Mark 6:55 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.

NIV: They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

NASB: and ran about that entire country and began carrying here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to wherever they heard He was.

CSB: They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

NLT: and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was.

KJV: And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

NKJV: ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.

In Galilee, save for a few pockets of rejection and derision (Mark 3:20–30; Luke 4:29), the people know Jesus can heal physical ailments. They put their sick on cots and run to find Him. Common ailments may have included osteoarthritis, dental decay, fevers, skin diseases, non-venereal syphilis, and fertility issues. Sicknesses and injuries cause ceremonial uncleanness, the inability to work, and infertility which can lead to abandonment and divorce. In an era where cures were harder to come by, and contagion harder to avoid, sickness came with an enormous level of social stigma. Any of these issues would have a severe impact on the sufferer and his or her family.

Healing was a gift given to God's prophets to validate their message. Since the compilation of the Scriptures, it is not needed as much. Still, following Christ and obeying the commands found in the Bible can go a long way in preventing and controlling disease. If the entire world were to limit sex to monogamous, heterosexual marriages, many diseases would die out all but immediately. If humanity would truly treat our bodies as a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), certain cancers, diseases, and conditions would decline greatly.

Obeying Scripture, especially the commands to love God and others, can go a long way in solving mental and emotional issues as well. Raising kids to love and follow God can help ease or even prevent everything from addiction to anxiety (Proverbs 22:6). When husbands sacrificially love their wives and wives respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:25–33), families are more secure. Being bold enough to gently confront someone about their sin can benefit them now and for eternity (James 5:19–20; 2 Timothy 2:24–26). Jesus returned to heaven, but He left us the Holy Spirit as our helper (John 14:16–17) and the living Word (Hebrews 4:12) that actually extends the range of God's healing touch (John 14:12).

In Nazareth, Jesus can do very few miracles, since the people lack faith (Mark 6:5–6). In Gennesaret, people flock to Him, dragging their injured and sick with them. We need to make sure we're more like the people of Gennesaret and not Nazareth. Sometimes the more we think we know Jesus the less accepting we are of who He really is. Our arrogance can limit what He will do in our lives and the lives of the people we pray for. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, sovereign, and holy. Understanding His character and His will for us will go a long way in understanding His healing power.

Mark 6:53–56 describes Jesus healing the sick in Gennesaret. After feeding the five thousand near Bethsaida, Jesus sent the Twelve ahead of Him across the Sea of Galilee toward Capernaum (John 6:17). Jesus spent some time praying, then caught up with them by walking on the water. For an unrecorded reason, they land at Gennesaret, three miles south of Capernaum. Jesus and the Twelve travel over the whole region while the sick take the example of the woman with an issue of blood (Mark 5:28) and receive healing by merely touching His robe. This account is also found in Matthew 14:34–36 and John 6:22–59.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.