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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
Unless any one affirm that the "when" is here used by them in the sense of "how." But it is worth while also to notice here the fickleness of their impulses. For they who said, "This is that Prophet"; they who were anxious to "take Him and make Him a king," now when they have found Him take no such counsel, but having cast out their astonishment, they no longer admire Him for His former deeds. They sought Him, desiring again to enjoy a table like the first.
Cyril of Alexandria
Their speech takes the form of being that of those who love Him and feigns sweetness, but is convicted of being exceeding senseless and childish. For they ought not on meeting with so great a teacher, to have talked to no purpose, and taken no pains to learn anything. For what was the need of being eager to ask Him, when He came there? what good would they be likely to get from knowing? We must then seek wisdom from the wise, and let a prudent silence be preferred to undisciplined words. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Having found the Lord here, the crowd does not fall down before Him, does not wish to learn how He came, does not ask about this miracle, but so carelessly says: "When did You come here?" Those who had wanted to take Him by surprise and make Him king, when they found Him, no longer desired anything of the sort. They paid no attention to the miracle, but wished to be fed once more, just as before.
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
So He Who had fled to the mountain, mixes and converses with the multitude. Only just now they would have kept Him, and made Him king. But after the sacrament of the miracle, He begins to discourse, and fills their souls with His word, whose bodies He had satisfied with bread.
Thomas Aquinas
890 Once they found him, they questioned him. When they, the people, found him, Christ, on the other side of the sea, they asked him: Rabbi, when did you come here? This can be understood in two ways. In the first way, they were asking about the time only. And then, Chrysostom says, they should be rebuked for their rudeness, because, after such a miracle, they did not ask how he crossed without a boat, but only when he did so. …
Bonaventure
Here is touched upon the correction of those seeking inordinately. For the Jews seek Jesus, and having found him, put a question to him; therefore he says: "And when they had found him across the sea," they who had not seen him cross over: "they said to him: Rabbi, when did you come here?" They ask out of wonder, not knowing how he had come; and they inquire curiously about the time, just as the disciples, Matthew twenty-four: "Tell us, when shall these things be?" And the Lord does not respond to the inquiry, but to the intention of …
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