Matthew 14:22-33 Meaning: Why Jesus Sent His Disciples Into the Storm
22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
24But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.
27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”
28Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”
29He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.
30But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”
22And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
22And straightway he constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away.
23And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone.
24But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves; for the wind was contrary.
25And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea.
26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear.
27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters.
29And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me.
31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
22And immediately Jesus constrained his disciples to go into the boat, and to go before him to the other side, till he might let away the multitudes;
23and having let away the multitudes, he went up to the mountain by himself to pray, and evening having come, he was there alone,
24and the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went away to them, walking upon the sea,
26and the disciples having seen him walking upon the sea, were troubled saying--`It is an apparition,' and from the fear they cried out;
27and immediately Jesus spake to them, saying, `Be of good courage, I am he , be not afraid.'
28And Peter answering him said, `Sir, if it is thou, bid me come to thee upon the waters;'
29and he said, `Come;' and having gone down from the boat, Peter walked upon the waters to come unto Jesus,
30but seeing the wind vehement, he was afraid, and having begun to sink, he cried out, saying, `Sir, save me.'
31And immediately Jesus, having stretched forth the hand, laid hold of him, and saith to him, `Little faith! for what didst thou waver?'
32and they having gone to the boat the wind lulled,
33and those in the boat having come, did bow to him, saying, `Truly--God's Son art thou.'
22And immediately he compelled the disciples to go on board ship, and to go on before him to the other side, until he should have dismissed the crowds.
23And having dismissed the crowds, he went up into the mountain apart to pray. And when even was come, he was alone there,
24but the ship was already in the middle of the sea tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25But in the fourth watch of the night he went off to them, walking on the sea.
26And the disciples, seeing him walking on the sea, were troubled, saying, It is an apparition. And they cried out through fear.
27But Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, Take courage; it is I: be not afraid.
28And Peter answering him said, Lord, if it be thou, command me to come to thee upon the waters.
29And he said, Come. And Peter, having descended from the ship, walked upon the waters to go to Jesus.
30But seeing the wind strong he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me.
31And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught hold of him, and says to him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?
32And when they had gone up into the ship, the wind fell.
33But those in the ship came and did homage to him, saying, Truly thou art God's Son.
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus sent his disciples into a storm on purpose. Learn why he compelled them to go, the meaning of Peter's walk, and what this reveals about Jesus.
Context
After feeding five thousand people, Jesus needed time alone to pray. So he sent the disciples ahead by boat. But he also knew a storm was coming. He did not shield them from it; he sent them straight into it. Why? He had lessons to teach that calm weather could not provide. While they struggled against the wind, Jesus came walking on the sea. He was not late; he came in the fourth watch, near dawn. Peter stepped out in faith, then sank in fear. Jesus caught him, and together they climbed into the boat. At once the wind died. And the disciples worshipped him, confessing: “Truly You are the Son of God!” This story shows us not only who Jesus is, but how he meets us in our hardest moments.
Key Words
The Greek word for “constrained” in verse 22 is ēnagkasen. It means “he compelled” or “he forced.” The disciples did not want to leave Jesus. But Jesus insisted, and he had a purpose. The word for “tossed” in verse 24 is basanizomenon, which literally means “tortured” or “tormented.” Those waves were not just rough; they were tormenting the boat. You can feel the danger and the fear. And in verse 31, Jesus calls Peter oligopiste, “of little faith.” This is a gentle word. It does not say “you have no faith.” It says “your faith is small.” Peter believed enough to step out of the boat but not enough to keep his eyes on Jesus. That single word holds hope: even a little faith, when it cries out, is enough to be saved.
How Christians Read This Verse
Calvin observes that the disciples must have been compelled because they would never have left Jesus willingly, their devotion was real. Adam Clarke points out that Jesus needed to send them away to keep them from being swept up in the crowd’s plan to make him king (John 6:15). Across traditions, Christians see in this passage both the full humanity of Jesus (he prays alone) and his divinity (he walks on water, he calms the storm). The story invites every reader to ask: will I keep my eyes on Jesus when the wind is strong? Both Peter and those who stayed in the boat ended up worshipping him. That is the point.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Peter’s sinking was a failure that disqualified him. In fact, Peter is the only disciple who stepped out of the boat. His cry “Lord, save me!” is a prayer of faith, not a sign of unbelief. Jesus immediately reached out his hand. The rebuke “of little faith” is gentle and invites growth, not condemnation. Peter walked on water, a miracle no one else attempted.
Living This Out
This week, think of a situation where you feel overwhelmed. The waves are strong and you cannot see the shore. You might be tempted to look at the problem instead of at Jesus. But Jesus is already coming toward you, even in the dark. He says the same thing he said that night: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” If you start to sink, remember Peter’s cry. Three words: “Lord, save me.” That is enough. Jesus will reach out his hand. Keep your eyes on him, not on the wind.
Main takeaway: Jesus is the Son of God who comes to us in the storm and catches us when we cry out to him.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus walked on water! Peter was scared and started to sink. But Jesus reached out his hand and saved him. Jesus always helps us when we call out to him.
For ages 9, 12
This story shows us that even when we are scared and things are going wrong, Jesus comes to us. He does not say “You should have trusted me more.” He reaches out and catches us. Because he is God’s Son, he has power over everything, even storms. When you feel like you are sinking, keep looking at Jesus and call out to him.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus make the disciples get into the boat when he knew a storm was coming?
Jesus had a purpose. He wanted the disciples to experience his power over the storm and to deepen their faith. The storm also gave them a chance to see who he truly is: the Son of God.
What does it mean that Jesus walked on water?
Walking on water shows Jesus’ divine power over nature. In the Old Testament, God alone has power over the sea. By walking on water, Jesus reveals himself as God.
Why did Peter sink if he had faith?
Peter started well, but he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind and waves. His fear overwhelmed his faith. But even as he sank, he cried out to Jesus, who immediately saved him. It shows that Jesus is always ready to catch us when we call.
What does 'you of little faith' mean? Does it mean Peter had no faith?
No, it does not mean no faith. It means his faith was small but real. He had enough faith to step out of the boat, but not enough to keep his focus on Jesus. The rebuke is gentle and encouraging, not condemning.
What is the main lesson of Matthew 14:22-33?
The main lesson is that Jesus is the Son of God, Lord over all creation. He comes to us in our struggles, calls us to trust him, and saves us when we cry out to him. The correct response is worship.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study