Thursday 23 October 2025
After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him. (v. 35)
Background
Compared to Tuesday's Bible passage (Matthew 14:13-21), we have a quite different presentation of people coming to Jesus. Here it is not about his teaching or support from the terror of authoritarian power, instead it is a desire for healing. The location is probably significant. Gennesaret was halfway between the cities of Magdala and Capernaum. The shoreline between Gennesaret and Capernaum was apparently often called 'the plain of Gennesaret'.
The location might be significant because Jesus spent a lot of time around Capernaum, so he would have been pretty well known here. It might explain that the people's purpose in seeking out Jesus is focused not on learning, but on seeking healing for themselves and others. Maybe enough have already spent time learning from Jesus, so now they have moved on to act on their convictions of who he is and to bring people for healing. It is potentially a big deal to move people who need healing some distance. You don't do it on a whim (especially when it means carrying them). Maybe this is an indication of where the people are in their experience of God's kingdom.
The mention of the 'fringe of his cloak' in verse 36 has cultural and faith resonances. The fringe of a garment held religious significance, embodying the law and covenant with God (Numbers 15:38-39). It seems that a rabbi's tassels were believed to display the righteousness of that rabbi and somehow stored and released any power the rabbi had. That fits with the behaviour of the woman with the 12-year haemorrhage in Matthew 9:20-22 who believed that touching Jesus' cloak would make her well.
Jesus was clearly aware of how some religious leaders misused this belief (Matthew 23:5), and he seems careful to model something different.
These few verses seem to me to be quite different from many of the norms of Jesus' healing ministry. He is not healing an individual and he doesn't seem to have the option of restoring people to good relationships with God and community acceptance. On the surface, it feels more like magic cures rather than about wider understandings of healing and wholeness. However, I wonder if through these interactions, through this acceptance of what it means for Jesus to be the son of God, what we are seeing here is more of a glimpse into what God's kingdom is like. In a centre for much of Jesus' ministry, maybe we see more of what it is like when God's kingdom comes close. Then the injustices and violence of authoritarians fade, and exclusion is not the same problem (because people are clearly included as their communities bring them for healing). If this is the case, then one of the signs of God's kingdom among us is that everything changes about our fears, worries, priorities and focus.
As someone who has only recently discovered they have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning that catastrophising is a common trait for us, this view into God's kingdom is amazing. I'm struggling to imagine how incredible it will be to be free from worrying about the impact of tyrants and evil at every level. I have no experience of it, but I long to be free to be with Jesus for all the healing needed, rather than needing God to build us up to act against injustice, hate, violence and exclusion.
To Ponder:
- What are the signs of God's kingdom that you long to see most? Why?
- Can we find a balance between thirsting for God's kingdom and being healed and safe in it? How?
Prayer
Lord, we pray for your kingdom to come. We lift up to you all those who need your healing in their lives today, those who care for them, and those who could bring help for them. Help us build strong roots in your love and use us for your kingdom. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Dave Warnock
Dave is now a Methodist minister without an appointment. He and his wife Jane are finishing a very extensive refit of a 1977 sailing boat so they can sail around the world for five years as sustainably as possible. The intention is to model sustainable living and help encourage connections between sustainability and faith. He wants to move from negative to positive impacts of sailing on vulnerable coastal communities. See their blog and YouTube channel