The beloved physician Luke shared how, “it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles. Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor”, and in chapter six and verse seventeen of his book Luke shares how Jesus, “came down with them, and stood in the plain” where we read:
And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
The verse reads, “And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, ...” Luke began with the words, “and he came down with them” or “and Jesus descended from the mountain alongside the twelve chosen disciples”, “and stood in the plain” which means “and erected, made firm and established Himself within the level ground, place or location”, “and the company of his disciples” or “and the collection, throng or multitude of Jesus' students, pupils and attendants”. Luke shared how Jesus descended from the mountain area with His newly chosen twelve “disciples” and joined His other “students” upon a place of level ground.
The verse continues, “... and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, ...” Luke added the words, “and a great multitude of people” which means “and a large, massive crowd and group of people both male and female” “out of all Judaea” or “from each, every, the whole and everyone of the villages and towns of the southern portion of Palestine lying on this side of the Jordan and the Dead Sea, to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Peraea and Idumaea” “and Jerusalem” which means “and the city of Jerusalem whose name means set you double peace”, “and from the sea coast” or “and separate from the maritime area” “of Tyre” which means “belonging to Tyre whose name means a rock and was a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean, very ancient, large, splendid, flourishing in commerce and powerful by land and sea” “and Sidon” or “and Sidon whose name means hunting and was an ancient and wealthy city of Phoenicia located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea and less than 20 miles (30 km) north of Tyre”. Luke shared how a large number of people who were from “Judaea, Jerusalem, Tyre and Sidon” joined Jesus and His disciples in the “plain”.
Finally the verse says, “... which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;” Luke ended the verse by writing, “which came to hear him” or “who arose and appeared to listen, attend to and understand Jesus”, “and to be healed” which means “and to be cured and made whole” “of their diseases” or “of their sicknesses, infirmities and maladies”. Luke shared how the large multitude of people came from all around to listen to Jesus teach and to be cured from their infirmities and illnesses.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see more of Jesus' ministry to people who were coming from all around to “hear” Him and to be “cured” of their “illnesses”. Jesus came to share about the Kingdom of God, and He did so with power and demonstration that the “Kingdom of God” was among them. We can imagine how the word about Jesus spread everywhere, and now Jesus was equipped with His “twelve disciples” who were being trained to carry on the Kingdom when He would leave them. God's desire is to have every person not only hear Him, be ministered to by Him, but also believe and trust in His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”. Let all who read these words listen to Jesus who can “forgive” their sins and grant them “everlasting life” with God.
Next time Luke shares how, “they that were vexed with unclean spirits … were healed” , so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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