34 “And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” (Matthew 14:34–36 (ESV)
Following Jesus’ miracle of walking on the water, the Lord and His disciples crossed over the now still Sea of Galilee and landed on shore at the town of Gennesaret. Gennesaret was located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee between Capernaum and Magdala. It was where many of Jesus’ healing miracles took place (Mt 14:34; Mk 6:53).
“The topography is generally level, with the land rising slowly as it nears the bordering mountains. The unusually fertile soil is laced with flowing streams and rivers and noted for its productivity. Temperatures ranging from hot to mild allow for a long growing season and abundant crops. The fruits of Gennesaret were so exceptional that the rabbis did not allow them in Jerusalem during feast observances, fearing many would attend only to enjoy their succulence. Rabbis termed this area the Garden of God. During Jesus’ lifetime, the area was considered the garden spot of Palestine. Trees such as the walnut, palm, olive, and fig, which require a wide diversity of growing conditions, all flourished here. Rich harvests of grapes, walnuts, rice, wheat, vegetables, and melons, as well as wild trees and flowers, were common,” states the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.
When Jesus and His disciples arrived at Gennesaret, instead of their original destination Bethsaida, several of the village’s men recognized Jesus. They in turn spread the news that the miracle worker was in the area. Consequently, many people brought the sick to the Lord.
Mark’s Gospel account provides some further insight as to the seriousness of the people’s illnesses. “53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.” (Mark 6:53–55 ESV)
Whether it was superstition or faith, or perhaps a mixture of both, the people begged Jesus that they be allowed to only touch the fringe of His garment in order to be healed. Matthew records that those who touched the Lord’s garment became well.
“Healing by touching Jesus’ garment recalls the story of the woman with the perpetual issue of blood, and like her, the people in Gennesaret probably had some superstition mixed in with their faith (Mark 5:24b–34). Nevertheless, the power of faith is not found in its purity but in its object, and in trusting Christ the people were healed (6:56). Once again, Jesus met the needs of suffering people when they came to Him for help,” explains one commentator.
“We must take care not to view Jesus merely as a miracle-worker whose purpose is always to restore us physically. Nevertheless, we must believe that Christ can heal us when we seek His face. Of course, He has the sovereign right to determine whom, when, and how He will heal, but make no mistake, Jesus can and often does heal us when we ask Him to do so.”
Matthew concludes the fourteenth chapter of his gospel with this positive account of Jesus’ miraculous power as the eternal God/Man.
Soli deo Gloria!
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