Following after Jesus #69

We continue to follow Jesus after His disciples see Him walk on water in the last paragraph of Mark 6:

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 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. 56 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.

The region of Gennesaret was on the Northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had been through there a few times, especially as He went back and forth between Capernaum and Bethsaida, but this is the first mention of His landing there to spend time.  But notice, people immediately recognized Him, and their first response was to run to their homes and bring their sick loved ones to Jesus. They would bring them to the city gates or other common areas where people passed by, because that increased the chances of them seeing Jesus and Him seeing them, and therefore them being healed. Jesus was getting quite a reputation. They had heard about the woman with internal bleeding who had touched the fringe of His robe, those little tassels that reminded good Jews that day in and day out, life was to be lived in the presence of God. What their actions were showing, whether they fully knew it or not, is that God's presence was there, in His Son. For some of us, this may sound a little too far-fetched or mystical - especially as we have seen men try to exploit such things.  But for Jesus this was pure, innocent, and true.  He was God in the Flesh, who made life, restores life, and gives life. He is worth coming to, trusting in, listening to, and following every day.