Gospel of Mark Study #16

“A Story Within a Story”

Mark 5:25-34

Study #16 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

Good books always have a main plot, and usually several subplots. That means they have stories within the story. Most movies and TV programs use the same technique. The problem is that sometimes the whole thing gets so complicated with all these rabbit trails and subplots that we can get confused and lose track of the main story line. Sometimes when Ramel and I watch TV or Netflix we need to pause the movie and discuss what in the world is going on. Maybe we are just not very bright… or do some of you have the same problem? 

TRANSITION:

In today’s study we have a story within a story. Last week we read about how Jesus was in the region of Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. As He was walking along, He was accompanied by a large crowd. Suddenly a man came running up to Him and threw himself at Jesus feet. His name was Jairus, and he was the ruler of one of the local synagogues. He explained to Jesus that his precious little 12-year-old daughter was deathly ill, literally “at the point of death.” He begged Jesus to go with him saying, “Please come and lay Your hands on her, that she may get well and live.” So, Jesus started off with Jairus toward his house. Mark 5:24 picks up the story saying, “So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around Him.” This is where the camera switches to another scene. In that pressing crowd of people was a woman with a great need who had also come looking for Jesus. For the next 10 verses, verses 25-34, we have the story of how Jesus dealt with that woman and her problem while on His way to Jairus’ house.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 25: And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding [i.e., “who had suffered a hemorrhage,” NASV] for twelve years.

·         “...a woman was there...” We do not know her name, her age, or any details about her private life except for facts concerning her illness. At this point in her life, she had apparently come to be defined by her illness, at least in her own mind. That sometimes happens to people—terms like “mentally ill, paraplegic, cancer patient, leper, schizophrenic,” etc. tend to define a person’s life. But she was much more than her illness!

·         She had been suffering for 12 years with a hemorrhage problem (bleeding from her female organs). Her problem was a common one, but also serious. Had she lived in our time she would have gone in to the hospital for a complete hysterectomy and her problem would have been solved, but that was not an option for her. The Talmud (i.e., a rabbinical commentary on the Torah, the 5 Books of Moses) offered 11 different cures for this problem, including tonics and astringents. Beyond these there were superstitions and folk cures including carrying the ashes of an ostrich egg in a linen rag in the summertime and a cotton rag in winter; or carrying a barley corn, which had been found in the dung of a white she-ass. This woman had probably already tried every possible remedy, but nothing had given her relief.

·         This ailment had not only ruined her health, but according to Leviticus 15:19-30 it had made her ceremonially defiled, meaning she was considered “unclean” and therefore was cut off from the worship of God in the Temple and from the fellowship of friends. 

Verse 26: She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.

·         “She had suffered a great deal…” Her great suffering must have included pain, tiredness, messiness, and anemia.

·         “... under the care of many doctors...” Think of her embarrassment at having to be examined repeatedly and having to explain the problem to male doctors because that is all they had in those days.

·         “She had spent all she had...” She spent it all on doctors’ bills and medicine.

·         “... instead of getting better she grew worse.” Hers was an incurable case, a “chronic ailment.” Some of the so-called “cures” made things worse. This is a sad but not uncommon story of medical impotence and incompetence. You might say that her physicians were “malpracticing” medicine! Sad but true.

Verse 27: When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak…

·         “When she heard about Jesus...” She heard about Jesus somewhere from someone. Who do you think might have pointed her in the right direction? The thought that Jesus might be able to help her must have filled her with hope. But notice that she came to Him as her last resort, having first tried everything the world had to offer to resolve her problem. So, it is with many of us. Whatever the problem, we try everything else first before turning to the Lord for help. Her problem was embarrassing, and she just could not face sharing it publicly before the crowd, so she decided on a secret strategy.

·         When she saw her chance, she made her move through the middle of the crowd to get close to the Master. This must have required great effort for a woman in her weakened condition. The crowd was moving along with Jesus, but she approached Him from behind, which meant that she had to move faster than the crowd, and that she had to push and shove to make her way up to Jesus.

·         This was clearly an act of faith. She came right up behind Him and touched the hem (i.e., the fringe) of His outer garment. Every devout Jewish man wore an outer cloak (tunic) with a fringed bottom with a tassel on each of the 4 corners in obedience to the command given in Numbers 15:38-40.

Verse 28: ...because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.”

·         “...because she thought...” Literally, the Greek text says, “...for she kept on saying to herself...” that she only needed to touch his cloak to be healed. This showed great faith in the healing power of Jesus. She was not trusting in His cloak, but in Him.

Verse 29: Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

·         The moment she touched His cloak, immediately her flow of blood dried up. Her healing was immediate and complete. She felt the powerful effect in her body and knew in that moment that she had been healed.

·         Imagine the emotions that flooded through her in that moment—awe, joy, gratitude, and excitement all at the same time.

·         N.B. The touch of Jesus has a dramatic effect on anyone’s life.

