Happy 4th of July! Tonight we join crowds in arenas and parks to watch the fireworks for our country’s birthday. It’s visually thrilling and a shared evening for everyone.
Now imagine the multitudes following Jesus, sitting themselves down on the mount, and crowding the streets and beaches to see him.
Add to these events that the multitudes went home healed of blindness, leprosy, withered limbs, broken hearts, and death. Talk about thrilling.
“THERE WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AN INNUMERABLE
MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE… (Luke. 12:1)
The Bible often reports the numbers. 5000 men, not counting women and children, filled up on fish and bread while listening to Jesus. (Matt.14: 21)
Clearly those watching (citizens, rabbis, servants, and tax collectors) were counting heads until the crowds were too many to count. To me, that means multitudes well over 10,000 people — morning, noon, and night.
That’s Luke reporting, a doctor, a man of details, and even he couldn’t keep track. He also conveys the speed of just a few days. After preaching “The law of love” (Luke 6), Jesus heals a Centurion’s servant, and the day after, raises a widow’s son from his burial bier. Then it’s parable, healing, parable, healing, parable, healing, and more.
Now I’ve joined the multitude by reading one chapter of Luke every morning, and it has blessed my last 24 days beyond measure, but who’s counting?
Eda Zahl (S.O.B.I. student – July 4, 2016)
