Church Fathers Commentary Luke 6:17-19

"and he came down with them, and stood on a level place, and a great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judaea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; and they that were troubled with unclean spirits were healed. And all the multitude sought to touch him; for power came forth from him, and healed [them] all." — Luke 6:17-19 (ASV)

St. Cyril of Alexandria: After the Apostles were ordained and large crowds had gathered from the region of Judea and the coastal areas of Tyre and Sidon (who were idolaters), He commissioned the Apostles to be teachers for the whole world. Their purpose was to call the Jews back from the bondage of the law, and the worshipers of demons from their Gentile errors to the knowledge of the truth. Hence it is said, And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and a great multitude from Judea, and the sea coast...

The Venerable Bede: By “the sea coast,” he does not refer to the nearby Sea of Galilee, because this would not be considered remarkable. Instead, it refers to the great sea, which would also include Tyre and Sidon, as the text continues, of Tyre and Sidon.

These Gentile regions are intentionally named here to indicate how great the Savior's fame and power were, which had brought even the citizens of the coast to receive His healing and teaching. Hence the text adds, who came to hear him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That is, they came for the healing of their souls; and the phrase that they might be healed of their diseases refers to the healing of their bodies.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: After the High Priest had publicly announced His choice of the Apostles, He performed many great miracles. He did this so that the Jews and Gentiles who had gathered would know that these men had been invested by Christ with the dignity of the apostleship, and that He Himself was not like any other man, but was instead God, being the Incarnate Word.

Hence the text continues, And the whole multitude sought to touch him, for there went virtue out of him. For Christ did not receive virtue from others; rather, since He is God by nature, He sent out His own virtue upon the sick and healed them all.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But observe everything carefully. Notice how He both ascends with His Apostles and descends to the multitude, for how could the multitude see Christ except in a humble place? The crowd does not follow Him to the high places; it does not ascend the heights. Finally, when He descends, He finds the sick, for in the high places there can be no one who is sick.

The Venerable Bede: You will scarcely find anywhere that the crowds follow our Lord to the higher places, or that a sick person is healed on a mountain. Instead, after quenching the fever of lust and lighting the torch of knowledge, each person gradually approaches the height of the virtues.

But the crowds that were able to touch the Lord are healed by the virtue of that touch, just as the leper was formerly cleansed when our Lord touched him. The touch of the Savior, then, is the work of salvation. To touch Him is to believe in Him; to be touched by Him is to be healed by His precious gifts.