The necessity for constraint.
Thomson puts together the narrative so as to bring out the reason for Christ's constraining the disciples; or, rather, a first and external reason which prepares for the discernment of the deeper reason.
I. THE EVIDENT NECESSITY FOR THE CONSTRAINT. "As the evening was coming on, Jesus commanded the disciples to return home to Capernaum, while he sent the people away. They were reluctant to go and leave him alone in that desert place; probably remonstrated against his exposing himself to the coming storm and the cold night air, and reminded him that he would have many miles to walk round the head of the lake, and must cross the Jordan at Bethsaida before he could reach home. To quiet their minds, he may have then told them to go on toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd, promising to join them in the night, which he intended to do, and actually did, though in a manner very different from what they expected. Still they were reluctant to leave him, and bad to be constrained to set sail. In this state of anxiety, they endeavoured to keep near the shore between this and Bethsaida, hoping, no doubt, to take in their beloved Master at some point along the coast. But a violent wind beat off the boat, so that they were not able to make Bethsaida, nor even Capernaum, but were driven past both; and when near the Plain of Gennesaret, at the northwest corner of the lake, Jesus came to them walking on the sea." This illustrates well the surface explanation of these events; but it does not satisfy, because it does not give any reason for our Lord sending the disciples away. Why did he not keep them to help him in dismissing the crowd?
II. THE REAL NECESSITY FOR THE CONSTRAINT. We must look below the surface, and then some interesting things come to view. The miracle of feeding the thousands excited the people, and led them to regard Jesus as the delivering Messiah, and there and then proclaim him as the expected King. And our Lord's disciples, instead of repressing this excitement, were carried away by it, and would have joined in this mistaken acclamation. Herein lies the explanation of the following things.
1. Their uselessness as helpers in dismissing the excited crowd, seeing they were themselves excited.
2. Christ's determination to get them out of the way.
3. Their unwillingness to go.
4. Our Lord's constraint.
5. The revelation of his mystery and spirituality, in the walking on the sea, as corrective of the material notions to which they were giving room.—R.T.