经文研读
Matthew 14:29-31 — Peter Walks, Falters, and Is Caught
Jesus invites Peter onto the water; Peter walks, sinks in fear, cries out, and is immediately seized by Jesus' hand.
经文
- 29.耶 穌 說 ： 你 來 罷 。 彼 得 就 從 船 上 下 去 ， 在 水 面 上 走 ， 要 到 耶 穌 那 裡 去 ；And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.
- 30.只 因 見 風 甚 大 ， 就 害 怕 ， 將 要 沉 下 去 ， 便 喊 著 說 ： 主 阿 ， 救 我 ！But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me.
- 31.耶 穌 趕 緊 伸 手 拉 住 他 ， 說 ： 你 這 小 信 的 人 哪 ， 為 甚 麼 疑 惑 呢 ？And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
这段经文的意思
In verse 29, Peter's request from the preceding verse is met with Jesus' single word "Come," and Peter leaves the relative safety of the boat to walk on the water toward Jesus. The text reports this as a straightforward event: he went down from the boat, and he walked upon the waters, with the stated purpose of coming to Jesus. The account does not describe how the walking was sustained; it simply records that Peter did walk on the waters after Jesus spoke.
Verse 30 marks the turning point. The wind had been present throughout the storm (the boat was "distressed by the waves" and the wind was "contrary" earlier), but Peter had not yet noticed it as an obstacle. When he "saw the wind," fear overtook him and he "began to sink." His response is a short cry: "Lord, save me." The address "Lord" and the plea for salvation frame the scene as more than physical rescue; it is a confession of need directed to Jesus in the moment of crisis.
Verse 31 closes the incident immediately. Jesus stretches out his hand, takes hold of Peter, and rebukes him: "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" The rebuke does not come before the rescue but alongside it — the hand that saves and the question about faith are simultaneous. The pairing shows that Jesus' willingness to rescue does not remove his assessment of the doubt that caused the sinking.
背景
Matthew 14 situates this incident after the feeding of the five thousand (verses 13-21) and after Jesus compelled the disciples to enter the boat while he dismissed the crowd (verse 22). The boat journey is described as difficult: the boat was "in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves" with the wind "contrary" (verse 24). Jesus comes to them "walking upon the sea" in the fourth watch of the night (verse 25).
When the disciples see him they cry out in fear, thinking he is a ghost; Jesus responds, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (verses 26-27). Peter's request to come on the waters (verse 28) leads directly into the target passage. After the rescue, the wind ceases when they enter the boat (verse 32), and those in the boat worship Jesus, saying, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God" (verse 33), before they cross over to Gennesaret.
常见问题
Why did Peter begin to sink only when he saw the wind?
The wind had been present throughout the storm, but Peter had not yet regarded it as an obstacle while his attention was fixed on Jesus. The text attributes the sinking to the moment he "saw the wind" and became afraid, suggesting that his fear displaced his focus.
Did Jesus rebuke Peter before or after saving him?
The text places the rescue and the rebuke together in the same sentence: Jesus "stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him" and said, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" The hand that saves and the question about faith are simultaneous.
What does Peter's cry "Lord, save me" indicate about how the scene is framed?
By addressing Jesus as "Lord" and asking to be saved while physically sinking, Peter makes a confession of need directed at Jesus in the moment of crisis. The wording frames the rescue as more than physical extraction from the water.