³⁴ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him ³⁶ and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Dear God, this constant attention must have seemed relentless—not only to Jesus, but also to the disciples.

It is interesting to see that the cloak is emphasized here. It doesn’t say that Jesus healed them or touched them. It says that they “begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak.” There was just such desperation. People were leaving their work and their lives to follow him around. Now they were coming from everywhere just to touch his cloak. There are times when I think that our society is drifting so far from you because we are simply not desperate enough. You can count me in that boat too. I think I am not more dependent upon you because I am not desperate enough to go anywhere or do anything just to touch your cloak.

Father, I don’t want to be desperate in a sense of need, but I do want to be desperate for you. I want to be willing to do anything you ask of me at any given time. I want to be a living sacrifice to you. I want to offer all that I am up to you for all that you are. I want you to live through me and touch others through me. Help me to be a better representative of you to my wife, my children, and everyone else with whom I come into contact today.