Picture it, dear reader: The Lord Jesus surrounded by His disciples on the shores of the lake of Gennesaret, which they had just crossed, and the messengers, “the men of that place,” going far and wide in search of whom?—the rich, the noble, the learned? No; the lame, the blind, the sick; for such suited the One of whom the messengers had knowledge. What do these diseased ones need? Alleviation for their sufferings, balm for their wounds, sympathy for their sorrows? Ah, no; they are too bad for half-measures, and they are in the presence of the Saviour, ready to “heal all manner of sickness,” Though they are gathered round Him, seeking only to touch the hem of His garment, His thoughts of grace and mercy far exceed their poor human thoughts: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” “As many as touched were made perfectly whole,” not bettered, improved, comforted; for the Son of Man came not to do as men do, but to seek and to save.
Eternity alone will reveal how many had faith, “as many as touched”; and who think you would have been left out that day on the shores of the lake?
Have you touched the Lord, by faith, reader? If so, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, a diseased and sinful being by nature, you are now made perfectly whole. You heard the words of the messengers, you believed the witness of men, you were brought to Jesus, and having believed on Him, you have the witness in yourself; you are “made perfectly whole.”
A Christian woman was walking through a village one day at the hour of evening service. Passing a chapel door, she heard what induced her to pause for a few moments to listen. The preacher was pressing most earnestly on his hearers their danger, if unconverted, and their need of a Saviour. In closing, he bade them remember that after all, though some of them might be saved today, yet they could be lost, or castaways, tomorrow, if they did not hold fast and continue to add their part to what Christ had done.
The woman went on her way, feeling thankful to the Lord that He had opened her eyes to behold in Christ the One who finished the work, and who keeps His own, being “able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him.” (Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)).
A few years later this Christian woman was laid aside by severe sickness, “unto death,” as it seemed. She had become acquainted with the preacher of that night, and often had she longed for an opportunity of speaking to him of the truth so doubly dear to her now, and again and again her mouth had been closed by reason of circumstances, or by lack of faith. However, one day, hearing how ill she was, he came in to inquire for her, himself opening the subject by saying, “Now then, Mrs. V., you’re just enjoying the fruits of early religion.”
“No, I’m not,” she answered; “and do not tell me of religion, there’s too much of that; tell me of Christ, and then I can understand you!”
“You do not seem at all afraid!”
“Afraid! what have I to fear? Christ is my life. The Lord gave me everlasting life many years agone. He’s not going to take it from me now!”
“Well, we must hope we shall have it some day!”
“Hoping is not going on very far; we want assurance. If Christ gives everlasting life, He means it to be everlasting life; no saved today and lost tomorrow.”
“Well, you have far more confidence than I have, and I only wish I could speak as you do,” said her visitor.
Now, dear reader, let us ask, “Why was this Christian woman confident?” Because she had put her trust in Another; and “Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” (Rom. 10:1111For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:11)). Would that we heeded the words of Scripture, as did the diseased people the words of the messengers. They knew they were diseased, and were willing to be brought to Jesus, but the man who hopes to find in himself some sign of progress or amendment, loses the blessing of knowing what it is to be made perfectly whole by Another. Ponder upon the case of the woman, who, “when she had heard of Jesus, came and touched ME garment, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” (Mark 5:27-2927When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (Mark 5:27‑29))
“If I have not got the new nature, I’ve got a part of it,” said one not long since! That would not be “perfectly whole.” Can “that which is born of the Spirit” be other than “spirit”? Ah! leave these human reasonings, these proud thoughts of adding a part to the work of Christ, and take a place in spirit, you who feel your need, among those diseased people on the shores of the lake of Gennesaret, and you shall learn as did they what contact with the Son of God effects, for “as many as touched were made perfectly whole.”
H. L. H.