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Matthew 14:22-33 : Jesus Walks on Water

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22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

23 After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.

24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It's a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "Cheer up! It is I! Don't be afraid."

28 Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters."

29 He said, "Come!" Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to Come to Jesus.

30 But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, "You are truly the Son of God!"

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Gesù cammina sull'acqua

Av New Christian Bible Study Staff (maskinöversatt till Italiano)

The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water, by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Questa è una delle storie più amate della Bibbia, e non è difficile capire perché. È facile per noi visualizzare i discepoli che lottano per portare la loro piccola nave attraverso il tempestoso mare di Galilea, e il loro stupore quando Gesù viene da loro, passeggiando in cima alle onde come se l'acqua fosse una strada romana. Possiamo simpatizzare con Pietro, che in preda allo stupore va lui stesso sull'acqua, solo per essere colpito dalla paura. E possiamo trarre un chiaro messaggio spirituale di fidarsi del Signore e credere nella sua potenza.

(Referenser: Apocalisse Spiegata 514 [21])


Ma è tutto qui? Gesù ha camminato sull'acqua solo per stupire i discepoli e per stupire il lettore? O aveva un significato più profondo?

Secondo gli Scritti, la storia illustra il fatto che la nuova chiesa lanciata da Gesù avrebbe portato vita spirituale al mondo intero, non solo al gruppo ristretto di credenti specifici - e che il Signore opera allo stesso modo nel mondo oggi.

Uno dei simboli chiave qui è il mare, che rappresenta quelli della periferia della chiesa. Essi hanno alcune conoscenze spirituali e una grande quantità di conoscenze naturali, tutte fluide e turbolente. Un altro è la nave, che rappresenta le credenze specifiche dei discepoli, la loro dottrina. Essi navigano quella nave, da soli, nella turbolenza delle credenze della periferia della chiesa. Le onde mostrano che erano attaccati da argomenti di idee naturali; il vento mostra che la loro dottrina non era abbastanza elevata per essere veramente allineata con la potenza del Signore.

Così Gesù viene da loro all'alba - che significa l'inizio della sua nuova chiesa - camminando sull'acqua. Questo dimostra che nel Suo perfetto amore e bontà Egli porta la vita anche a coloro che sono in credenze esterne. All'inizio i discepoli non lo riconoscono e hanno paura - la reazione di chi è in uno stato spirituale inferiore all'avanzata di uno superiore. Ma Gesù li rassicura, e Pietro - che rappresenta le vere idee che nascono dal desiderio del bene - osa camminare lui stesso sull'acqua.

Per un momento, sostenuta dalla fede in Gesù, funziona. Le idee vere basate sul desiderio di bene possono funzionare senza il supporto di un sistema dottrinale specifico, anche nella confusione del pensiero naturale. Ma i discepoli non sono ancora pronti per questo; la fiducia di Pietro viene meno e Gesù deve riportarlo sulla nave. Il risultato finale, però, è un progresso spirituale per i discepoli. Il fatto che il vento si fermi quando Gesù sale sulla nave mostra un'elevazione delle loro idee dottrinali; sono più in accordo con la potenza del Signore (rappresentata dal vento). E qual è questa differenza? È illustrato dal fatto che si inchinano e adorano Gesù, chiamandolo Figlio di Dio.

Cosa significa questo per noi? Siamo (si spera, comunque) essenzialmente discepoli - persone con una certa conoscenza del Signore e il desiderio di essere buoni. Quello che possiamo imparare, quindi, è che l'amore del Signore non è limitato a noi o a coloro che credono come noi - è per tutti, ovunque, in ogni tratto di mare. E potremmo voler lavorare sulla fiducia nel Signore e sul credere nel suo potere se vogliamo uscire sull'acqua e aiutare il mondo.

(Referenser: Apocalisse Spiegata 514 [21])

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Genesis 11

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1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.

2 It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.

3 They said one to another, "Come, let's make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

4 They said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."

5 Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

6 Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.

7 Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

8 So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.

9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

10 This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

11 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of sons and daughters.

12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.

13 Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of sons and daughters.

14 Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber:

15 and Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of sons and daughters.

16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.

17 Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of sons and daughters.

18 Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.

19 Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of sons and daughters.

20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.

21 Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of sons and daughters.

22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.

23 Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of sons and daughters.

24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.

25 Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of sons and daughters.

26 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

28 Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees.

29 Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah.

30 Sarai was barren. She had no child.

31 Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. They went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

32 The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.