Devotion • July 19
Today's Scripture
Mark 6:53–56
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. (NRSV)
Reflection
Who would you travel a ways to pull at the hem or cuff of their garment? A celebrity? Taylor Swift, perhaps? An icon, say, the Dalai Lama? How about Caitlin Clark?
In Gennesaret, a three-mile-long fertile plain between Capernaum and Tiberias (and mentioned only twice in the Bible), it was Jesus whom throngs who had heard of his healing miracles flocked to see, and whoever touched his cloak was healed.
They grasped Jesus’ immense power. But do we believe it? Do we recognize that he can help us in times of need? We all need healing — whether from physical or psychological ills or from the emotional toll of life’s burdens. But do we look to him for help?
Besides dying for our sins, Jesus continues to teach us so many things while ministering to our needs. Assuredly, we must help those requiring God’s munificence. Besides serving as a visible refuge, Fourth Church assists countless others near and wide enduring life’s hardships. Each of us can assist by making a difference in the lives of those we touch through kind words, actions, and deeds.
And by letting ourselves be touched, we also serve as Christ’s compassionate and healing touch in the world.
Please click on this link to the hymn based on this Gospel passage, “O Christ, the Healer, We Have Come” sung by the St. James Virtual Choir.
Prayer
Our heavenly Father, thank you for your Son, our Great Physician. Each of us needs his boundless compassion and his powerful healing touch — whether we’re facing physical, emotional, or spiritual distress. Grant me the wisdom to trust in your promise of comfort, restoration, and renewal. Amen.
Written by Tim Schellhardt, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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