We now consider together for convenience the stories of Jesus walking on water and healing the demoniac. These two stories are linked together in the same succession in all three Synoptics and therefore likely circulated together orally and/or in writing.

As usual Mark is full of what would be Petrine eyewitness comments: the extra boats; that Jesus was on the headrest; the disciples' panicked reaction. Marcan priority theorists claim that Matthew and Luke removed the fear of the disciples out of embarrassment for them and to make them look better. But why does this require Mark to be written first? It is just as well said that either a) Mark added this for realism; b) Peter added in this reminisce to make tradition more "flavorful" as he preached. Either way the theory is assumed, and then the data explained in terms of it; when in fact either theory can offer a reasonable explanation. Ours is that Luke probably took notes from both Mark and Ur-Matthew here, as he offers a composite of elements from both. Our thesis is supported by the point that Mark's reference to Jesus in the boat served as an aural cue for listeners (in this pre-literate society) that a new pericope has begun (the phrase being an inclusio matched to the mention of the boat in Mark 4:1-2. QM theorists must concoct an elaborate psychological thesis that Matthew "corrected" this inconsistency; we say rather that Mark and Matthew had an independent oral tradition that Mark (Peter) modified for oral presentation.

Hawkins [Hawk.HS, 117] thinks he sees a sign of Marcan priority in the minuscule note of Mark of other boats. He thinks that Matthew would remove it because "it might be wondered how the 'other boats' weathered the storm." That qualifies as the Ivory Tower Question of the Week. It is quite doubtful that the average peasant or poor urbanite of this day is going to be asking such niggling questions that come to the mind of a scholar of leisure with too much time on his hands. Beyond this it is not that hard to think, "By gum, when Jesus calmed the storm, they came out all right, too." Finally this fits just as well with Matthean and Markan independence.

Again, a Petrine eyewitness touch: the exact words of Jesus as he rebuked the storm. And here also a silk purse out of a sow's ear in favor of Markan priority: Stein [58] declares that Mark offers a grammatical awkwardness in that he uses a singular verb "obey" with the preceding compound subject ("wind and the sea") and decides that Matt and Luke must have "improved" Mark here, as they use the more proper plural verb. Stein decides that it is more likely Luke and Matt fixed Mark than that Mark messed up Matt and Luke, but he has forgotten another option, that Matt and Mark did their work independently from a common source. (That Luke may have improved Mark is an acceptable idea.)

Another claimed proof of Markan priority is that Matthew omits mention of the winds early in his account, while Mark has such a mention, and it is supposed that Matt creates tension because of his "overzealous abbreviation" of Mark [Neville, 245]. In response it is worth asking as Neville does what reader or hearer would have been so ignorant (my own word!) as to NOT automatically associate strong winds with Matt's "quake of the sea" and boat being swamped by waves. This is low-context, landlubber talk, especially if (as is supposed) the account was intended to allude to Jonah 1. One may as well say Mark was beholden to "excessive detail" and make Matthew prior on that basis.

Neville [244] notes an argument that Matthew has Jesus rebuke the disciples before he rebukes the storm, unlike Mark and Luke, and that this supposedly makes the actual stilling of the storm an "appendage". As usual the psychological explanation can be turned around: Why not see it as Matthew "heightening the miraculous power of Jesus by delaying the miracle, thereby increasing the tension within the story"? Why not argue that Mark reversed the order as part of his "dumb disciples" motif, so that he put the rebuke where it could most effectively show the disciples "dumbest"?

On the differences in location and number of men see here. As above, there is clear reason to suggest Luke using Mark (via note-taking, not direct copying) but no real reason to see Matthew using Mark as opposed to being independent. One can argue for a Marcan priority in which Matt removed all the extraneous data; or one can argue for a Matthew that reflects an original simple pericope that Peter added his own remembrances to.

Hawkins [Hawk.HS, 119] notes that this is the one place where a demons "dares to adjure Jesus" but does not explain how this shows any particular priority. One would think that this would be a positive showing Jesus' power that would not want to be eliminated, and so if anything a proof of Markan posteriority.

Nothing to be added here to the above.

Ur-Matthew Reconstruction

And entering he into the boat followed him the disciples of-him. And behold shaking great occurred in the sea so-that the boat was-covered by the waves. he But was-sleeping. And having-come-near the disciples of-him aroused him saying Lord save us we-are-perishing. And he says to-them Why afraid are-you little-faiths? Then rising-up he-rebuked the winds and the sea and occurred calm great. the And men marveled saying Of-what-kind is this that even the winds and the sea obey him? And coming He to the other-side into the country of-the Gerasenes met him two being-demon-possessed out of-the tombs coming-out, violent very so-as not was-able any to pass-through way that. And behold they-cried-out saying What to us and to you Jesus Son of God? Come you here before time to-torment us? was And at-a-distance from them herd pigs many feeding. the And demons begged him saying If you-expel us allow us to-go-away into the herd of pigs. And he-said to-them Go! those And coming-out went-away into the herd of pigs. And behold rushed all the herd of pigs down the precipice into the sea and died in the waters. those And feeding fled and going -away into the city told all and of the having-been-demon-possessed. And behold all the city went out to meet-with the Jesus and seeing him they begged that he-move from the borders of-them.