Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus’ act of walking on the water carries more than mere theological significance. It also communicated profound political and social meaning to Jesus followers in the time it was written. Under the rule of Herod Antipas, the Sea of Galilee had become the center of an exploitative fishing economy. Antipas established the city of Tiberias on its western shore and local fishermen, including several of Jesus’ disciples, lived under heavy economic burdens created by this political system. Against this backdrop, Jesus’ mastery over the waters symbolizes liberating authority over a realm that Herod claimed to control and a lake that was at the center of Herod’s exploitative plan.