Praise God for His marvelous grace. There was no reason in any of these people for Christ to be so kind to them. But that is the nature of grace – totally unmerited favor – just like salvation from sin. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” I can’t give you any of the details about the people who were healed on this occasion, but based upon general statements found throughout the Word of God,I can say that not one of them deserved to be healed. There were no works which turned the gift of God into some sort of payment or obligation on God’s part. There was no personal worthiness in any of these sick people. The fact that they were sick proved that the effects of sin’s curse was flowing through their veins. And yet, when they came in contact with the Saviour they were rendered “perfectly whole” – not just cured from the specific malady which brought them to Christ – I think that they were made “perfectly whole.”
I would like to consider this scripture two ways – as actual history and as an illustration of salvation from sin. I could say that once again I am spiritualizing or allegorizing this passage, but I have scriptural grounds for not using those words. While it is true that I intend to apply this spiritually, I hope to prove that I am fully justified in doing so.
First, let’s consider THE ACTUAL EVENT.
While trying to get away from the maddening crowds, Jesus and His disciples sailed or rowed across the Sea of Galilee. As you know, while on the other side, a huge throng of people found them. Jesus began teaching and healing once again, until it started to get dark. Then He provoked His disciples by asking how more then 5,000 people were going to be fed. After He miraculously turned one little boy’s supper into a feast for thousands, He sent His disciples back to the boat and back to Galilee, while He spent some time in prayer. When a wind storm arose, keeping the disciples from their destination, the Lord walked on top of the water to join them, and instantly they arrived at their destination.
The lake upon which this storm arose, is large enough that in ancient days it was called a “sea.” At various times and in various circumstances it was called “the sea of Galilee,” or “the sea of Tiberius” or “the sea of Gennesaret.” And you’ll notice that verse 34 says that the little group re-crossed the sea into “the land of Gennesaret.” Gennesaret was a small area on the western side of the sea in the land of Galilee, which was well-known for its park-like setting of fruit and orchards. The disciples had an harrowing adventure during the night and the Lord brought them to place where they could be refreshed.
But – “when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased.” In Mark’s Gospel we read, “And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.”
I won’t read the account, but Dean Arthur Stanley, a famous Anglican theologian toured Israel toward the end of the19th century. He described one occasion when the local people learned there was a medical doctor in his company. When they came out of a particular community, there were all kinds of sick people lined up on both sides of the road – crying, pleading, begging in the most affecting sort of way. He said that hearts of every one of his group were broken by the pleas of the suffering people. I am sure that it must have been much the same, if not worse, in Jesus’ case. The narrow streets were lined with people who had almost no medical care whatsoever, and they were pleading in the most excruciating way.
How many times have you stopped at an intersection and a beggar was there with his dog, his ragged clothes and his sign? How often have you looked the other way, refusing to give the man even a quarter. Sure you justified yourself in a half dozen different ways, but on you went. The Lord Jesus, did not drive on. If those people wanted only to touch the hem of his garment, He let them do it. And when they touched in faith, they were made “perfectly whole.”
I hope that none of you resent me taking our time walking through this Book of Matthew. I say that because, there are things that I am very slow to see, until I’ve looked at it a hundred times. You can blame my dull-head if you like, but I fear that I may not be alone in my slow spiritual and mental reaction time.
For example, why haven’t the words “the hem of his garment” struck me before? You have probably made the connection every time you’ve seen it, but I’ve been typically slow on my recognition about this. The Jews were commanded by God, to trim their outer garments with a ribbon of blue cloth. I am sure that you seamstresses have a special word for this sort of edging, but I don’t. It seems to me that the edge of a piece of cloth could be kept from unraveling simply with some kind of thread sown into the fabric. But God wasn’t satisfied with this, commanding that a ribbon of blue be attached, edging their clothes. And it also seems to me that it would be as appropriate on the end of a sleeve, or perhaps around the collar as much as at the bottom of the garment. Number 15:38 says, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue.” Doesn’t this seem to be a little intrusive? Isn’t God getting a little over-the-top and personal in this? It is just trim around their clothing. Was there a special reason for this command? Yes, there was. “And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes…”
If you will remember, centuries later, the Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their abuse of this command. Beware of those hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, “all their works they do for to be seen of men: – (for example) they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments.” How much is done in the name of God, even by fundamental Baptists, with a purpose of being seen by men? How much good is done with selfish reasons? How often is the service of the Lord done in an exaggerated way for the purpose of human praise? “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,” said Jesus to His disciples.
You will also remember that there had been an earlier occasion when someone touched Jesus’ blue ribbon. Matthew 9 – “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” Notice that she said to herself, “all I have to do is touch his garment, and I’ll be healed.” But then what she touched was the hem – the blue ribbon. And by the way, it may or may not have been at the bottom of His robe – it could have been His sleeve.
Probably not all in Israel actually obeyed the command. There were probably many who considered the law unnecessary, and some didn’t even know it existed. But Christ Jesus obeyed, but it was not with the same intention as the rest of Israel. “That ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them…” The Author of the commandments didn’t need to be reminded of them – or urged to obey them. Our Saviour never sinned – nor could He sin. Yet, he wore the blue hem because that was the will of God. What were these people doing when they touched the hem of His garment? We might say that these people were touching the obedience and perfect righteousness of the Lord. I don’t know if there was any special significance in touching the hem of Jesus’ robe, but it made for a good target.
