Idumea, Transjordan, and from the region of Tyre and Sidon, for they had heard of all that
he was doing.

Because of the crowd, Jesus told his disciples to have a boat ready for him, to prevent
the people from crushing him. He healed so many, that all who had diseases kept pressing
toward him to touch him. Even the people who had evil spirits, whenever they saw him,
they would fall down before him and cry out, “You are the Son of God.” But he warned
them sternly not to tell anyone who he was.

Reflect

Throughout the Gospels we read about people coming to Jesus from all over, even finding
him when he traveled or when he was trying to get away to pray. The people of Jesus’ time
went to him to hear his preaching and to experience the healing that he brought to those
who were ill or possessed.

Like them we too come to Jesus, though in most cases we are not expecting to witness
a miracle. But we are hoping for something even more profound. As the Letter to the
Hebrews says, “he is able to save, for all time, those who approach God through him.
” We come to Jesus seeking salvation. We trust that he will meet our physical needs, but
we also pray that he will bring us forgiveness, hope, healing, and holiness. In fact, only
Jesus can give us those gifts in a lasting way. As Saint Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are
restless until they rest in [him].” And so, like the people of Jesus’ time, we come to him,
hoping to be healed.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2023