Verse 30: At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched My clothes?”

·         Notice that Jesus also had an immediate reaction. He sensed that power had left His body, so He suddenly stopped and turned around in the middle of the crowd and asked out loud, “Who touched My garments?” This must have been that poor lady’s worst nightmare. She thought that she would be able to just slip away unnoticed.

·         Notice too that Jesus did not say, “Who touched Me?” because He knew exactly where and how He had been touched. He was always aware of what was going on around Him. So why did He ask the question? Did He not already know who it was that touched His garment? Yes, of course, but it was to get her to confess her faith in Him before others. 

Verse 31: “You see the people crowding against you,” His disciples answered, “and yet You can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

·         Luke’s account of this same miracle in Luke 8 says that Peter was the disciple who responded aloud to the Lord’s question. The disciples could not understand what Jesus was talking about. They thought His question very strange since Jesus was being pressed in from every side. What they did not understand was that Jesus could easily tell the difference between the casual touch of the crowd and that sick woman’s touch of faith.

Verse 32: But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.

·         The NIV does not have the best translation here because it makes it sound like Jesus really did not know who had touched Him. But He did. He knew it was the woman, and He knew who she was. The NASV and KJV have it correctly, “He looked around to see the woman who had done this” (NASV), or “He looked round about to see her that had done this thing” (KJV). The Greek reveals that Jesus used a feminine pronoun.

·         “But Jesus kept looking around” After she touched Him, she froze like a deer caught in the headlights. Then she stopped and tried to melt back into the crowd, but her actions gave her away as she tried to scurry off to avoid embarrassment.

·         Do not be in such a hurry that you miss the precious truth here… Jesus can always spot a needy person, even in a crowd. He knows your need today!

Verse 33: Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came, and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth.

·         In that moment she realized she had been found out. When she saw that she had not escaped notice she came up to Jesus fearing and trembling and prostrated herself before Him with her face on the ground. She was probably afraid partly because she knew she should not be mixing in the crowd with that type of medical problem. Also, she felt embarrassed because everyone was now looking at her; but at the same time, she was happy and trembling with excitement, knowing that she had been healed after 12 long years of misery.

·         On her face before Jesus in the middle of that watching, listening multitude, she told Jesus the whole long, sad story. She confessed it all to Him. She told why she had touched Him and testified how she had been instantly healed. Notice that this is exactly what it means to be a “witness.” She simply told her story and gave Jesus all the credit.

Verse 34: He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

·         Jesus, with infinite tact and kindness called her “Daughter,” showing that He was not angry with her, using a term of honor and endearment, for she was both a daughter of Israel and a daughter of Abraham. He said, “Your faith has healed you” (literally, “has saved you”) meaning saved from the plague of affliction from which she had suffered for so long. Her faith in Jesus’ ability to heal her had been so strong that she did not even think it necessary to bother the Master with her “little problem.”

·         We do not know the condition of that lady’s heart and soul, but the same thing is true of eternal salvation—our eternal salvation is by grace through faith (cf. Eph. 2:8-9).

·         Jesus told her to “Go in peace” (= the beautiful Jewish blessing of “Shalom,” which is life and health), and then He said, “Be healed of your affliction.” The verb tense He used indicated once and for all healing and complete restoration of her health. In other words, this was not just a temporary improvement but a complete cure. 

CONCLUSION:

What are the lasting and abiding principles from this wonderful story that we can apply to our own lives?

1.       Jesus has the power and authority to cure the incurable, to heal the unhealable, to solve the unsolvable, and to save the unsavable. He can resolve problems whether they be physical, financial, emotional, or spiritual. Nothing is too hard for Him.

v  Sin, like that woman’s disease, separates us from both God and man. It is ugly and shameful, and we try to hide in the crowd so that Jesus will not see us and so that others will not even realize that we have a need, but He sees and knows all.

2.      It always cost Jesus to heal people—i.e., it always took something from Him. He knew when the power had gone out of Him into that woman.

v  It also cost Jesus to save sinners. He went to the cross and gave all He had for you and me. He showed love toward that lady, and He showed His love for us on the cross.

v  Jesus was single-minded in purpose. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

v  Universal Principle = You will never produce anything of great value unless you put your whole self into it. Jesus exemplifies that truth.

3.      The multitude usually does not understand what is at stake.

v  Even the disciples did not realize what it cost Jesus to heal people. They were insensitive to what He was going through. And the crowd just stood there and watched. For them this was just entertainment, like a reality TV show.

v  Only that woman, out of all those people, experienced Jesus’ healing touch.

v  I believe that Jesus is passing by you today. By faith you can reach out and touch the hem of His garment, and you too will be healed and saved. By faith, you can experience Jesus’ forgiveness and healing touch in your life. He loves you, just as He loved that woman, and He waits for you to come before Him just as she did.

