The King's Healing
VIDEO
AUDIO
Mark 6.53-56
Introduction
It’s happened twice in the last six months. The first time was in May when we were in the Smokey Mountains and the second was in August when we were at the Grand Canyon. In the Smokey Mountains it happened at two different spots: Newfound Gap, which is right on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, and Cling Man’s Dome, the highest point in the mountains. When we were at the Grand Canyon it was at the world famous south rim. In both the Smokey Mountains and the Grand Canyon there is little to no barrier between the walkway and the drop-off; it’s nature at its wildest. So instead of devoting my full energy to basking in the glory of God’s magnificent creation, I spent half my time shooing small children away from the edge of a cliff and praying one of them didn’t take a tumble when my back was turned.
The truth is we’ve all fallen off the cliff already. I don’t mean literally, of course. But Scripture tells us that when God first created the Smokey Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and the rest of the cosmos that the crown jewel of his creation was a man and a woman, Adam and Eve. They were created in his image. They were given his word – you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for the day that you eat of it you will surely die (Gen 2.17). But Adam did eat of the tree and sin and entered the world through one man and death through sin and death spread to all men because all sinned (Rom 5.12).
We’ve all fallen off the cliff. All people are born in sin. And we do not merely sin, but we are sinners. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3.23). We were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2.1). The word sin literally means, “to miss the mark.” We’ve fallen short. What this terse text reveals to us is that Jesus Christ has come to lift us from the fall. To put it another way, Jesus saves.
Exposition
After several high-octane passages revealing the glory of Christ we come to this short reprieve. Don’t miss it though, as every text in Scripture does, this pericope reveals another aspect of Christ’s glory. Remember when we left Jesus and the disciples last week it was the middle of the night, the disciples were out at sea in the middle of the storm, and like Sam Darnold, they thought they were seeing ghosts. Of course it was Jesus walking on the water. He gets in the boat and quiets the storm. Now it’s morning and they’ve crossed over and anchored at Gennesaret.
And then in verse 54 we bump into a familiar friend. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him. There’s that word immediately again; it’s the Greek word, εὐθὺς. Turn back to Mark 1. Let me take you on a quick stroll down memory lane to remind you how much time we’ve spent with this seemingly insignificant adverb.
Look at Mark 1.12, immediately. Now verse 18, immediately, verse 20, immediately, verse 21, immediately. Verse 23, immediately, verse 29, immediately, verse 30, immediately, verse 42, immediately. Chapter 2 verse 8, immediately, and verse 12, immediately. Chapter 3 verse 6, immediately. Chapter 4 verse 5, immediately, verse 15, immediately, verse 16, immediately, verse 17, immediately. Chapter 5 verse 2, immediately, verse 29, immediately, verse 30, immediately, verse 42, immediately. Chapter 6 verse 25, immediately, verse 27, immediately, verse 45, immediately, verse 50, immediately, and now verse 54, immediately.
Twenty four times in six chapters Mark uses the adverb εὐθὺς, immediately. In the first century when authors didn’t have italics, bold, or underline to emphasize an idea, they used repetition. Mark’s reiteration of the word immediately is not coincidental. There is urgency to the kingdom of Christ. Jesus is on mission and he will not be deterred. He is the king who is going to the cross.
But Mark is not simply relaying historical information, shame on us if the Bible is mere history in our eyes. Mark is applying it to his readers. There is urgency to the kingdom of Christ. Jesus is the king of creation who died on the cross to pay for sin. Jesus is the king of the new creation by virtue of his resurrection. The time is fulfilled the kingdom is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel (1.15). You cannot put Jesus on a shelf and decide what to do with him later. His kingdom is a kingdom of immediacy. No one knows what tomorrow brings. Like we will take the bread and the wine after the sermon, take Christ by faith. Please do so immediately!
And then Mark shows us this urgent salvation that we need. Verse 55, and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. The crowds continued to bring the sick to Christ and he continues to heal them.
Mark is teaching us two things here – (1) what and (2) how? First, what? The phrase made well is the Greek word, σῴζω, literally, saved. It’s used in the NT to describe both physical healing and the spiritual healing that is a result of the gospel. What is Jesus doing? He’s giving them a picture of salvation. This is it that’s so urgent? Salvation.
The OT is filled with promises that in the day of the LORD the sick will be healed. One example was our call to worship from Isaiah 33. Verse 24 reads, and no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity. This is why Jesus heals during his ministry. It’s not because his primary emphasis is alleviating physical suffering. Notice in Isaiah 33 that sickness is connected to the need for forgiveness. Jesus is announcing that he is the fulfillment of God’s promises. All the promises of God find their yes in Christ (2 Cor 1.20). He has come to forgive our sins. Jesus saves.
When Adam sinned in Eden he not only introduced physical sickness into the world, but more devastatingly, spiritual sickness. This is the cliff off which we’ve fallen. We are sinners who rightly deserve God’s holy wrath. We need the forgiveness of sin. When we repent and believe we’re forgiven and we inherit the hope of resurrection. When Christ returns we will be resurrected with a body that will never sin and will never be sick. Jesus saves.
Notice also how the sick are healed. They touch the fringe of [Jesus’] garment. And as many as touched it were made well. They touch merely the fringe of Jesus’ garment. And this is the point; it’s not the strength of your faith, but the object of your faith that saves you. Dr. Tim Keller uses this illustration. Imagine you’re walking along an edge of a cliff, like the Smoky Mountains or the Grand Canyon. And imagine that you slip and fall off the edge. As you’re falling down the cliff you grab ahold of a root or branch.
Does your level of trust in the root or branch have anything to do with whether or not the branch will hold you? If you were to have no doubt whatsoever in the strength of the branch, or if you were to have a high level of insecurity about the stability of the branch, does that have any affect on the actual strength of the branch? No. The branch has its strength regardless of your level of faith. Now the strength of your faith will affect you. If you lose faith and let go you will perish, but as long as you’re holding the branch, whether your level of faith is 1% or 100%, you’re saved.
The sick people, literally the “bad off” (κακῶς ἔχοντας) are not saved because of the strength of their faith. They merely touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. They are saved because of the object of their faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only object of saving faith because he is the last Adam. Jesus is the only human without sin. He’s the king who is going to the cross to die in our place. Jesus is the Christ and as many as take hold of him by faith are saved. If you have not trusted Christ, you must do so immediately. Jesus saves.
Conclusion
It’s not the strength of your faith, but the object of your faith that saves you. Jesus Christ is the object of true faith. He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14.6). Maybe your faith is strong. There’s nothing you’re doubting or questioning right now. Your fellowship with Jesus is daily and beautiful. Praise God!
But maybe your faith is weak right now. Maybe you’re hanging on by a thread. Maybe sickness, sin, unbelief, or any number of the world’s cares is sinking you in the mire of spiritual depression. Grab on to Jesus. Whether your faith is at 1 or 100 this morning, don’t let go of Jesus. Letting go means certain death. It’s not the strength of your faith, but the object of your faith that saves you.