If They Might Just Touch Jesus

After Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water, they immediately came to shore at Bethsaida, several miles northeast of Capernaum. From there they went back across the sea and "came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there" (Mark 6:53).

Gennesaret is from a Hebrew word perhaps meaning, "princely gardens." It is a small, fertile plain on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee, about three miles southwest of Capernaum. It is the plain where Jesus earlier fed the five thousand.

"And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him" (v. 54). Jesus had sent the crowds home after feeding them with a young boy's lunch, but they had begun to gather again along the shore, anticipating His return. It didn't take any time at all for them to know that He was back.

So they "ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was" (v. 55). Wherever Jesus went throughout that region, the sick were brought to Him, looking to be healed. "Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment" (v. 56a).

If they might just touch Jesus! That was the thinking of the people. They didn't ask Him to lay hands on all of those who were sick. They didn't ask Him to pray for their healing. They asked nothing of Jesus. They asked only that "they might just touch the hem of His garment" (v. 56a). That's all; if they could just touch Him, they believed they would be healed.

What great faith on the part of these people! If they could just touch Him, if they could just touch His garment, they would be healed. Mark concludes, "And as many as touched Him were made well" (v. 56b). It was as they believed. All who touched Jesus were healed. No one was left out. All who trusted Jesus saw their every need met.

The same holds true today. Trust Jesus; come and touch Jesus, and He will meet your every need. Amen.

Walking on Water

When He finished His Sermon on the Mount, "immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away" (Matt. 14:22). "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there" (v. 23).

It wasn't unusual for Jesus to find time to get away from the crowds, and even from His disciples, to spend time alone with God the Father in prayer. In fact, it is so common in Scripture, it appears He did so nearly every day. Thus, Jesus set the example for us to follow. We ought to set aside at least a little time every day to spend in prayer.

Remember, Jesus was now alone on the shore, because His disciples took the boat as instructed and left for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. We are told, "But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary" (v. 24).

"Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea" (v. 25). In the time of Jesus, the Jews had adopted the Roman system of dividing the night. "The fourth watch off the night" (v. 25a) refers to the pre-dawn hours from 3:00 to 6:00am.

Just imagine how the disciples might have reacted to the sight of Jesus walking on the water just as the light was beginning to dawn, perhaps causing His body to appear to have an aura about Him. It must have been a shocking and almost frightening sight! "And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear" (v. 26).

Jesus wasted no time in calming their fears: "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid'" (v. 27). "Be of good cheer" (v. 27b) is a way of saying, "Take courage!" or "Be encouraged!" Then in encouraging them not to be afraid, He said, 'It is I' (v. 27b), or literally, "I Am!" He identified Himself as the Lord, the Son of God, by specifically referring to Himself as, "I Am," the technical name of God, the personal name of God, as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14.

Then something very interesting happened. Jesus was not the only one who walked on water early that morning. Peter joined Him in walking on water! "And Peter answered Him and said, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.' So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus" (Matt. 14:28-29). It is amazing what you can do when the Lord is in it and Jesus has commanded it, and you never take your eyes off of Jesus.

"But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!' And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God'" (vv. 30-33).

Peter walked on water, but only while he kept his eyes on Jesus! As soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, looking at the waves of the sea that surrounded him, he began to sink! That is how it is with us as well. Keep your eyes on Jesus and follow Him faithfully, and you can do anything. But if you quit looking at Jesus and you look at the problems of life around you, you will begin to sink. When that happens, follow the example of Peter. Look again to Jesus and seek His help. He is the one who will take your hand and lift you up. Amen.

The Stirring of the Water

Each year there are several celebrations of the Jews, known as feasts, occurring primarily in Jerusalem. Many people throughout Israel traveled to Jerusalem to partake in these feasts. Jesus and His disciples were no exception. John says, "After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem" (John 5:1).

John continues, "Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches" (v. 2). As the story goes, "In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had" (vv. 3-4).

Many an objection has been raised concerning the believability of this story. Could this actually have happened? Did an angel actually come down and stir the waters of this pool? Were people actually miraculously cured of various diseases in this way? It seems hard to believe!

Throughout Scripture, angels are seen ministering and serving us in various ways. If they can miraculously guard us and protect us, why could they not be instrumental in healing us as well? Afterall, John wrote this under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Certainly, I believe this could have happened, and it most certainly did happen at this time in history.

However, for this one certain man who had long been trying to be the first in the water, it was not the stirring of the water that healed him; it was Jesus! "Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be made well?'" (vv. 5-6).

"The sick man answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me'" (v. 7). "Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.' And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked (vv. 8-9a).

John continues, "And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, 'It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed'" (vv. 9b-10). The Jews, especially the Jewish leaders, were always looking for a way to accuse Jesus of being disobedient to God. They wanted to pull the people away from Jesus. They wanted the people to reject Jesus and follow them instead.

"He answered them, 'He who made me well said to me, "Take up your bed and walk."' Then they asked him, 'Who is the man who said to you, "Take up your bed and walk?"' But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place" (vv. 11-13).

It is obvious here that this man did not yet know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. In fact, he didn't know Jesus at all! He had no clue, even as to His name. Still, Jesus healed this man. What grace! What  mercy! Jesus is indeed a loving God.

"Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, 'See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.' The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well" (vv. 14-15). He found him in the temple because, as a good Jew, he was likely offering the sacrifices required in the Law of Moses because of his cleansing.

The important thing is that He now knew Jesus. Even though he revealed Him to the Jews, still he knew Jesus. And that makes all the difference. He is warned that should he not continue to live by his faith in Jesus, the end could be worse than at first.

If you fall back into your old sin because your faith wasn't sincere, it wasn't real, then you are looking at eternal hellfire. If your faith is real but you still fall back into your old life of sin, your life will be miserable, but should God take you home early, you "will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:15b). Live by faith in Jesus, and you will not go wrong. Amen.

A Mute Man Speaks

The two blind men, having received their sight, left the house (Matt. 9:32a). "As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed" (v. 32). No rest for the weary! It seems that Jesus didn't even have a chance to catch His breath. Two leave, having been healed, and another man is brought in.

This man was a mute; he could not speak. He was probably unable to speak for some time. He was also demon-possessed. The two conditions are most likely connected. The demon that controlled him wouldn't let him speak. Jesus knew that the way to heal the man's voice was to cast out the demon; and Jesus did just that. He cast out the demon, setting this man free!

In a very matter-of-fact manner, we are told, "And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke" (v. 33a). Just like that, the man was set free as the demon was cast out, and for the first time in a long time, the man began to speak.

What a miracle! The Scripture continues, "And the multitudes marveled, saying, 'It was never seen like this in Israel!'" (v. 33b). The crowd that was following Jesus, was dumbfounded. Never had they witnessed such a great miracle in Israel throughout its long and storied history.

The crowd marveled; but the Pharisees were troubled. Jesus continued to steal their thunder. The multitudes continued to follow Jesus instead of following them. They declared to the people, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons" (v. 34).

This same thought was raised by the scribes in Mark 3:22, where Jesus responded, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end" (vv. 23b-26).

One greater than Satan, one much stronger than Satan, has cast out this demon. That one, of course, is Jesus Christ. He is God's Son, our Lord and Savior. Trust Him! Never forget, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4b). Amen.