Christian Art | So Many People Flock To Jesus
Mark 6: 53-56 – Week 5 Ordinary Time, Monday (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word)
53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
54 And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.
After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus has gone into the hills alone to pray, while his disciples begin to cross over the Sea of Galilee ahead of him. Jesus has walked across the sea to join his disciples, who cannot comprehend what is happening and who Jesus truly is.
We are reminded once more of just how much physical space Jesus covered during this period of his mission, and how rapidly the good news is being promulgated. It is an astonishing progress.
In today’s reading, at Gennesaret, the people immediately recognize Jesus. The news of his arrival rapidly spreads and many, many people flock to Jesus, bringing their sick to be healed.
These people might also have little real grasp of who Jesus is. Their need is simple, for their sick to be healed. This is their act of faith, as they beg Jesus just to touch the edge of his clothes. They believe in and respond to Jesus with great humility. Flowing from their most basic human need, their faith seems very pure, open and honest. All are healed.
Concluding Prayer
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Audio Bible KJV | Endnotes
So Very Many People Flock To Jesus
The Gospel of Mark 6: 53-56 tells us that as soon as Jesus and his disciples had crossed over the Sea of Galilee and landed at Gennesaret, the people recognized Jesus and rushed to him from all the surrounding towns and countryside. They brought their sick on mats and begged Jesus to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
This passage reveals the profound impact Jesus had on people during his ministry. There is a superabundance of faith and ministry. It is to be known in no uncertain terms that Jesus was more than just a teacher or prophet; he was a source of hope, healing, and salvation. People were drawn to Jesus like a magnet, because they sensed that Jesus possessed something they desperately needed. They recognized that Jesus was more than a man; he was the Son of God. The people sensed God.
Throughout the Gospels, we see examples of people flocking to Jesus. In Matthew 4:25, we read that ‘great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan’. In John 12:19, the Pharisees acknowledge that ‘the whole world has gone after him’. People were drawn to Jesus because of his teachings, his miracles, and his love.
The Church Fathers, who were early Christian theologians and leaders, recognized the significance of Jesus’ ability to attract people. Saint John Chrysostom, for example, wrote in the 4th century that ‘the multitude thronged him, because they knew that by touching even the hem of his garment they could obtain health’. (Homily 46 on Matthew)
In later years, Protestant reformer John Calvin also commented on this passage, writing in his commentary on Mark that ‘Christ’s power and grace were so widely renowned, that the report of them penetrated into all quarters’. (Commentary on Mark 6:53-56) Calvin recognized that Jesus’ popularity was not merely a result of his earthly charisma, but rather a testament to his divine nature.
Today, Catholics and Protestants alike continue to draw inspiration from the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry. Pope Francis, in his 2013 Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, emphasized the importance of evangelization and reaching out to those who are in need, just as Jesus did. Pope Francis wrote: ‘Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others.’ (Evangelii Gaudium, paragraph 270)
Similarly, Protestant theologian N.T. Wright has written extensively on the significance of Jesus’ healing miracles. In his book Jesus And The Victory Of God, he argues that Jesus’ healings were a sign of the coming of God’s kingdom, which brings wholeness and restoration to all aspects of human life.
These Gospel verses highlight the profound impact Jesus had on people during his ministry. People were drawn to Jesus because of his teachings, his miracles, and his love. This attraction was not limited to a particular time or place, but rather continues to inspire Christians of all denominations to this day. Jesus remains the source of hope, healing, and salvation for all who seek him.
Christian Art | George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner Lord, how I am all ague, when I seek What I have treasur’d in my memorie! Since, if my soul make even with the week, Each seventh note by right is due to thee. I finde there quarries of pil’d vanities, But shreds of holinesse, that dare not venture To shew their face, since crosse to thy decrees. There the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre. In so much dregs the quintessence is small: The spirit and good extract of my heart Comes to about the many hundredth part. Yet Lord restore thine image, heare my call: And though my hard heart scarce to thee can grone, Remember that thou once didst write in stone. George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner The poet reflects on his spiritual state, describing a struggle with weakness, sin, and the desire for divine alignment. The poem opens with the poet addressing God, expressing discomfort, likened to an ‘ague’ (fever or chill), when he searches his memory for spiritual treasures. This ‘ague’ suggests both a physical and spiritual unease, revealing the tension the poet feels in self-examination. The second line conveys a sense of regret as the poet searches for ‘treasur’d’ holiness in his memory. He recognizes that, although he might strive to keep his soul ‘even with the week’, dedicating every seventh day to God, he falls short. This phrase reflects the expectation to honour the Sabbath, but the poet’s efforts are met with disappointment in their perceived spiritual emptiness. The poet goes on to examine his inner self, describing ‘quarries of pil’d vanities’ that dominate his mind. Here, ‘quarries’ implies an overwhelming quantity of earthly or superficial concerns, while ‘vanities’ suggests that these concerns are meaningless in the context of divine expectation. In contrast, he finds only ‘shreds of holinesse’, fragmented attempts at righteousness, which he hesitates to bring forward as these elements are ‘crosse to thy decrees’, or in opposition to God’s laws. This imagery underscores the poet’s internal conflict and recognition of shortcomings. Further, the poet contrasts earth and heaven, saying that ‘the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre.’ This phrase symbolizes the poet’s focus on worldly concerns (the circumference) that orbit around a neglected spiritual core (the heavenly center). The poet reflects that his life is filled with ‘dregs’, the lesser, unrefined aspects of his being, while ‘quintessence’, or the purest part of himself, is scarce. This ‘quintessence’ is described as the ‘spirit and good extract’ of the poet’s heart, amounting to a ‘many hundredth part’ — a small fraction of life’s essence. The poet realizes that, despite attempts to cultivate holiness, his internal state largely lacks spiritual substance. The final lines shift to a plea for restoration. The poet calls on God to ‘restore thine image’, asking for renewal and transformation. This restoration request implies a yearning to reflect God’s nature more fully, as humanity is believed to be made in God’s image. The poet acknowledges that his heart ‘scarce… can grone’ to God, reflecting the difficulty he feels in truly connecting with or petitioning the divine. The poem ends with reference to the biblical account of the Ten Commandments, when God ‘didst write in stone’. This allusion serves as both a reminder of God’s past willingness to communicate directly and a plea for a similar intervention to etch divine law into the poet’s heart. The poem examines themes of introspection, human fallibility, and a longing for divine transformation. The poet’s self-examination reveals struggle to balance earthly concerns with spiritual commitments, culminating in a plea for God’s direct action to restore spiritual integrity.
The impression clearly formed is that the Archbishop’s ideas are not mere bookish speculation but, as it were, bucket-and-spade, in the sense of his having visited the place where he thinks it was that Jesus was baptized. He tells us about the place, in the Holy Land, over the Jordan, where there is a confluence, troubled waters, and danger in entering into them. The picture he evokes of broiling surge, plunging deep, a GPS map-point, a trial in ways apart from our sacrament. Where waters churn and threaten to swallow you. And he is convinced it happened there. He is convinced. He relates it to our own baptism [ … ]
Jesus has performed the second miracle of the loaves and fishes, following which the Pharisees have come to him, demanding to see a sign from heaven to prove that he is the Messiah. Jesus rejects and departs from the Pharisees, and now warns his disciples to be wary of them [ … ]
