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Gospel: Mark 3: 7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today’s Gospel gives the impression that the whole world is coming to Jesus.
Mark begins by listing people from Jesus’ immediate surroundings, Galilee and Judea.
Then he builds a concentric circle around the Lord: crowds come from Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, literally hundreds if not thousands of miles away are coming to see him.
When they near him, people “press” upon Jesus.
The word here literally means, “to fall upon.” Imagine Jesus passing through crowds like royalty with people lunging at his feet, stretching out their hands just to touch the tassel of his cloak.
They’re desperate to be healed. Some have been living with a debilitating disease or demonic possession for years. Now a possible cure has been found.
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At this point, Jesus’ popularity is skyrocketing.
But, in three short years, these crowds will whittle down to a handful of devotees. Even some of his closest disciples will desert him at the crucifixion.
Why such a dramatic decline in followers? And what might this phenomenon say to us today?
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While not universally true, many within the crowds were only interested in what they could get out of Jesus – healing, sight, mobility, some temporary form of freedom. It was a transactional type of relationship.
Surprisingly, Jesus didn’t stop them. His compassion for the sick was so profound that he allowed people to receive…and leave.
Only a percentage actually stayed, listening to his teachings, seeking to understand, making every effort to change their lives accordingly.
But these are the “blessed” ones, he says, because, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
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While we all want things from the Lord, our primary reason for following him is love.
Love leads us to worship Him – to adore Him – not only for what he does in the world, but above all for who he is – the Son of God, “who has loved us and given himself for us.”
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Image credits: (1) Follow Jesus, Neighbourhood Church Beckham (2) The Chosen (3) BibliaTodo.com