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People Gathered

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WSo as I’ve pondered this passage from Mark 6:53-56 I thought about how people gathered whenever they recognized Jesus.   In this story they landed at Gennesaret and as soon as they saw him they recognized him.  And when they did… they acted.   Let’s take a moment to ponder that eh? 

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was… Wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
Mark 6:53‭-‬56 ESV

people gathered, a devotional on Mark 6

People Gathered

Jesus traveling in a boat with his people, they land, and then people recognize him.  But this story goes beyond mere recognition.   
 
They saw Jesus and recognized him and didn’t just go sit down to wait for him to teach or do something.  They ran around the WHOLE region.  Their purpose?   To bring in the sick and needy to wherever Jesus was.   They didn’t just run around and gather up their sick kin, they went through the whole region bringing folks to him. 
 
It didn’t matter where Jesus turned up, people brought the sick to him, all they wanted to do was touch the fringe of his clothes. 
 
Can you imagine the faith they possessed?
 
They weren’t dependent upon his words or his touch or his spoken prayers for them.  Their faith was so profound that ALL they wanted was for the sick person/people to touch his clothes… and not those solid body protecting clothes but the fringe.  You know that embellishment which helps pull the garment together, but isn’t really important to the function of the garment.  It’s rather an unimportant part if you stopped to think about it right? 
 
And yet… and yet the faith of the people was strong enough that they just wanted to touch it. 
 
If they touch it… they would be made well.  
 
AND JESUS LET THEM!   If he hadn’t do you think Mark would have written the words “and as many as touched it were made well”.  
 
Jesus honoured their faith. 
 
Healing happened. 
 
I read those words and wonder…  what is my faith in comparison to that?  When sometimes I let my skepticism of God’s actions influence my prayer life and my attitude about the things he does.   I know better.  I’ve seen God in action in ways that still, when I think of them, surprise me. 
 
And yet I wonder… would I have been willing to touch the fringe of his clothes?  Would my faith have been sufficient just for that? 
 
I need the faith of those fringe touchers.   I so need to believe that he can and will make me better… make me the person he wants me to be. 

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  1. Lori says

    “the faith of those fringe touchers” – I like that phrase. Truer faith is not often found than those who act on something so simple and profound that changes lives as it did.

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