident that He Himself does not sail, but walks on the water. Apparently, in the Kingdom the very nature of water changes so greatly that a person can walk on it, whereas in our untransformed world he can walk in this way only on land.
One might, of course, suppose that only Jesus Himself was capable of this, but that is disproved by the fact that Peter too was able to walk on the water just like his Teacher (vv. 28–29). But only for as long as he looked at Jesus. As soon as he looked at the raging lake, fear seized his heart and he began to sink (v. 30).
Here again we see a manifestation of the Kingdom. Indeed, Peter could walk on the water as long as he looked at Jesus and abided in the Kingdom together with Him. It was the only reality for Peter, and so he could walk on the water and the storm did him no harm, for there is no storm in the Kingdom. But as soon as he allowed fear to take possession of his heart, that fear instantly separated him from the Kingdom. It disappeared, leaving only the raging elements around him. And had it not been for the Saviour's outstretched hand, things might have ended very sadly for Peter (v. 31). It is no accident that, as Jesus reaches out His hand to His disciple, He immediately asks him about his lack of faith. Today, as the Kingdom penetrates our world more and more deeply, our own faith alone determines whether it becomes for us a genuine and supreme reality or remains merely a beautiful dream and an unattainable ideal.
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1:10 Now I exhort you - Ye have faith and hope; secure love also. By the endearing name of our Lord Jesus Christ - lnfinitely preferable to all the human names in which yeglory. That ye all speak the same thing - They now spoke different things, Co1 1:12. And that there be no schisms among you - No alienation ofaffection from each other. Is this word ever taken in any other sense in scripture? But that ye be joined in the same mind - Affections, desires. And judgment - Touching all the grandtruths of the gospel.
1:11 It hath been declared to me by them of the family of Chloe - Whom some suppose to have been the wife of Stephanas, and themother of Fortunatus and Achaicus. By these three the Corinthians had sent their letter to St. Paul, Co1 16:17.That there are contentions - A word equivalent with schisms in the preceding verse.
1:12 Now this I say - That is, what I mean is this: there are various parties among you, who set themselves, one against an other, in behalf of the several teachers they admire. And I of Christ - They spoke well, if they had not on this pretence despised their teachers, Co1 4:8Perhaps they valued themselves on having heard Christ preach in his own person.
1:13 Is Christ divided - Are not all the members still under one head? Was not he alone crucified for you all; and were ye not all baptized in his name? The glory of Christ then is not to be divided between him and his servants; neither is the unity of the body to be torn asunder, seeing Christ is one still.
1:14 I thank God - (A pious phrase for the common one, "I rejoice,") that, in the course of his providence, Ibaptized none of you, but Crispus, once the ruler of the synagogue, and Caius.
1:15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in my own name - In order to attach them to myself.
1:16 I know not - That is, it does not at present occur to my memory, that I baptized any other.
1:17 For God did not send me to baptize - That was not my chief errand: those of inferior rank and abilities could do it: though all the apostles were sent to baptize also, Mat 28:19. But to preach the gospel - So the apostle slides into hisgeneral proposition: but not with wisdom of speech - With the artificial ornaments of discourse, invented by human wisdom.Lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect - The whole effect of St. Paul's preaching was owing to the power of God accompanying the plain declaration of that great truth, "Christ bore our sins upon the cross." But this effect mighthave been imputed to another cause, had he come with that wisdom of speech which they admired.
1:18 To them that perish - By obstinately rejecting the only name whereby they can be saved. But to us who are saved - Now saved from our sins, and in the way to everlastingsalvation, it is the great instrument of the power of God.