4.      She needed to confess what she had done. Even though it was difficult and humiliating, there was relief afterward. After she confessed to Jesus, the terror and trembling were gone. In the same way, confession of Jesus as Savior and Lord brings healing, joy, relief, and peace.

v  Just as that lady went away healed, cleansed, and joyful, so you can meet the Savior today and go away healed, cleansed, and joyful. Coming to Jesus was difficult for that woman and perhaps even humiliating, but it was worth it.

v  Once she had told Jesus everything, the fear and trembling were gone, and a wave of relief flooded over her and through her. She made her pitiful confession and found the Master to be ever so kind and gentle (cf. Romans 10:9-10).

v  Right now, Jesus is looking at you with His eyes of love and is asking you to come to Him. Do not try to slip away into the crowd. This is your chance to meet the Lord Jesus face to face and experience His love and grace. Open your heart to Him right now. He can cure your brokenness and sin-sick heart if you will just reach out to Him by faith. 

Gospel of Mark Study #15

“A Dad’s Worst Nightmare”

Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

Study #15 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

Being a father is not an easy job. It never has been, at least not if you are doing it correctly. Bringing children into the world and then doing your best to see that they turn out to be good, honest, loving, godly people is a big challenge! And being a dad to daughters is especially challenging. Raising boys is somewhat easier for us because from the get-go we speak the same language, being from the same planet and all. But with little girls it is a different story. They are a mystery to us, just like their mothers.

That is because little girls are filled with cuteness and craftiness, sweetness and trickery, coyness, and orneriness, all at the same time. Poor old dad is pretty much at sea from day one. This beautiful little girl suddenly pops into his life, and he has no idea what to do with her. But in no time at all she has her daddy wrapped around her cute little pinky finger. She has herself all entwined in his heart in such a way that he will never get loose.

TRANSITION:

In our passage for today we see a man experiencing what would be a “worst nightmare” situation for any loving father. His little daughter has become ill, and she is nearing death. The doctors have been unable to help her. It is obvious to everyone that she has little time left unless a miracle occurs.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 21: When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the lake.

·         It seems that after the casting out of the demons from the Gadarene demoniac, Jesus and His disciples made their way back up north 13 miles across the Sea of Galilee to the region of Capernaum and Bethsaida. The text does not tell us exactly where this next event occurred, but it must have been close to Capernaum.

·         Once again Jesus is surrounded by a large crowd of people, pushing in, wanting to see Him, and touch Him.

Verses 22-24: Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet ²³ and pleaded earnestly with Him, “My little daughter is dying [lit. at the point of death]. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around Him.

·         “...one of the synagogue rulers...” Jairus was one of the Jewish leaders from that region. He may have been the leader of the synagogue in Capernaum, or he may have been from one of the nearby towns where Jesus had preached (cf. 1:39). His name was derived from the Hebrew word, “ya’ir,” meaning “Yahweh enlightens.” His name is given by Mark and Luke but not by Matthew. In the original Greek text, he is called an ἀρχισυνάγωγος (archisunágogos), meaning synagogue ruler. His duties included the conducting of the synagogue service and the selection of those who were to lead the prayer, read the Scriptures, and comment on them. There was generally only one archisunágogos to each synagogue. If he was the ruler of the Capernaum synagogue, then he likely was one of the people mentioned way back in 1:21-27 and 3:1-6.

·         Mark does not give us any details about the little girl here, but down in verse 42 he tells us that she was 12 years old. In our world that means she would have been a 6^th grader, on the line between being a little girl and becoming a young woman. Can you imagine the pain and grief in this father's heart? He is desperate to find help for his little girl. When speaking of her Jairus used the diminutive form as a term of endearment— “my little daughter.” And when he describes her condition to Jesus he says, literally, “She is at the point of death.” He knew that her condition was critical and that every minute counted. If this story had occurred in 2023, she would already have been on the LifeFlight helicopter headed to the nearest pediatric hospital.

·         “...he fell at [Jesus’] feet and pleaded earnestly with Him.” Imagine what it cost Jairus to come to Jesus and publicly ask for His help. He had to lay down his prejudice, his dignity, his pride, his friends, and his future. This was professional suicide for him, but he did not care now. Saving his little girl’s life was his highest priority, far above his own personal interests.

·         Something else important... in verse 23 the form of the verb here translated “pleaded earnestly” means he kept on begging, repeatedly and desperately. He lost all semblance of propriety or formality. This was a desperate father, on his knees before the Lord, pleading for the life of his daughter. Notice that Jairus knew exactly what he was asking of Jesus, although the Greek reveals that he was having a hard time expressing himself. His plea was coming out in short phrases, emotional bursts from a breaking heart. Look in verse 23 at the specific elements of what he wanted from Jesus:

Ø  “Please come.”

Ø  “Put Your hands on her.”

Ø  “So that she will be healed.”

Ø  “So that she will live.”

