Monday, January 31, 2022
34-36 On return, they beached the boat at Gennesaret. When the people got wind that he was back, they sent out word through the neighborhood and rounded up all the sick, who asked for permission to touch the edge of his coat. And whoever touched him was healed.
-Matthew 14:34-36 The Message
Verse 34: When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
Verse 35: And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding region and brought to Him all who were sick;
Verse 36: and they pleaded with Him that they might just touch the border of His cloak; all who touched it were cured.
Verses 35-36 studies: The people recognized Jesus, as a great healer, but how many truly understood Jesus? They always went to him for physical healing, but what about spiritual healing? They came to prolong their lives on earth, but what about eternal lives? People may seek Jesus to learn valuable lessons from life or in hopes of finding relief from pain. But we miss Jesus’ message if we only seek healing to our bodies, but not our souls if we look for help only in this life, rather than his eternal plan for us. Only when we understand the real Jesus Christ, we can appreciate how he can truly change our lives.
Verse 36 study: Jewish men wore tassels (fringe) on the lower edges of their robes, according to God’s command (Deuteronomy 22:12). In Jesus’ day, the tassels were seen as a sign of holiness (23:5). It was natural that people seeking healing should reach out and touch the fringe. But as one woman learned, it’s not about the cloak, it’s about having faith to be healed (9:19-22).
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