In the sequence of miracles in Matthew 8:23-9:8, the shaking of the sea parallels the violence of the demoniacs and this parallels . . . what? The sin of the paralytic? Perhaps, but it seems more likely that Matthew is working out a parallel between the demons and the scribes. The demons object to Jesus coming to deliver before the time; the scribes object to Jesus claiming power to forgive. Scribal opposition to Jesus is another form of diabolical violence, another shaking of the sea.
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