Some employers are legendary for ridiculously great fringe benefits. Oh, you may get great health insurance where you work. But check out just a few of the bennies one North Carolina software company dishes out.
How about free onsite healthcare? There’s a free gym and health club on the company campus. Who wouldn’t love deeply discounted, onsite childcare?
So what’s the catch? These must all be part of the bait to get you to stay at work and never leave. Nope. They cap your hours at 37.5 per week.
A Jesus Juke?
While most of us would kill to work at a place like that, there’s Somebody who’s benefit package blows them all away. I know, I know. Here comes what Jon Acuff likes to call the Jesus Juke. But hang with me.
An ancient author named John Mark writes about the time a truckload of sick folks come to Christ for healing (Mk 6:53-56). If you think the healthcare system in 21st Century America is jacked up, it’s nothing compared to the desperation people faced in First Century Palestine. Everything is out-of-pocket…at a time when you had NO pockets!
The Rush Is on
So when the miracle-working Healer from Nazareth hits town, the rush is on. They don’t know how He can. They don’t know why He can. And most of all, they don’t know who He is. But one thing they do know is that Jesus can and will make them whole.
The preferred method of healing isn’t an appointment for an office visit or dropping by a nearby doc-in-the-box. You just need to get close enough to Christ so you can grab His clothes. Specifically, the fringe of robe. Word is that one touch of His jacket does the trick.
Like I said, it’s the ultimate fringe benefit.
When and Where?
Before we get to the details, let’s back up a moment. Let’s zoom out and see where we are in the life of Jesus and what leads up to this crazy scene where the crowd tries to get its hands on His wardrobe.
The time is approximately 30 AD. The place is Galilee, a beautiful place in the backwater of northern Israel.
Grabbing All the Headlines
Recently, this radical Rabbi/Carpenter has started grabbing all the headlines. He teaches like nobody has every heard before. He punches evil spirits in their demonic throats. He feeds thousands with just a couple of fish sandwiches (Mk 6:33-44).
There are even rumors that He water skis without a boat and shuts down big storms with simply the sound of His voice (Mk 4:35-41; 6:45-52). With all those stories swirling, you can understand why He’s the hottest ticket around.
Jesus Has His Doubters
Despite His booming popularity, Jesus isn’t without His doubters. Religious power brokers are so upset that He’s encroaching on their turf that they think He’s probably working for the devil (Mk 3:22).
Folks in His hometown aren’t buying what He’s selling (Mk 6:1-5). Even His own family thinks He’s cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs (Mk 3:21, 31-32).
The Hebrew Hero
Joe and Mary’s oldest Son does have a dozen dudes He’s picked to follow Him (Mk 3:13-19). The problem is they’re not exactly what you would call first round draft picks (Mk 1:16-20; 2:13-16).
The bottom line is that nobody can really figure out who He is. Well, nobody except His bizarro cousin Baptizin’ John. He’s absolutely convinced Jesus is the Messiah (Mk 1:7-11). That’s the name for the Hebrew Hero who’s coming from heaven to fix everything humans have jacked up through their sin and rebellion.
A Galilean Garden Spot
We pick up the action as a boat pulls into shore of the Sea of Galilee. “After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret” (v53). It’s Jesus and His team arriving at a spot on the northwest shore of the big lake between His headquarters in Capernaum and the town of Magdala.
While you may picture most of the Middle East as nothing but deserts, dunes, and an occasional camel or two, Galilee is much different. It’s lush and green. This spot is so incredibly beautiful that people in ancient times call it paradise.
And the geography of Gennesaret makes it particularly so. It’s a fertile sliver of land about three miles long and one mile wide. Gennesaret comes from a Hebrew word meaning “garden of riches.”
The Weather Started Getting Rough
If you’ve been following Mark’s story of Jesus, you may be scratching your head wondering how they got here. This wasn’t their original destination. Not even close. Their trip began as a short trip to Bethsaida on the northeastern coast of the lake (Mk 6:45).
A late night windstorm has clearly blown them WAY off course. The weather started getting rough. The tiny ship was tossed. A couple of thousand years before Gilligan’s Island, Jesus and the Twelve end up in Gennesaret, on the other side of the lake.
Safe Harbor
We then see some very specific detail about their arrival. “They brought the boat to shore and climbed out” (v53-54). The original language uses a verb here (Gr. προσορμιζομαι/prosormizomai) which describes mooring a boat to a dock or post.
