Matthew 15:29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
Without maps and study notes, it's easy to conclude Jesus "went on from there" to a place just down the road. According to the map, it was a 30+ mile journey back to the Sea of Galilee - on foot, I imagine. Afterwards, he goes up on the mountain and sat down. Imagine how exhausted he and the disciples must've been.
Here come the masses. It's estimated that 8,000 to 16,000 people came to him on the mountain, and stayed around him for three days as he healed them. Instead of reading over this quickly, I imagine the scene. I imagine lines forming, full of lame, blind, crippled, mutes and others. I imagine hunger, bad odors and sounds of pain. I also hear the sounds of wonder and joy as the crowds witness mutes speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking and the blind seeing.
Jesus is a compassionate, healing king. Today, in 2010, news of pain and hunger are all around. The scene in Haiti is horrible. I'm reminded this morning that it's the call of those that follow Christ's lead to respond compassionately, and to provide healing where possible.
Does that mean I need to go to Haiti or Africa? Some may feel the need to. But earlier in the chapter, before Jesus' 30 mile journey to the masses, he was in a town having a conversation with a woman pleading for him to heal her daughter. Not sure if this is what I was supposed to learn from this incident, but I observe that no matter where Jesus was, there were those in need of healing. And He did not consider it a waste of time to focus His compassion and aid on just one person, even though there were thousands in need down the road.
Whereever you are. Whoever it is.
