Mark 6:53-56 — As Many As Touched Him

Mark 6:53-56

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

"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 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And 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."

Jesus, having taken the short-cut to the boat across the waves, stilled the storm, and admonished his disciples to be of good courage, arrived at the other side of the lake. They anchored and got out of the boat. As soon as he got out of the boat the people immediately recognized him. I wonder what made him so easily recognizable even from a distance. It is also interesting to me what the people did as soon as they saw him. They didn't ask for bread and fish, they didn't ask for a sermon, they didn't want him to answer some profound question that they had been pondering—instead, they ran and got whoever was sick and brought them to Jesus that they might beg him to heal them.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

It was the faith of the healthy that brought the sick to the place where they could touch Jesus, and be touched by Jesus. “As many as touched him were made well.” It was a sign of his presence that the sick were made well. I wonder, should not our ministry, and our missionary efforts also have the same effect. That we would draw people to Jesus so that in faith they could reach out and touch the Lord and be healed in their spirits, souls, and even bodies? Perhaps we should make the prayer for the sick to be more of an emphasis in our lives and churches.

A few other things I noticed about the people in this passage:

1)    They had faith: they knew it was Jesus and that he was the only way for the sick to be healed.

2)    They were unselfish: They ran throughout the land and carried those who were sick to Jesus.

3)    Their request was unpretentious: They humbled themselves to beg rather than demanding or negotiating.

4)    Their action was humble: They begged to touch even the border or hem of Jesus' garment. That would be the part that would be closest to the ground where they were kneeling or lying down. They didn't expect to receive anything more honorable.

I want to be more like that--quick to recognize the presence of the Lord and bring people to him! How about you?