That suggests they’ve found a harbor or marina. Archaeologists have found many of these around the big lake throughout the years. It certainly makes sense considering the commercial fishing done there back in the First Century.
This little tidbit also backs up the idea that the source of Mark’s info is none other than the Apostle Peter. The earliest followers of Jesus believed that to be the case. Who better than a former fisherman to provide these finer points.
Rock Star Status
No sooner than they begin to disembark when things get crazy. “The people recognized Jesus at once” (v54). This confirms the idea that the Rabbi/Carpenter has reached rock star status in the region.
How did they know it was Him? Once again, a dip into the Greek text helps us out. The word the NLT translates as “recognized” is επιγινωσκω/epiginosko. It means to know someone or something thoroughly most likely through personal experience.
Personal Experience
In other words, many of these same people have probably attended one of His teachings or were eyewitnesses to one of His many miracles. They have firsthand experience. They’ve been there when He’s done that.
It’s not the first time His fame made it hard for the Lord to keep it on the down low. Just yesterday, a big crowd realized who He was and started chasing Him down the beach while He’s in a boat (Mk 6:33). Before it was all over, He serves an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet to a crowd that could fill a basketball arena (Mk 6:34-44).
Trending on Twitter
So the word is out. He’s the Hot New Thing. Trending on Twitter. Our Savior is reaching the peak of His popularity in Galilee. This kind of reaction is becoming the norm wherever Jesus goes.
One reason for this is that Jesus heals the sick everywhere He goes. Same here in G-Vegas. “And they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever He was” (v55). Who knows when He’ll be back? You don’t want to miss your chance to help the people you love.
The Source of Spiritual Healing
The notes in the Life Application Bible point out that the people recognize Him as a miraculous healer, but not much more. They come to Christ for physical healing but don’t realize they He’s the source of a deeper spiritual healing?
Jesus certainly has the ability to do so much more than relieve my pain and extend my life on earth. But I miss the point if I only see Him as the source of healing my body without healing my soul. Only knowing who He really is leads to the deepest and everlasting healing that I really need.
The people may know who He is but they still didn’t know WHO He is. They know Jesus by name. They know Him by what He does and what He says. They know the facts. They know He is from God but they didn’t know He IS God.
Chaos on the Beach
The result is total chaos on the beach near Gennesaret. Mark uses a verb (Gr. περιτρεχω/peritrecho) that describes rushing around or scurrying about. It’s compound word meaning to go everywhere (Gr. περι-/peri-) and use every bit of your strength to do so (Gr. -τρεχω/-trecho).
People aren’t casually strolling…they’re on the dead run! They run to bring people to Jesus who couldn’t get to Him on their own. Maybe they’ve heard the story about the four guys who cut a hole in the roof to get their disabled buddy healed by Jesus (Mk 2:1-12).
The Local Hang out
It didn’t matter where. When they heard where our Savior is, they do everything possible to get those with all sorts of medical issues in the same place. It didn’t matter where. “Wherever He went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick to the marketplaces” (v56).
The Greek word for “marketplaces” is αγορα/agora. It’s where we get our word “agoraphobia,” or the fear of crowds. The term literally means the gathering place. Sure, it’s where people come to buy and sell. But it’s also the the local hang out. The spot where to see and be seen. In this case, they’re hoping to see Jesus.
Making the Introduction
There’s a great lesson we can all learn from Mark’s description. Am I willing to do anything within my power to bring folks who need spiritual healing close to Christ? I realize I’m not the one who has the power to save them. But I do have the power to make the introduction.
What can I do help my friends and family who don’t know Jesus somewhere near Him? Well, the stock answer is invite them to church. That’s NEVER a bad idea. But that’s not our only play.
Open the Door
Make sure they know the story of what our Savior has done in your life. Not just how you came to place your trust in Him. But how He’s provided you with the peace to face whatever life throws at you. Tell them about the strength He’s given when you’re tank was on E. The guidance He’s granted when you didn’t know what to do.
Be their friend. Hang in there. Do for them what nobody else is willing to do. As the old saying goes, “Preach the Gospel constantly, use words when necessary.” You can be sure that at some point, words WILL be necessary. They’ll want to know why you do what you do. When they open the door, you and Jesus walk right in.
