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And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and
Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even
those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in
the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and
healed them all. Luke 6:17–19
The Gospel of Luke presents us with what is traditionally known as
the “Sermon on the Plain.” Almost everything Luke includes in this
sermon is also found in Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount.” Matthew,
however, adds some teachings not found in Luke. Matthew’s sermon
has three chapters while Luke’s has only one.
In this, the introduction to this “Sermon on the Plain,” from which
we will be reading all week, Luke points out that large numbers of
people came from far and wide to listen to Jesus. This crowd
included many Jews but also included many people from the pagan
territory of Tyre and Sidon. And what was it that drew so many of
them? They came to “hear” Jesus preach and “to be healed.” They
wanted to hear the words of Jesus since He spoke with great
authority and in a way that was changing lives. And they were
especially amazed by the healing power that Jesus manifested. The
last line of the passage above gives great emphasis to this desire
for healing. “Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because
power came forth from him and healed them all.”
It’s interesting that Jesus performed so many powerful miracles as
He went about His public ministry. This was especially the case as
He began His ministry. He became a sort of instant celebrity to
many and was the talk of the many surrounding towns. But it’s also
interesting to note that, as time went on, Jesus gave more emphasis
to His teaching than He did to the miracles.
What is it that draws you to our Lord? Perhaps if there were
numerous manifest miracles performed today by God, many people
would be amazed. But physical miracles are not the greatest work of
our Lord and, therefore, should not be the primary focus of our
relationship with Him. The primary reason we should be drawn to our
Lord is because His holy Word sinks in deeply, changes us and draws
us into communion with Him. This is clearly seen by the fact that
now that the Gospel message has been deeply established and the
Church formed, physical miracles are rare. They do happen, but not
in the same way that they did as Jesus first established His public
ministry.
Reflect, today, upon the primary reason you find yourself drawn to
our Lord. Seek out His living Word, spoken within the depths of
your heart. The most important miracle that takes place today is
that of interior transformation. When a person hears God speak,
responds to that Word, and allows Him to change their life, this is
among the most important miracles of grace that we could ever
encounter. And this is the central reason we should be drawn to
Him, seek Him out and follow Him wherever He leads.
My miraculous Lord, please draw me to Yourself, teaching in the
wilderness of my interior life of silence and solitude. Help me to
seek You out so that I can hear Your Word, spoken to me to give me
new life. May I always listen to You so that Your holy Word will
transform me more fully, making me into the new creation You desire
me to be. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: Sermon on the Mount by Cosimo
Rosselli, via Wikimedia Commons
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