John Chrysostom

And while Matthew merely mentioned that "He was asleep," Luke saith that it was "on a pillow;" signifying both His freedom from pride, and to teach us hereby a high degree of austerity. The tempest therefore being thoroughly excited, and the sea raging, "They awake Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish." But He rebuked them before He rebuked the sea. Because as I said, for discipline these things were permitted, and they were a type of the temptations that were to overtake them. …

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 28 ↗

Jerome

But He was sleeping. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us, we are perishing!' And Jesus said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you of little faith?' We read the foreshadowing of this sign in Jonah (Jonah 1), when, as the others were in danger, he was secure, and slept, and was awakened; and by the power and mystery of his passion, he saved those who woke him.

Commentary on Matthew ↗

Hilary of Poitiers

Or; He sleeps, because by our sloth He is cast asleep in us. This is done that we may hope aid from God in fear of danger; and that hope though late may be confident that it shall escape danger by the might of Christ watching within.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Then the miracle is described: first, the impending danger; secondly, the disciples' pleading (v. 25); thirdly, the response. There arose a great storm on the sea. The saints say that the storm did not arise from the inclemency of the air, but by divine arrangement. And it happened for a number of reasons: first, in order that the disciples, who had been loved and selected in a special way, might experience something humiliating and not extol themselves. …

Commentary on Matthew ↗