Mark 6:55-56

I think it is cool in verse 55 that Mark tells us that the people, upon recognizing Jesus, RAN to get their sick. They RAN! Did they wonder how long he would stay? Other places it is clear that he traveled around a lot. He would heal people in a town and then leave to go to another place. He told his disciples that he came to tell many, not to stay in one place. So they ran.

But then I thought, would they have RUN if they thought there was no hope? If they thought Jesus was just a man and that he just taught nice things and gave them good ideas about how to live their lives and treat each other?

And would they have RUN to get their sick, carrying them (and people are HEAVY - I recently witnessed three strong men struggle to lift one person a few feet and that person wasn't over 150 pounds) some distance to where he was? I can't imagine lugging a person as far as even a block - I've never tried it (kids are heavy enough!). But they RAN.

I think they were pretty sure that Jesus was somebody special. They even begged him to JUST touch the EDGE of his cloak - not even to grasp it, or to hold on - but just to TOUCH. And they believed they would be healed - and they were!

They RAN. They lined the sick up in the main area of the town, the marketplace, and waited for him to pass by so they could just barely touch him. And they were all healed.

Imagine if I were really sick and my friends brought me all the way from my house out to the marketplace and Jesus walked close enough for me to just reach the edge of his cloak. Would I reach out and touch? Something to think about.