Wherever He went
| When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. And wherever He went - into villages, towns or countryside - they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged Him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched Him were healed. (Mark6:53-55) |
Wherever Jesus went, He was recognised.
Wherever Jesus went, people brought their needs.
Wherever Jesus went, healing happened.
Jesus' presence caused ripples in the physical, emotional and spiritual atmosphere. It was a taste of the Kingdom of God and the world to come. The crowds mobbed Him, and He was swamped with the need and brokenness of the world He came to save. Marketplaces became hospitals, and the hem of His garment became a powerful extension of His grace and love.
It was a beautiful picture of the love of God. The healings happened even though the crowds were fickle - even though another crowd would later shout, "Crucify Him."
It's that edge of His cloak that grabs my attention...
On the one hand, it feels so mercenary and open to abuse - people could just come and touch it for healing - like Jesus was just like some sort of healing battery and you didn't even have to interact with Him.
On the other hand, it feels so generous and so incredibly powerful - people didn't have to wait for Him to say an incantation or go through the motions. They also didn't need to tell their story or state their case. They could simply come near and experience beautiful healing love.
As the church, we should be the hem of Jesus' garment - a place of incredible healing and love.
Yes, people will be mercenary and even abusive, but the generosity of love will speak even louder.
