7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
Withdrawing from His enemies – the Pharisees and Herodians who sought His life – Jesus now heads for the sea. Our Lord demonstrates to us in troublesome times it is not wrong to provide for our safety. Throngs continued to follow Him in His retirement like flies to honey. The sick, the demon possessed, those having seizures, the suffering, the paralyzed – you name it, human suffering in all its various forms - sought the touch of the Master’s hand. The infirmed were not the only ones seeking His audience – the curious were induced to see firsthand the reports their ears had only heard. Our Lord was followed by crowds from all parts of the nation in consideration of the many wondrous things He had done. People were amazed at Jesus’ teaching and the demonstration of His power and authority. He was certainly riding the “acclaim of man wave” - gaining great popularity among the people. Matthew and Luke both state:
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Matt 4:23-25 (NIV)
36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. Luke 4:36-37 (NIV)
Foreseeing the need, next we are told Jesus makes provision for the upcoming onslaught of failing and frail flesh. He was compassionately well aware that such throngs clamoring to touch Him and be touched by Him – pushing forward, striving to get near Him - would prevent many from hearing His Word. Our Lord’s compassions are particularly directed to the helpless and hopeless – to be sure, that would be all of us apart from Him. His voice would also travel better over the water almost with a microphone effect. The boat would enable Him to go from place to place on the coastline and be heard.
Interestingly, our Lord never turned away those earnestly seeking Him. I am reminded of the woman with the issue of blood. She had heard of Jesus’ healing power and it had aroused her faith. She would have been deemed “unclean” for twelve long years due to her condition excluding her from normal social relations. Reasoning if she only were able to touch the hem of His garment she would be healed and be able to slip away unobserved – she resolutely heads for the Master. Surely we should all have such resolution towards Jesus. Indeed she was healed but our Lord desired for her to go further still. He attributes her cure to her faith and not to the touch of His clothing. Calling her with the affectionate title “Daughter”, He restores her to wholeness of life. We are told later in Mark her story:
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:24-34 (NIV)
“Faith engages Christ’s power, and His power ensureth the victory.” Bogatzky
“But there’s a decision that I find God is asking us to make: whether we are going to choose to interpret our circumstances based on what we hold to be true about God, or whether we’re going to judge what we hold to be true about God based on our circumstances. People ask how we’re doing, and I like to say: ‘We have a faithful God.’ Every promise he’s kept, every need he’s met.” Laura Story
Lastly, we are once again reminded in Scripture that the demonic world knew exactly who Jesus was and ever trembled at His presence and authority over them. They fall at our Lord’s feet not to bring Him honor rather to turn away His wrath. Luke tells us:
40 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. Luke 4:40-41 (NIV)