And every single person who touched that ribbon of blue was instantly healed of whatever disease was in him. Every person who came with an infirmity, like a bad limp or a blind eye, or partial deafness, was healed. In fact, everyone who touched the Lord walked away “perfectly whole.” These are the facts.
Now let’s move on to make a REASONABLE SPIRITUAL APPLICATION.
I say “reasonable application,” because of something I discovered when I studied the words “perfectly whole.” The Greek word is used eight times in the New Testament, but only once is it translated “perfectly whole.” On another occasion it is rendered “to heal” – which, of course, agrees perfectly with what we have here. We’ve already studied the tender-hearted Roman Centurion who had the very sick servant. “When he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and HEAL (or make perfectly whole) his servant.” There is no doubt in my mind that when Jesus made these people “perfectly whole” He healed them. But I would like to apply this healing in a spiritual way with the help of the other six uses of the Greek word. It is also translated “to save” twice, “escape” twice, as well as “escape safe” and “bring safe.” Strong says that it means “to preserve through danger; to bring safely through; to save, keep from perishing; to rescue.” Any one of these definitions can be applied to healing a dying person. The word was used several times describing Paul’s salvation from the storm in the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman centurion who was in charge wa willing to SAVE Paul, from the guards and sailors, so he “commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land.” “And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.” Then later, “when the barbarians saw the venomous (snake) hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.”
I believe I have Biblical grounds for applying “made perfectly whole” to salvation – escaping the wrath of God. I’m not sure that anyone can successfully argue that the people whom Jesus healed on this occasion, were not saved from their sins by the grace of God, and made “perfectly whole.” I can’t prove absolutely that they were spiritually saved, but at the very least they may be used to illustrate salvation.
For example, they were all diseased, and they were all in the process of dying. We are all in the process of dying, and it doesn’t matter how young and healthy you may be at the moment. You were born with sin in your veins – you were born with a fallen human nature. With sin comes the curse of God, and with that curse comes weakness and periodic disease. Every head cold, every head-ache, every cough, every tooth-ache testifies to the presence of sin. And the authoritative word of God says that it is sin, not disease, which produces death. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” “The wages of sin is death.” If we are not “perfectly whole” we shall not only physically die, but we shall die eternally.
What are some of the other things that we might assume or learn from these people who were healed? We see, that there may be a lot of variety when it comes to the outer forms of disease – and sin. The sin nature is the same in all of us, but some of us are liars, some are drunks, some have other addictions. Some of us have stolen things, others have gossiped and destroyed other people’s lives or testimony. Some are unforgiving of others, but demanding forgiveness for themselves. All of us are born rebels, and some of us show it by rebelling against our parents. Some of our rebellion is against God’s Old Testament commands, while some resist the New Testament instructions of the Saviour, and others rebel against the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The outward appearance of our sin may vary, but the inner reality is the same in everyone. And “the wages of sin is death” – are you ready to die? All of these sick people knew that they were in need of Christ. Perhaps they didn’t know the extent of their need of the Lord, but at least they had this little fact. They all wanted to be healed – at least to some extent. If the Holy Spirit has not brought a man to yearn to be saved, he will never be saved.
“And when the men of that place had knowledge of him….” I won’t try to tell you that this means more than that they had heard that Jesus had returned. But I wonder what else they had learned about Christ. They certainly knew that Jesus had healed others, and so there was hope for them. Had they learned that there is healing only in Christ? That they had no other options? Some of them may have become convinced that He was promised Messiah – a very good thing. But had any of them learned that Jesus was the Son of God – God the Son? Have YOU learned these things? If this Christ is not your Saviour from sin, then you have no Saviour at all.
The thing which is so highly stressed in this scripture is that these people touched the blue hem of Christ’s robe, and in this they were touching the Lord Himself. The point is that without actually connecting with the Saviour, there can be no application of His salvation. In other scriptures, Christ spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. This was not a literal chewing and swallowing of the body of our Lord, as some so-called Christians try to teach. Rather, Jesus clearly taught that it is a touching – an eating and drinking – by faith. These sick sufferers, lining the streets where Christ was walking, were moved by faith to TOUCH Him. And in that touch of faith you could say that they transferred their ill-health to Christ, and He transferred His perfect health to them.
As sinners, when the Holy Spirit brings us to our knees in guilt before God, we have no other hope but to reach out to Christ by faith. And when we touch Him, He takes to Himself our sin and sins – our transgressions and our sinfulness. Plus He gives to us His righteousness – His holiness in the sight of the Father. Scripture says that for all those who believe on Christ, he bore “our sins in his own body on the tree (the cross), that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.” It says that by His stripes we are healed of all the effects of our sin. In other words we are “made perfectly whole.”
If there was a man suffering from heart disease, living in the area of Gennesaret, and that man said to himself that it was too dangerous to his heart to walk the six blocks to join all the other sufferers, then he had no one to blame for his eventual death but himself. The man was dying, but in Christ he could have been “perfect whole.” And similarly, every one of us is born dying. If we choose not to touch by faith the hem of Christ, then we have no one to blame for our eternal death, but ourselves.
The people of this scripture teach us to reach out to Christ. They tell us to come to end of our efforts and the prescriptions of the doctors of philosophy. They teach us to humbly reach out to the Lord for eternal life. If you will repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you too can be made “perfectly whole.”