Matthew 14:34-36 Many Touch Him and Are Made Well
“When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.”
Mark 6:53-56 “When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 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. And as many as touched Him were made well.”
Gennesaret has been described this way: “It is a small plain bordering on the W shore of the Sea of Galilee between Capernaum and Magdala. The plain is about four m. long, running N and S along the sea coast, and up to about two m. wide.
The land is level, rising gently from the level of the Sea of Galilee, which is 650 ft. below the Mediterranean. Hills rise sharply on three sides. The main road from Capernaum to Tiberias runs through close to the sea shore.
During the time of Christ, this plain was the garden spot of Pal. Josephus eloquently described the beauty and fertility of the land (Jos. War III. x. 8). The soil was rich like that of the Nile delta. The climate ranges from hot to temperate. Plenty of water for irrigation was available from streams flowing out of the surrounding hills, and from several flowing springs. The land produced an abundance of wild trees and flowers, as well as important crops such as grapes, figs, olives, walnuts (Josephus), rice, wheat, vegetables, melons. The rabbis spoke of this plain as “the Garden of God” and a “paradise.” https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Gennesaret
Remember the people of Gennesaret, also called the Gergesenes? The first time Jesus and his disciples landed on their shore, they were met by two demon-possessed men who had made passage through that area impossible. Jesus cast out the demons, allowing them to enter a herd of swine, who then rushed off a cliff and into the sea, drowning themselves. The people’s response was immediate and shocking. “Then those who kept them (the swine) fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.” (Matthew 8:33-34)
Poor citizens of Gennesaret! Rather than being grateful that Jesus had cleared their area of a menace, they could only beg Jesus to leave because they were afraid of his power. But time has passed, and people have had time to think and reflect. In addition, word of Jesus’ miracles has spread from other places, and the people of Gennesaret have realized that they have made a horrible mistake. Now Jesus has returned, giving them a second chance, and they are not about to blow it.
As soon as the boat carrying Jesus touches shore, the word begins to spread throughout the area. Young people begin running throughout the whole region, alerting all those families with sick or demon-possessed members that the Jewish miracle worker has returned. People begin swarming to the market places, carrying their sick on litters, leading the blind and the deaf and dumb to sit by the main roads so that they can touch Jesus as he passes by. Even though these people are not really Jews but of mixed races, they have heard about Jesus and they know that if they can simply touch the hem of his garment, the fringes of his talith, they will be healed. And Jesus obliges, passing through the entire area so that as many people as possible can be freed from their sicknesses and their demons.
After the bitter reception given Jesus and the disciples the first time, it would be quite reasonable for Jesus to have given this place a miss, passing on to somewhere else where he had been previously welcomed. But Jesus is taking orders from God the Father, and God the Father knows that now the people of Gennesaret are spiritually ready. Even though many of these people do not actively worship the One True Living God, they have faith that Jesus can heal them, the kind of faith not seen in Nazareth, Jesus’ home town. The poor Nazarenes were so busy finding fault that they failed to realize that the long-awaited Messiah was in their midst; consequently, Jesus did only a handful of miracles in Nazareth. But now Jesus is in the Gennesaret, and things are totally different. As Jesus touches each person, the Holy Spirit also begins working in their hearts, for nobody can receive a touch from Jesus and remain unchanged. It’s possible that thousands upon thousands are receiving healing and deliverance as Jesus passes by.
As disciples, what can we learn from Jesus’ return to Gennesaret? PUSH is an acronym popular in Christian circles; it stands for Pray Until Something Happens. Many times, we might attempt to tell someone about Jesus, only to be rebuffed. But frequently the people who protest the loudest are doing so because God is working on their hearts and they are trying to resist. The lesson for us is quite clear: Keep praying! Don’t give up! Keep asking God for new opportunities to witness to those who have rebuked and refused to listen. My husband came to know Jesus because one man at his workplace kept telling him he would go to hell if he didn’t accept Jesus. Daily, this man repeated that warning, and daily my husband refused to listen…until one day when God had prepared his heart. That was the day my husband turned around and asked this man how to get the Lord in his life.
Acts 14:19-23 tells the story of how Saint Paul was stoned in the city of Lystra, but survived. Believers collected Paul and went on to other cities to preach and teach, but eventually they also returned to Lystra to strengthen the church there, and that time, there were no problems. Paul could have refused to return to Lystra, but he went there to encourage believers and as a sign that the power of God was greater than the prejudices of men.
What can we learn from these stories? Be consistent and persistent. Don’t give up! Continue to pray for those who have rejected you, for even if they continue to reject you, someone else may succeed where you have failed. Disciples must plant the seeds of the Gospel, content to allow others to follow with encouragement and further teaching. When some people complained to Paul about the ministry of Apollos, Paul answered, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8)
May all of us aspiring to be disciples continue to follow after our Master, no matter how much rejection we face!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to be faithful in our deeds and persistent in prayer, knowing that You are the One in charge of results. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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