Mark 6:53-56
53 When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.
Word of Jesus’ power is spreading. There are people coming from the hillsides to bring their sick for healing. He is also preaching about the Kingdom of God. His healing of others was a revelation of God’s Kingdom on earth. Jesus brought the Kingdom here for us to experience. Yet our experiences of God’s Kingdom here are but a glimpse of eternity with Him. In Revelation 21, God proclaims:
[quote]3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” [/quote]
The Kingdom of God is the introduction of the newness of life! This is what is exemplified in the physical healing of people. We see this very revelation later in Acts 5 when people are laying their sick along the road where the Apostle Peter might walk so his shadow would fall upon them and heal them. But he reveals where this power comes from and what it represents when he addresses a crowd in Acts 3:
[quote]17 “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you–even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. [/quote]
This is the message of the Kingdom. The healing and prophecies and speaking in tongues and casting out of demons and bringing people back to life are all glimpses of the perfection of life that is to come. Yet, we get to live a part of that now! Too many of us waste our lives waiting for Christ’s return with an attitude that everything is going to be horrible until then, but if that were the case, then Jesus wouldn’t have taught His disciples to pray for God’s Kingdom to come and that His will be done through us!
Let us then, when we read in the scriptures of miraculous healing and other miracles not stay focused on the physical, but recognize the spiritual implications. Why aren’t we seeing these things today? Because we are not living in the Kingdom. It isn’t because “that was then, this is now.” It isn’t because these things only applied to the original disciples. It’s because we are in the wrong place. We are living of the world instead of being “of the Kingdom” and only living “in the world.” Jesus recognized this difference. Peter recognized this difference. Now we have to recognize this difference. It’s not just a consoling thought to make us feel better when things go wrong, it is a whole new way of life that Jesus has paved the path for us to live!