·         What was the result of his plea? The text says, “So Jesus went with him.” The Lord responded immediately. What relief Jairus must have felt, knowing that Jesus was on his way to save his little daughter. But then the Lord got stopped by the crowd and specifically by a little old lady who was sick and needed help. What frustration Jairus must have felt as the minutes ticked by as he stood there watching Jesus dealing with someone else’s problem, someone who in a sense had jumped the queue and had now put the life of his little girl in even more jeopardy.

·         This is where we make a big jump. In our next study we will look at the story within this story about the sick lady, but for now we are going to skip over it and continue with Jairus’s story. Jesus was still talking with the lady that he had just healed on His way to Jairus’ place when some friends arrived from Jairus’ house with terrible news. 

Verse 35: While Jesus was still speaking (i.e., to the woman), some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

·         No one wants to be the bearer of bad news. It is a horrible job. And believe me, I know what it is like because I have had to do it many times. As a police chaplain I had to do many death notifications and to deliver other bad news. I have also had to be the one to deliver bad news about what the surgeon found when he performed a person’s surgery. Believe me, it is no fun to be the bearer of bad news! But it is even worse to be on the receiving end! Imagine Jairus’ pain as he heard those words— “Your little girl is dead. Come home and don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Obviously, they had no faith that Jesus could do anything about the situation.

·         And imagine the thoughts that might have started racing around inside his head— “If Jesus had just been in a little bit more of a hurry, maybe He could have saved her. Or if I had left home a little sooner maybe I could have gotten to Jesus in time.”

Verse 36: Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

·         Jairus heard their words and for a moment thought that all hope was gone. Jesus heard their words and ignored them, knowing full well that He had the power to bring her back to life. In that moment, Jairus had to make a choice about who to listen to—the voices of those who said, “Hope is lost” or the One who said, “Do not be afraid, just trust Me.” The English text leaves out the emphasis that we find in the Greek text. Literally, Jesus said to Jairus: “Stop fearing! Keep on believing!” Both verbs are in the present tense in a strong negative construction. Jesus knew that hearing their report had struck fear into Jairus’ heart, but the Lord urged him not to forsake the faith that had brought him to Jesus in the first place. Fear is the opposite of faith. The one condition of God’s working for us is that we trust Him.

·         This story reminds me a lot of the story of the raising of Lazarus in John 11. Lazarus was Jesus’ dear friend. He knew that Lazarus was deathly sick, yet Jesus deliberately waited until after Lazarus had died to begin the journey from Galilee to Bethany. And He took His sweet time about getting there—4 days! Why? Because He knew exactly what He was going to do. He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead right in front of a multitude of mourners. And before He did it, He told Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters, “I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” 

Verse 37: He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

·         Jesus dismissed the crowd and then picked only three of His 12 disciples to accompany Him to the home of Jairus. Why? I have wondered about that for a long time. Perhaps these three were the ones who were closest to Jesus. They were the same three who were at the Transfiguration. Perhaps Jesus knew that Jairus’ house would not accommodate the crowd. Perhaps He knew that there would already be a lot of people gathered there and did not want to add to the confusion. I do not know, and the Bible does not tell us.

Verses 38-40a: When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹ He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” ⁴⁰ But they laughed at Him.

·         As they approached Jairus’ house they came upon a group of people crying and wailing, mourning for this little girl who had just died. Matthew reports in 9:23 that the professional mourners had already arrived (“flute players”) and they were making a lot of noise. Jairus was a leader in the Jewish community and was apparently well-loved. The little group of five made their way into the house. There Jesus addressed the crowd that had gathered outside the bedroom where the body was resting.

·         “Why all this commotion and wailing?” Jesus said. “The child has not died but is asleep.” Their mouths must have all dropped to their chests! How could He say such a thing? Did He not know a dead body when He saw one? Remember, these people lived with death. They were used to seeing it. They knew a dead person when they saw one, and this girl was as dead as a proverbial doornail!

·         “But they laughed at Him.” This was not light-hearted humorous laughter, but rather the laughter of derision, scorn, and unbelief. They thought they knew better than Jesus. It was this false “knowledge” that blinded their eyes to the truth of what was taking place.

·         Some have taken Jesus’ words about the child not being dead but asleep to mean that she was not truly dead but was only in a coma of some sort. However, Luke 8:55 says, “...And her spirit returned...” making it clear that she had been dead. Christ’s reference to death as sleep was intended to suggest that the little girl’s condition was temporary, not permanent, and that she would awaken again. It is interesting that Jesus said the same thing about Lazarus in John 11:11, 14 and he had been dead for 4 days by the time Jesus showed up! He had even started to decompose and stink. Still, Jesus said, “He is asleep.”

·         Something I find interesting... the Early Church always described the believing dead as “asleep in Jesus” (cf. 1 Thess. 4:14). Because of that, for a long time the Greek-speaking Christians called their burial places, κοιμητήριον, “koimetérion” (sleeping place, dormitory, resting place) from the verb meaning “to sleep, to be laid to rest.” From Greek, this word was transliterated into Latin as “coemetérium” with the same meaning, a sleeping place. It is from this Latin word by way of Old French that we get our English word, “cemetery,” originally meaning a sleeping place for those who have died in Christ. On the other hand, the English word, “graveyard” merely indicates a place where holes were dug (i.e., graven in the ground). For unbelievers that is all they can look forward to—a hole in the ground.