Grabbing His Robe
Meanwhile back in the marketplace, people plead with Christ to help the ones they love. “They begged Him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of His robe” (v56). If you’ve been reading along in Mark, this may sound familiar. If you’re thinking it’s the story of the bleeding woman on the beach near Capernaum (Mk 5:27-30), you’re a winner.
The Bible has several stories where God heals using all sorts of unconventional methods. There’s the time at the temple when Pete’s shadow is the remedy (Acts 5:15-16). When Paul’s in Ephesus, people take the rags he’s used and aprons he’s worn to heal diseases and chase away evil spirits (Acts 19:11-12).
Fancy Fringes
But what’s so special about the edge of Jesus’ robe? Flip back to the OT and check out the time God gives Moses fashion advice for His chosen people (Num 15:37-40). Yahweh tells him to have folks sew blue cords of thread on the corners of their clothes.
Why? These fancy fringes will remind them to follow His commands and trust God’s goodness. Whenever they see the blue hems, it would hopefully help people to pump the brakes before committing spiritual adultery with false gods.
Jesus Wore It Better
If you know the story, these tassels were no hassle when it came to Israelite disobedience. Despite His unrelenting love for them, His people were a total train wreck of rebellion.
Even worse, self-righteous religious leaders in Jesus’ day love to show off by making the trim of their robes extra long (Mt 23:5). It’s much more than some fancy schmancy Hebrew fashion statement. Their fringe benefits are all about themselves. Jesus’ fringe benefits are about others. If you’re wondering, the Lord wore it better.
Christ is the Ultimate Israel
You see when our Savior arrives, He turns Israelite rebellion upside down. He does for them what they could never do. He’s the Israel they failed to be. Don’t believe me? Here are a handful of verses to make the point.
First of all, God tells Moses that “Israel is My firstborn Son” (Ex 4:22). See what He did there? Yahweh goes further when talking to Hosea. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I call My Son out of Egypt” (Hos 11:1). Eight hundred years later, Matthew connects those same dots to Christ Himself (Mt 2:13-15).
Doing What We Fail to Do
The Lord not only does for Israel what they fail to do, He does the very same for us. He’s totally obedient to His Heavenly Dad’s commands. That’s why He says in His most famous sermon that a major part of His mission isn’t to scrap God’s rules but fulfill them like never before (Mt 5:17).
Here’s the deal. Jesus lives the perfect life we fail to live. He dies the death for our disobedience we should die. He rises to the glorious new life we don’t deserve. We place our trust in what He’s done for us.
Placing our trust in Christ means we trust in what He’s done for us. It also means we double down on His leadership for our lives. We do what He says. We realize that willing obedience unlocks the abundant life He provides (Jn 10:10). It’s all part of His eternal benefit package.
A Lucky Religious Rabbit’s Foot?
One of the most amazing things to me in this story is what happens when the sick and disabled get their hands on Jesus’
clothes. “And as many as touched it were made well” (v56).
But wait just a hem-grabbing minute! Aren’t these folks turning the Redeemer’s robe into little more than a lucky religious rabbit’s foot or four leaf clover? Sure. But remember, healing doesn’t depend on our misguided superstition. The remember is really the Great Physician.
It’s Gotta Be the Shoes!
It reminds me of a Nike commercial back in the ‘80s for some of the first Air Jordans. A character named Mars Blackmon is sure that the source of Michael Jordan are his sneakers. Mars drops one of the great taglines in Madison Avenue history. “It’s gotta be the shoes!”
If you’re a fan of MJ, you know it’s NOT the shoes. He’s the GOAT because of a ridiculous combo of skill and competitive drive. Mars is wrong. Michael could win six rings wearing a pair of worn out Chucks.
The Robe Grabbers of Galilee
It’s the same with my faith in Jesus. What I believe about who He is and what He’s done has changed a LOT since He saved me back in a previous millennium. Guess what. He STILL saved me! I simply trusted in His goodness.
Same with the robe grabbers of Galilee. They may not have their belief in Jesus all buttoned up. They may not check all the right theological boxes. But He doesn’t need them to. Our Savior saves. It’s what He does.
It’s NOT the Clothes but His Compassion
The patients in the marketplace may think it’s gotta be Jesus’ robe, but they would be wrong. It’s not about His clothes and all about His compassion. The Lord comes and meets us where we are. He heals us in the depths of our desperation.
It’s the ultimate fringe benefit.
©2018
Jay Jennings
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