Mark Chapter 5

Chapter 5 begins with Jesus in the land of the Gerasenes. These are gentile people and not Jewish.

As soon as he gets out of the boat he is met by a man with an unclean siprit within him. Again the recognition of Jesus as the Son of God is made quite clear by the possessed man. 'What have you to do with me Jesus Son of the Most High God?' he shouts. Once more Jesus is most clearly identified by a disturbed ma. What are we to make of this? Are only disturbed people able to recognise Jesus or are they less conscious of saying the thing that would make them unpopular with others and especially the religious professionals of that day? Another indicator of the location as Gentile is the presence of pigs. Under Jewish dietary rules pig meat could not be eaten but among Gentiles there were no such rules.

The spirits as to be released and driven into the pigs. This is done as Jesus heals the man and immediately the pigs jump off a cliff and are killed below. This represents a considerable loss for the farmers involved. The swineherds ran off to tell the farmners what had happened. Jesus is begged to leave the place because he has caused such loss. Jesus gets back in the boat and starts to leave. The healed man wants to go with Him. Jesus will not let this happen. Instead he tells the man to go back to his people and tell everyone what has happened. This is the first time we hear Jesus encourage someone to tell others. Why is this? Why is a Gentile singled out for the role as the first missionary of Jesus? Other disturbed people had been told to be quite in the presence of Jesus but not this man. Why the change? What is happening?

Again Jesus does the commute on the lake. He is now back in Jewish territory. By the lake there is a great crowd. There are now two stories of faith. There is the faith of Jairus, a leader in the synagogue. Is Jairus a Pharassee? We do not know but he is someome at the very heart of Jewish religious life. He comes to jesus and pleads for the life of his daughter who is ill. Jesus tells him not to fear, only believe. He's on his way to Jairus house when there is a disturbance. A woman who is suffering from a hemorrage for many years reaches out and touches His clothes. Immediately she is cured. Jesus knows that something has happened so he asks 'Who touched me?' The woman comes forward somewhat worried that she had done something wrong but Jesus commends her for her faith. It has made her well.

While this is happening Jairus is told that his child has died. It is too late. Jesus words are clear. 'Do not fear only believe'. The faith of the woman was now being demanded of Jairus. Jesus goes to the house and after he removes those who are ritually mourning for the child he goes inside. In one of the gentlest scenes from the life of Jesus we hear Him call her 'little girl get up'. He takes her by the hand and she is restored to life. Jesus warns them to tell no one about this. This last passage is Jesus first interaction with women through healing. Is there anything different about these healing or anything that is similar to other healings. Why are there differences of approach in the Gentile lands compared to Jewish territories?

This chapter teaches us much about faith and indicates the need for belief in healings by Jesus.

Mark 4

Jesus and His disciples are holding a time of teaching by the sea. This is the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps Jesus and His disciples used this large inland lake as a convenient way of travel. It was much quicker to criss-cross the Sea of Galilee than walk around it. This probably explains the location for this whole chapter.

The parable of the sower is probably one of the best known. Jesus seems to use this form of teaching from quite early on in His ministry. The question of why he uses this type of teaching is interesting. He seems to suggest that those who have open ears and hearts will perceive what these words are about. Otherwise those with closed minds and hearts will not get this meaning. One other idea behind the use of parables was that they are 'safe'. 

Taken word for word in a literal way there is nothing that sounds contentious. The parable of the sower is about a common agricultural scene repeated over and over again in first century Palestine. But there is nothing in the words used that would cause controversy. This covert teaching and those with eyes to see will see.

Jesus has just passed through a period of conflict with the religious authorities. They have failed to recognise what is happening in front of their eyes. Has Jesus made a decision that there will be two types to his life and it is now left to individuals to choose?

The parable of the mustard seed seems to give an answer. The Kingdom of God can grow from the smallest amount of faith and it will then flourish in each lives and in communities. The Kingdom of God is like a different country to which people of faith belong. It is a country of faith and hope. This great nation grows daily with more joining the reality of this new place of the spirit.

In the great storm at the end of the chapter the disciples are once more confused. 'What sort of person is this' they say 'that even the winds and waves obey Him?' They are still struggling to make sense of the person that they are following. They have seen Him heal, they have heard Him preach and yet they are still struggling with the reality of who Jesus is. This is the first miracle in nature in the gospel and quite different from the healing miracles. It does however point to the one reality of Jesus as the son of God.

Mark Chapter 3.

We have seen the growing confusion among the religious professionals about Jesus and His conduct. We have heard the conflict about the journey through the corn field.

In chapter 3 the confusion and misunderstanding is raised to the level of conflict. We now hear of a moment of open conflict which Jesus brings to a head. He is in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Healing actions on the Sabbath were interpreted as work and work was outlawed on the Sabbath.

Jesus is approached by a man with a withered hand. It wasn't a critical situation. If he wasn't healed he might have had the opportunity to be healed on another day. Is there a suggestion in this passage that this was a 'staged event' by the Pharisees. Had they used the man as a prop to catch Jesus doing something unlawful. Jesus senses the attitude of people around Him. So he challenges them.

'Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath?' There is no answer. Refusing to heal would surely have been an evil act of neglect. Healing on the Sabbath was illegal in religious law. What was the greater good. The story ends with a dark remark. The Pharisees go out and conspire with the Herodians, the civil power, about how to destroy Jesus.

By the lakeside Jesus is mobbed and there is a danger he might be trampled to death. Just look at the list of locations from which people are coming. Judea and Jerusalem are to be expected but Tyre and Sidon and Idumea are gentile territories. Jesus ability to draw people from all backgrounds is significant and very important. This ministry is not limited to God's own people, the Jews, but all are welcome to receive healing and they are coming in their hundreds. Once more those with unclean spirits (perhaps the mentally ill) recognise Jesus as the Son of God. Once more Jesus tells them to tell no one else.

We then get a list of Jesus disciples. There are twelve of them which is significant in the history of Israel. There are twelve tribes. Are the disciples to be seen as the new Israel? This is a very varied group. There are fishermen, there's a tax collector, there's a terrorist/freedom fighter. Then there's Judas who is already identified as the one who would betray the Son of God. These people could not be seen as a typical group of rabbinic pupils. Each had major limitations in personality. There was potential fro friction among them. Yet this is the group that Jesus chooses. There is much to question in each of them and yet Jesus chooses them. Does this show anything? Is there a message here?

Jesus returns to Capernaum where he lived. Once more he is mobbed. There is an air of tension and people are pressing on him on every side. Set against this there are professional critics among the crowd. They have come from Jerusalem. These are presumably senior teachers of the law. It is now time to discredit Jesus. So they say he is possessed by the devil or an evil spirit. What was their motivation? Why have they arrived on the scene? Jesus turns on them with a disarming logic. If He is possessed surely he cannot remove the evil spirits of others otherwise evil is working against itself. Is that really possible?

Surely he would be better off with his brothers and sisters and his mother.Perhaps they are concerned about him. Perhaps they have been encouraged to get him away from here. He's told they have arrived. But Jesus is not going to be distracted by an emotional trick. His response seems extreme. All people are his family not just his kin. His calling is to make each person his brother and sister through his ministry.