·         We must remember that from the viewpoint of the Lord of the Universe, physical death is not that big of a deal. For us, death is the great enemy, the thing that eventually defeats every one of us, but for Jesus it posed no threat or difficulty.

Verses 40b-41: After He put them all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say unto you, arise!”

·         “After He put them all out...” meaning the other relatives, friends, and professional mourners. The only ones He allowed to go in to witness this miracle were the girl’s parents and His three disciples. Everyone else was sent outside the house to wait.

·         Why did He do it this way? Maybe it was to cut down on the noise. Maybe it was to calm the situation. I think that it was also because He wanted to emphasize the result, not the means to the end. This was not about His technique of raising dead people. This was about the fact that He is Lord of life and is Sovereign God in the flesh. He could have performed this miracle in any number of different ways. He chose to do it merely by speaking to her and calling her spirit to return to her body. In the process, He healed whatever illness had caused her death in the first place. In an instant she was totally healed and restored.

·         By the way, Mark is the only one of the Gospel writers to give us Jesus’ exact words. The Lord took her by the hand and spoke to her in Aramaic, “Talitha, koum!” Those two gentle words simply mean, “Little girl, arise!” Mark inserts the words, “I say unto you,” giving us a sense of the force of Jesus’ command. This was not a prayer, but rather, a command from the Sovereign Lord of Heaven. Death had no choice but to give her up. 

Verse 42: Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.

·         Notice the word, “Immediately...” It did not take any time at all. It happened so fast that I am sure the disciples and her parents were totally taken aback. Mark tells us, “...they were completely astonished.” Can you imagine the joy that those parents felt? Can you hear their voices lifted in praise to God? I can.

·         This is the second time that Jesus raised someone from the dead. The first one was the widow’s son in the village of Nain (cf. Luke 7:11-17). On that occasion all of Jesus’ disciples were there to witness what took place. 

Verse 43: He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this and told them to give her something to eat.

·         “He told them to give her something to eat.” Why did Jesus command that she be given food? Perhaps for two reasons:

1.       First, because He knew that she had been ill for a while and had probably been unable to eat. Now that she was healed, she would be ravenously hungry.

2.      Second, as further proof that she was indeed alive, back from the dead. Jesus used this same proof with His disciples after His own resurrection (cf. Luke 24:41-43).

·         “He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this.” Do you also find this to be a curious thing? How were they going to keep this wonderful miracle a secret? For one thing, Jairus’ house was surrounded by people waiting to hear the news, good or bad, one way or another. And certainly, when his little girl appeared, alive and happy and in perfect health, all the people were going to want to know exactly what had happened. How could Jesus possibly expect these grateful parents to obey this command to not tell anyone about this?

·         Some have said that He did not want the parents to go out talking about what had happened because He wanted to forestall a widespread furor that might precipitate a crisis situation before it was time for Him to go to the cross. Others have theorized that Jesus was using reverse psychology. By saying, “Don’t you dare tell anyone about this,” they say He was secretly prompting them to tell everyone. I do not think so because that would mean His commands are not to be followed but to be interpreted, looking for hidden meaning. I am sure He meant what He said, but they were weak and unable to keep their mouths shut.

·         Matthew reports what happened in 9:26, “And this news went out into all that land.” Apparently, these happy parents were unable to keep a secret! Good news always has a way of getting out! For example:

o   Matthew 9:31 after healing two blind men.

o   Mark 1:45 after healing a leper.

CONCLUSION:

I love this story because I can relate to it on so many levels. It cost Jairus to come to Jesus to ask for His help. We do not know the end of the story, but I imagine it cost him his position in the synagogue. We do not know what ever happened to the little girl either, but I imagine that for the rest of her life she told everyone she met the story of what Jesus had done for her.

After Lazarus was raised from the dead (cf. John 11) we know that he became a fearless witness for Christ, so much so that the Jewish leaders decided to kill him too, just to get him out of the way. John 12:9-11 says, “Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there [i.e., in Bethany at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus] and came, not only because of Him but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him [i.e., Lazarus] many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in Him.” 

You may think that you do not have a dramatic story to tell. Jesus did not save you from a life of crime, or drugs, or prostitution, or violence. Maybe you came to faith in Jesus as a child at VBS, or in Sunday School, or kneeling at your mother’s bedside. What you need to understand is that you too were dead, and Jesus brought you to life. You were “dead in trespasses and sins” and Jesus raised you to newness of life and made you a new person. You were a lost lamb and Jesus came and found you. You were a child of the devil and Jesus saved you and made you a child of God and a joint heir with Christ. Do not ever sell your conversion short! It cost God just as much to save you as it did to raise and save Jairus’ daughter!

