“And He [Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch Him, for power came out from Him and healed them all.”
(Luke 6:17-19 ESV)
Notice where Jesus is standing. It’s a flat place, and that’s good, because there are a zillion people crowding around Him, from all over that part of the world. And every last one of them is trying to get to Him, to touch Him if they possibly can—because they know that He will heal them.
It sounds scary, to me. Imagine all those hands reaching out—grasping, reaching, pulling. I would want to run away and hide. But not Jesus. He encourages it! Just listen to Him: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV). “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:37b-38 ESV). “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14b ESV). “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37 ESV).
Why? Why is Jesus so urgent for us to come to Him? The story tells us that the people wanted healing. Jesus wants that for us, too—not just healing for our bodies, but in our whole selves—our minds, our hearts, our spirits, our relationships. We are broken people, even the best of us—and we need the Savior God has given us to make us well again.
How does He do this? By giving Himself for us, laying down His life on the cross and then rising to life again—and sharing that life with us who trust Him. By giving Himself to us, in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as well as in His daily presence. By making us members of His own body the church, His own hands and feet and mouth and tongue—to share the Good News of Jesus’ salvation with every person in the world, and also to learn to live in love with one another.
Jesus is the center of everything. Without Jesus, we have nothing. But with Jesus, we have everything we need. We have life, joy, peace, forgiveness, mercy, and even healing, whether it comes now or in the kingdom of God. We have God Himself, no longer a terror to us but a loving Father. All this, because of Jesus.
We Pray: Lord, draw me to You—and keep me with You forever! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on February 13, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. How do you feel about crowds? Do they make you afraid or nervous? Do you enjoy the energy of a crowd?
2. What does it mean to say Jesus has given Himself to you?
3. What will you do with such a wonderful gift?