The Pilgrim Path---Mark 6: 53—56

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 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.

MAKE US WELL

---They came from everywhere: Cities, villages, and the countryside---to see Jesus!

---It would have been something to see the stream of humanity flowing into Gennesaret…

---“Why are you carrying these sick people like this? These dying people” You would have heard that repeatedly on the roads… “Haven’t you heard? The Teacher from Nazareth is close by---move out of the way! He heals everybody!”

---We would have seen folk carried on their beds: If you had a sick child or spouse---You would have taken the day off from work---Why, you would have risked being fired! This is healing we are talking about!

---The marketplace---became the Healing Station: Just touch the Master, “That’s all it takes.”

---Knowing that is all they need to do: The People get their loved ones and friends-- to Jesus

---The LORD Jesus often healed in order to get a “Hearing” for the Truth of the Kingdom---but we would be remiss to see His extraordinary care, and concern, and compassion for those who were suffering and in pain. He was compelled to help those who were stricken down by the horrible efforts of the “first” Adam. He was determined to bring support and relief to many as the Second Adam---as The Prince of Life.

---The greatest healing, He gives is the cleansing of the heart and soul (First John 1: 7-9). He will eventually give His own a new body and a new land in which to reside (First Corinthians 15: 53-55; Revelation 21: 1—8), where pain and sin---will be no more. We are prepared to endure a great deal considering these Gospel Glories, because the best is yet to come. His healing of these souls on earth---is but a taste of the ultimate glory He will grant His people in the Paradise of God.

---The Savior does not see fit to heal us all--- now: He told the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Second Corinthians 12: 9---He has His Holy and Wise reasons for supporting us with Heaven’s power in our frailty. He gets “all” the glory by carrying us along---this is the way it should be. Thanks Be to God.

“There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night---I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit’s work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and string; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The masterworks of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, steadfast, immoveable---He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream of it---hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon

You came to us, dear Jesus, in our sighing,

For blind and lame and paralyzed we lay.

Compassion, Lord, turned you to still our crying

And touch our darkened eyes with light of day.

We come to you, dear Jesus, in your brothers

In prison, needy, hungry, sick, and cold;

Compassion, Lord, sees you in all these others,

In touching them our Savior’s hand we hold.

Edmund P. Clowney, 1985

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our Risen LORD, Pastor Jason