Gospel of Mark Study #14

“It Shouldn’t Happen to a Pig!”

Mark 5:1-20

Study #14 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

I like pigs! I can’t help it; I just really like pigs, and always have! Oh sure, I like horses and goats and other farm animals too, but pigs are just remarkably interesting critters. For one thing, they are the smartest of all the barnyard animals and they have by far the most interesting personalities. In fact, scientists tell us that pigs are the fourth smartest animal on the planet, right after humans, apes, and dolphins. Moreover, they like people and can easily be taught to do all kinds of tricks. They are good parents, and they have ridiculously cute babies.

The problem is that pigs have gotten a bad rap for a long time. It started from the fact that they were one of the “unclean” animals listed in the Law of Moses (cf. Lev. 11:7; Deut. 14:8). However, I would just like to remind you that dogs and cats are also on that same list of “unclean” animals, and it has not kept us from loving them and thinking they are adorable. I believe that God chose to put my piggy friends on that list at that time for two purely hygienic reasons. First, the pig, as an omnivore and frequent scavenger, might pick up diseased material and either transport it from place to place, or may itself become infected. Secondly, the pig can be a host of the tapeworm that causes trichinosis. This parasite passes one stage in the muscles of a pig and can be transmitted only by being eaten. The tapeworms then invade various tissues in humans and can even cause death. Thorough cooking kills the worms, but this was not always possible when firewood was scarce, so that only a complete ban was safe for God’s people. The full story of the life cycle of trichinosis was proved only in the 20^th century. I believe that God in His great wisdom banned the eating of pork in the Old Testament, not because pigs are bad animals or inherently evil, but because there was no way for people to understand the medical issues until many years later. However, this scriptural dietary prohibition turned into a national loathing with the Jews, with the pig coming to symbolize for them all that they found despicable, dirty, and hated.

But this reputation is unfair. Pigs are not bad or evil creatures. Moreover, when it comes to personal hygiene, they are much cleaner than dogs and cats or any other domesticated animal, including cows, chickens, ducks, sheep, and goats which were all included among the “clean” animals. For example, pigs are the only one of the aforementioned animals that will not foul its own sleeping area. Pigs, when given enough space, will always relieve themselves in one corner of their pen and will teach their babies to do the same. They never poop in their beds or eating areas like the other animals.

Their biggest problem is man! For centuries humans have raised pigs in cramped pens where they end up tearing up the ground and turning it into a mud hole because their tremendous weight is balanced on four ridiculously tiny feet, which tend to plow up the ground. If they are raised “free range” like cows, this does not happen. The other well-known fact about pigs is that they have no sweat glands in their skin and must have water to cool off. Pigs love water and they love to swim. They also like to roll in mud, because it cools them off and the mud keeps off the flies and biting insects.

TRANSITION:

I realize, of course, that is way more than you wanted to know about pigs and you are undoubtedly wondering what it has to do with our study for today. Stick with me and I will try to tie things together for us. Last week we studied Mark 4:35-41 and the story of Jesus taking His disciples for a hair-raising boat ride. They set out from Capernaum in the evening headed south across the Sea of Galilee. Somewhere out in the middle of the lake a great storm arose. But Jesus calmed the storm and, in the process, taught His disciples an important lesson about faith. Now we continue the story of that same boat ride. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: They went across the lake [i.e., Sea of Galilee] to the region of the Gerasenes.

·         Scientists and Bible scholars have for years disputed where this next event occurred. Greek manuscripts are divided among three similar names here—Gadarenes, Gerasenes, and Gergesenes. Matthew and Luke’s accounts in the ASV and Revised Versions has it as “Gadarenes.” Matthew’s account in the KJV says “Gergesenes.” However, in Mark and Luke’s Gospels in the NIV and NASV, along with most other modern versions, the translators go with “Gerasenes.”

·         The problem with these last two translations is that the city of Gerasa, home to the Gerasenes, was nowhere near the Sea of Galilee. In fact, it was 45 miles away to the southeast of the lake, in the region known as Perea, just 20 miles north of the Dead Sea, and thus had no connection whatsoever to Galilee. Gergesa, on the other hand, the modern village of Khersa, sat on the eastern shoreline of the Sea of Galilee on a flat plain with smooth beaches, again not fitting the description found here in Mark 5. Only Gadara to the south fits with the story, given the details of the biblical account. The city of Gadara itself was located about 8 miles inland to the southeast of the bottom tip of the lake, but the whole region between there and the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee was known as “the region of the Gadarenes.” That southern shoreline is very rocky with lots of cliffs and drop-offs, exactly as described here in our text. Therefore, I must go with the traditional reading, “...the region of the Gadarenes.”

