Lent 2026 Day 33: Fri 27 Mar
Mark 6:53-56
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus 55 and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. 56 And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.
It must now be morning. What a day yesterday was! What a night that was last night! And if we were to say that things were now back to normal, we’d have to question what “normal” is when Jesus is in town. The Kingdom of Heaven is what we call for when we recite the Lord’s Prayer. Wherever Jesus went the Kingdom was present, too. Is this what we are seeking in our time?!
It’s not just Mark moving the narrative along – these were very busy days! Jesus has been demonstrating Kingdom power and life with compassion and love. Healings, cleansings, teaching, preaching, disciple training, miracles. He has moved in power and authority, but also has revealed human attributes, the most obvious being tiredness and the need for him (and us) to spend time with Father God.
And what a crowd has gathered to greet Jesus! “It’s Jesus! He’s here! Go and tell my sons to get here quick, and bring blind Barsabbas, stumbling Zacharius, stuttering Sarah and deaf Bartholomew!”
As news of Jesus went before him there may have been long days and large crowds for Jesus to deal with. The story of the woman who touched Jesus must have travelled like wildfire across the region, because now faith has risen to such a degree that other people were begging to be allowed simply to touch Jesus’ clothing, even the material edge of a robe. There was no power in the robe. All the power was in the faith. People didn’t even need to be in the same room as Jesus!
“He’s coming our way! Jonas saw him in the village up the road and ran back to tell us. Get some men to carry Josiah out to the main street.”
Every single person who touched Jesus was healed. Every single one. And in many of these cases it was the faith of those who brought the sick person to Jesus that opened the receiving end of the channel of healing. Jesus and his disciples may have just heard the noise of partying and rejoicing in the village they’d just left, where jumping Josiah was leading the dancing. Or was it the sound of angels rejoicing in heaven as the Kingdom grew on earth?
Can we expect miracles of healing like this today, or should we go along to the health services?
Is desiring to be in God’s presence a human attribute?
Father God, Jesus expressed his love and compassion for all who approached him. Fill my heart with the same compassion so that I continue to strive to bring your love in Jesus to all I meet. Amen.
Paul