We take up in our reading of the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 6, with an episode which at first might seem to be out-of-place. Following the multiplication of loaves and fish, the disciples, having witnessed the miracle, cross the Sea of Galilee by boat to Capernaum (John 6:16) without our Lord. Darkness falls, and the sea becomes turbulent (John 6:17-18). Already three or four miles from shore, the disciples witness a marvel. Our Lord is walking on the sea coming towards them (John 6:19). They are, of course, frightened, but our Lord calls out to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid” (John 6:20).
Clearly our Lord is demonstrating Divine power. Often the Sacred Scriptures speak of God’s majesty in relationship to his mastery of water. One example comes to mind in the Book of Job, when Job describes the power of God and lists numerous of His deeds that inspire awe. The text reads, “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea” (Job 9:8).
While water in the Sacred Scriptures can be associated with purification, water at sea, in the words of Xavier Léon Dufour, reflects “demoniacal restlessness by their perpetual agitation” (Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Seabury Press, New York, 1973, p. 645). But God is Master of the sky and sea. It was God who separated the waters at Creation (Genesis 1:6) and divides the Red Sea for the Exodus (Exodus 14:21-22). In walking on the sea, our Lord is exercising a Divine prerogative.
The faith of the disciples must be strengthened for what our Lord will teach them next, that He is “the living bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:51). Strengthen our faith, as well, O Lord.