·         Interestingly, most of the inhabitants of the Gadara region were Gentiles, not Jews, and for that reason did not share Jewish scruples regarding the raising of swine. We know that herds were kept there by local Gentile communities in New Testament times, both for their own use and to be sold to the Romans, who loved bacon, ham, and pork chops almost as much as I do. I know, that sounds contradictory that I like pigs but still don’t mind eating them. You will have to sort all that out with my shrink.

Verse 2: When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet Him.

·         It is interesting that this man came toward Jesus rather than run away from Him. Apparently, the demons knew they were subject to Jesus and always would prostrate themselves before Him. We do not know how much of the man’s will was involved here. His will seems to have been totally enslaved by the demon.

·         Matthew and Luke add some details: they say that this man was very fierce, that he wore no clothes, that he no longer lived in a house, and that he had terrified the inhabitants of the area for many years.

·         At first, we are told that the man had “an” evil spirit. Later we will learn that he had many. 

Verses 3-5: This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

·         This is a man with a long history. He was well-known in the area. He was every kid’s worst nightmare. Mothers would threaten their children by mentioning his name. He was a local celebrity—the crazy old demoniac that lived out in that cemetery close to the lake.

·         Notice the word, “...anymore.” He had apparently gotten stronger over time as the demons got a deeper hold on him. He could even break iron chains. That is supernatural power from a demonic source. Do not ever let anyone tell you that the devil is not powerful, because he is, but his power is always used for evil purposes. The Bible says Satan comes only “to kill, steal, and destroy.” That is exactly the work he had done in this poor man's life.

·         Can you hear the tortured, mournful cries coming from this man? “Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, he would cry out...” Not only that, but he was also self-destructive. “He would...cut himself with stones.” What a tragic picture of someone in the clutches of Satan and his evil minions.

·         But you must understand this truth… That poor man was no more lost than the nice guy down the block who thinks he has no need for a Savior because he is already such a good person. In truth, that nice guy is just as lost as the demoniac hiding in the tombs, although the world certainly does not see it that way. 

Verses 6-8: When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

·         I am trying to figure out the order of events here. The way I see it, as Jesus was getting out of the boat, while the man was still at a distance, Jesus must have perceived the problem and ordered the demons to leave the man. Then the man came running up to Jesus and prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet. That is when the demon spoke out of the man, recognizing Jesus for who He was, and begging Him not to cast them out of the man. Notice the fear in their voices: “Swear that you won’t torture me.” I believe that the demons all know the future that awaits them. They were terrified to be in the presence of the Son of God, knowing full well the extent of His power and authority.

Verses 9-10: Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

·         Why did Jesus take the time to question the demon? Was He trying to gain information? Of course not! There is nothing that Jesus does not already know. He already knew that demon’s name, just like He knows your name. I believe He did all of this for the benefit of the disciples who were with Him. He wanted them to get a glimpse of the power of evil at work in this man’s life, and to see that He had all power and authority over the spirits of Hell.

·         The spokesman for the resident demons said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” Very curious! So was there one demon, or many? I believe there were many. The word “Legion” is used 4 times in the NT and comes from the Latin word, légio, which was the main division of the Roman army and comprised of approximately 6,000 men. The legion was then subdivided into 10 “cohorts” of 600 men each. Each cohort was comprised of 6 “centuries” of 100 men each led by a “centurion.” Beyond its technical use, the word is used in the NT to suggest a very great number, as in Matthew 26:53 where it is used to describe a large group of angels, and in Mark 5:9, 15 of demons.

·         “He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.” Why would they want to stay in that specific area? What was there about that place that was special to them? Nothing really. Luke, in his account, tells us that they were afraid that Jesus would send them to “the abyss,” the place of detention, to remain in a disembodied state until the final judgment. This may be what Rev. 9:1 refers to as “the bottomless pit.” Rather than being disembodied, they begged to be sent into the swine that were nearby.

·         NOTICE: We learn several important things about demons from this passage:

1.       Demons recognize the deity of Christ.

2.      They are limited in their knowledge and power.

3.      They know they will ultimately be judged by Christ.

4.      They cannot act without the permission of a higher authority—namely, Christ. 

Verses 11-13: A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs, allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

·         This is where the story truly starts to get weird! Just over the hill from where Jesus was chatting with the demons was a large herd of free-range pigs, grazing and minding their own business. By the way, I told you that I would eventually get back to the pigs. It seems that their herders had heard the demoniac’s screams and were watching the proceedings with interest. Verse 16 says they saw the whole thing.

·         I have lots of questions and very few answers, so maybe you can help me.

ü  Why did Jesus let the demons go into that herd of helpless, innocent pigs? It seems cruel.

ü  More than that, why did Jesus give in to the repeated request of the demons in the first place? Was He just being nice to them, or was there a greater purpose?

ü  Why did the pigs run off when the demons went into them? What did they feel?

ü  It says there were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. Does that mean there were 2,000 demons in the man? Not necessarily, but maybe.

ü  Who dragged the 2,000 pig carcasses out of the lake? That must have been a mess!

