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Good afternoon Father Angelo.

I would like to ask you a question regarding a passage in the Gospel of Matthew which concerns the account of how Jesus calmed the storm.

I was struck less by Jesus’ rebuke of the disciples, which has already been examined in detail in your previous answers, but by the fact that Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea.

This I cannot really explain logically. Why did Jesus do this? What sense can this behaviour make?

Jesus is the Son of God and God Himself, and so He well knew that the wind and the sea are not living entities that can be ordered to do anything.

I would have given myself two different explanations, but they cause me trouble in my faith:

1) Jesus conformed to the mentality of the time and of the apostles which perhaps had something to do, even if only remotely, with a kind of animism whereby they thought they could command the wind and the sea by rebuking them as if they were capricious and spiteful entities. Jesus had no need to do this, he could simply think of calming the wind and the sea and this would have happened.

Instead, by doing so, it seems to me that Jesus was able to confirm the disciples in a superstitious and animistic mentality. On the other hand, however, I remember how Jesus acted in a similar way for example to heal a blind man by putting mud on his eyes. Again, he had no need to do this to heal the blind man; it would have been enough for him to heal his infirmity without resorting to material signs. Other times Jesus even heals from a distance without touching the sick person.

2) Jesus wanted to impress the disciples and manifest all his power by putting on a sort of show for their use. This explanation, however, would imply a malice that cannot be reconciled with holiness.

Both these explanations of mine obviously do not convince me at all and I rely on your wisdom if you have the time and patience to read this missive of mine.

I greet you and entrust you to the protection of St Jude Thaddeus, a saint particularly close to my heart. 

Priest’s answer

Dearest, 

1. the explanation is much simpler.

Jesus addresses the sea as an ancient commentator said because ‘from the movement of the sea there arises a certain sound, which seems to be a certain locution of the sea threatening danger; therefore conveniently, in the form of a metaphor, Jesus commands the sea to be silent’.

He also does the same with the winds.

2. An ancient Christian thinker, Origen, goes so far as to think that Jesus Christ himself first stirred up the waters of the sea and then calmed them. He writes: ‘so he who had first stirred up the depths of the sea, now again commands a great calm, so that the disciples who had been too much troubled might have great joy’.

3. With this act of absolute dominion over nature Jesus manifests his divinity.

St John Chrysostom, one of the four great Doctors of the Eastern Church, writes: ‘Observe also that the storm is calmed immediately and entirely and no trace of agitation remains, which is beyond nature, for when a storm ends according to its natural course the water still remains agitated for a while, whereas here everything calms down immediately.  Thus what is said of the Father: He hushed the storm to silence.’ (Ps 107,29), Christ fulfilled in deed: for he calmed and restrained the sea with one word and one command. 

From his appearance, from his sleep, and from his use of the boat, those present thought him only a man, so they marvelled. But now, seized with wonder, they say Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?

4. St Thomas also observes that when there is a storm for two days the sea does not calm down completely. Therefore, in order that a perfect miracle might appear, there was immediately a great calm, for his work is perfect (Deut 32,4)’ (Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, 8:27).

Therefore Jesus commands the sea and the winds to show his divinity.

I bless you, wish you well and remember you in prayer.

Father Angelo