ü  And I have another question. When the pigs ran over the cliff and drowned themselves, where did the demons go after that? Inquiring minds want to know this stuff.

·         The demons’ plea to be sent into a nearby herd of swine would not appear strange to a Jew, who considered swine and demons of the same order, but this sure freaked out the pig herders.

·         One more thing... Jesus bears no responsibility for the action the demons took; He did not command them to run the swine into the lake. Either the pigs did that on their own, or else it was a tactic of the demons to try and discredit Jesus in the eyes of the local people.

Verses 14-15: Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

·         These were probably Gentile pig herders who lived in the area. They knew this demon possessed guy. They had probably thrown stones at him to keep him at bay. Now here he was, seated at the feet of Jesus, with clothes on, in his right mind, talking normally, eating and drinking, using a napkin, not drooling on himself, or barking like a dog, etc. It scared them spitless! They liked the guy better when he was nuts! His demon possession was something they could at least understand. But this? To come face to face with the power of Jesus scared them witless. They could not explain it. They could not understand it. They could not confront it. So, they ran from it.

·         That is what a lot of people do. They cannot explain Jesus, so they run from Him. Some of us did that for a long time. But when you finally quit running you found out that He was not out to harm you but to save you. That is what Jesus did for that demoniac and it is what He wanted to do for all the people of that city.

Verses 16-17: Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

·         What you have here is a perfect description of what it means to be a “witness.” Those who has been there and seen what Jesus did, went running to tell others. That is exactly what we are called by the Lord to do. Jesus told His disciples, “Go, and be My witnesses.”

·         But look at the result of the witness and testimony of the pig herders. The people “began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.” How tragically sad! Their response was precisely the opposite to what it should have been.

Verses 18-19: As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with Him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”

·         If people push Jesus away long enough and enough times, He might leave them alone, but at what cost? To say “NO!” to Him repeatedly hardens a person’s heart.

·         Notice that the man wanted to get into the boat with Jesus. He wanted to go with Him. But Jesus had a work for this man to do, and that job was right back where he came from. Jesus sent him back into the very city that he had been terrifying for so long, so that he would give testimony of God’s grace and mercy. He was to become a living testimony to the power and love of God.

·         Jesus told him to go home to his family and friends. The man might have been thinking that no one in town would want to see him. Apparently, it had been years that he had been out living among the tombs. Who knows if there were even any of his family members left in town? But I believe that Jesus knew, and I believe that Jesus restored this man to his family and loved ones. That is the power of the Gospel. Paul says in Romans 1:16, “It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.” 

Verse 20: So, the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

·         Notice this man’s obedience to the commission of Christ. He did exactly as he was told, and God used his witness to point others to the Savior. After he was saved, he had his own idea of how he could best serve Christ (i.e., by going in the boat with Jesus), but the Lord had a different plan for his life. The man chose to obey Christ and just look how well it worked out! His life was restored, and he became a precious tool in God’s hand to tell others about God’s grace, love, and mercy. He not only witnessed to people in his own town, but the verse says that he witnessed “in the whole Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.” The Decapolis was not a city, but a large Greek-speaking region made up of ten strategic cities that had been settled many years earlier by the Greeks as far back as 200 BC. The word Decapolis comes from Greek. Deca means ten and Polis means city. Gadara was one of those ten original cities. After he met Jesus, this man went out telling his story in the whole region. What an amazing story of a life changed by the power of God!

CONCLUSION:

In reading this story I cannot help but compare it to another one, found in John 4. In both stories you have a person with a seriously messed up life—the Gadarene demoniac in Mark 5, and the Samaritan woman in John 4. In both cases they were radically changed by their encounters with Jesus. In both cases the people from their towns came to see for themselves what had transpired. However, in Mark 5 the people came, they saw, they listened, and then they begged Jesus to leave their region and not come back. In John 4 the people came, they saw, they listened, and they begged Jesus to stay with them and to never leave. Day and night, black and white, death and life. At the end of the Mark 5 story there was anger and sadness over lost pigs. At the end of the John 4 story there was joy and rejoicing over saved, redeemed people. What a contrast!

One more thing... I told you that I like pigs. I must confess that this story has always made me feel sorry for the pigs. But then it finally hit me. The loss of those pigs was nothing compared to the loss of all those people who were blinded by Satan. The people of the village were every bit as much consumed and condemned by the devil as was that demoniac in the tombs. Without Jesus they were all headed for Hell! It was sad that so many pigs died, but it was much more tragic that so many men, women, and children were just as surely rushing headlong toward eternal destruction. To reject Christ is an absolute death sentence. Their rejection of Jesus and their decision to push Him out of their lives sealed their doom.

The same is true for everyone who rejects Jesus Christ. To reject Him is to reject any hope of Heaven, for He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Him.” Have you put your faith and trust in Him as your own personal Lord and Savior? If not, won’t you do it right now? Please do not put it off even for another minute.