Mark 5 | The Wolfe Notes

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Our notes on Mark 5 include:

1. An Overview: Topic, Themes, and Summary.
2. An Outline Of our thoughts and questions.
3. A Comparison Of miracles for Jews and Gentiles.
4. A Reflection On the commonalities of miracles.
5. An Invitation to Respond  to a God who Cares.

Mark 5

Butterfly by jggrz at Pixabay

Overview

General Topic

Jesus commends and commands the faith required for healing to happen.

Key Themes

Mercy. Faith. Healing. 

Summary

After calming the sea, Jesus comes ashore in Gentile territory. Here, He is met by a man possessed by demons. Jesus delivers the man from possession and is chased away by the residents. The delivered man is instructed to spread the message of mercy he received. Upon His return to the lake's other side, Jesus is met by Jairus, a man whose daughter is near death. On the way to Jairus' house, a suffering woman touches Jesus' robe and is healed by faith. Meanwhile, Jairus hears that his daughter has died. Jesus tells Jairus, "Don't listen to them; trust Me." And though Jairus' daughter died in appearance, she rises immediately at Jesus' command.

Thoughts, Questions, and Connections

? Denotes a question, * a personal thought, x a cross reference, and ! a connection. Researched answers are in italics. Behold requires our attention; it marks our partnership with God.

On Deliverance from Demons (Mark 5:1-20)

Read Matthew 8:28-34 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 8 notes.)

1. After calming the storm, Jesus came ashore in Gentile country where He was greeted by a demon-possessed man.
2. This man lived where the deceased were buried.
3. No one could restrain him.
4. His life was spend in torment: wandering, screaming, self-harming.
1. There are many reports that self-harming is common in demonic possession and pagan worship. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
2. [The prophets of Baal] prayed louder and louder, cutting themselves with swords and knives - a ritual common to them - until they were covered with blood. I Kings 18:28 MSG 
5. But, knowing Jesus was near, the man ran to Him, falling on his knees before him. 
1. ? Does the bowing before Jesus represent the human side of the man? Or was it an act of the demons recognizing authority? *The bowing/pleading/begging for deliverance seems to be the human side because the howling that immediately follows is likely the demonic side.
6. When Jesus demanded the spirit to leave the man, he howled. 
7. The spirit demanded to know if Jesus, the Son of the Most High God, planned to torture him.
8. Jesus commanded the spirit to share his name.
9. "Legion," was the response, because many spirits possessed the man.
10. They begged Jesus to allow them to stay in the country by sending them into a herd of nearby pigs.
1. Tradition indicates that demons can preside over geographical regions. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
11. Jesus acquiesced.
12. The pigs ran off a cliff into the sea.
13. The pig farmers ran to the city and told everyone what had happened.
14. When the crowd arrived, they saw Jesus with the now transformed man and were afraid.
1. ? Were they fearful because of the amount of power Jesus must have in order to overpower the demon?
15. After hearing the story, they asked Jesus to leave the region.
16. The transformed man begged to go with Jesus, but Jesus asked him to stay and share his testimony of mercy with others.
1. ? Did Jesus go to this town specifically to deliver this man as He did for the woman at the well (John 4:5-42) ? *I would assume yes, because Jesus was the one who chose to cross the lake. He had to know what was waiting on the other side. And, like the woman at the well, he sent this man off on a mission to testify of God's mercy in a country who did not yet bear His name.

On Trusting Jesus to do the Impossible (Mark 5:21-24; 35-43)

Read Matthew 9:18-26 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 9 notes.)

1. Back in Jewish territory, a large crowd greeted Jesus' arrival. 
2. Jairus, a synagogue leader, fell at Jesus' feet and begged Him to heal his daughter whose health was fading.
1. ! Just as the demon-possessed man did (Mark 5:6), Jairus also kneels at Jesus' feet.
2. x One day, every knee will bow. (Philippians 2:10)
3. Jesus agreed to heal her, and the crowd followed.
4. Along the way, a woman was healed by faith when she touched Jesus' robe (see next section).
5. Afterward, Jairus was told that his daughter died and should just leave Jesus alone.
6. But Jesus encouraged Jairus to keep believing.
1. * Know Jesus is saying this to you, too. "Don't listen to them; just trust me." Mark 5:36 MSG
7. Jesus chose three disciples to go with Him to Jairus' house.
8. Jairus' house was crowded with people who gathered because of the death.
9. Jesus chastised them, saying, "She's not dead. She's merely sleeping."
1. x He said these  things, and then announced, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I'm going to wake him up." John 11:11 MSG
10. The people mocked Jesus. Jesus told them to leave.
11. Then, Jesus entered the girl's room, along with her parents and the three disciples.
12. He took the girl by the hand and in the common tongue told her to get up. 
13. And she did!
1. *The first woman was healed by faith (below), the second by obedience. Behold, Jesus requires our partnership. We must arise, and act.
14. Then, she walked around the room.
1. ! After Peter's mother-in-law was healed, she immediately got out of bed and began serving everyone. In both these stories, the effects of Jesus' miracle was immediate and complete (See Matthew 8:15 and our Matthew 8 notes.).
15. Though filled with JOY and wonder, Jesus told everyone who witnessed this miracle to keep it a secret.
1. x Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. Luke 2:19 MSG *Jesus' mother's reaction to the events surrounding His birth.
16. Jesus made sure the girl received nourishment.
1. * Take note: Jesus does not just restore, He prepares the way to ensure we stay well. Whether we stay on the path He prepares or not is up to us.

On Being Healed by Faith (Mark 5:25-34)

1. On the way to Jairus' house, a woman who suffered from years of continual bleeding and botched medical treatments fought the crowds to touch the hem of Jesus' robe believing that just the touch would heal her. 
2. And it did!
1. *The first woman was healed by faith, the second by obedience (above). Behold, Jesus requires our partnership. We must arise, and act.
3. Immediately, Jesus stopped to find the person who touched Him.
4. The disciples were dumbfounded. In a crowd this size, with everyone pressing in, there were many people who fit the description.
5. But, Jesus continued to look.
1. * Dear soul, know this: if you are looking for Him, He will not stop until He finds you either.
6. And the woman came forward to confess her story.
1. * What courage! Just as the man with the withered hand displayed when Jesus told him to "Stand up in front of everyone." (See Mark 3:3 and our Mark 3 notes.)
7. Jesus commended her faith, told her to go in peace, and live free from her suffering.
1. *Oh, soul, hear Jesus praying this over you, too.
2. x The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her, "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?" "No one, Master." "Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin." John 8:10-11 MSG
3. *Calling her "Daughter", and supposing she was a Gentile, communicates God grafting her into the family.
4. * As with Jairus' daughter, Jesus doesn't heal and leave, but heals and paves. To this faithful daughter, He instructs her to live in peace and remain free from suffering. Likely this was her battle for the rest of her life because she had lived with suffering for so long. 

Comparison

Of miracles for Jews and Gentiles.

Miracles for Jews

1. The Demon Possessed Man in Synagogue
1. Summary: Upon seeing Jesus, the demon identifies Him. Jesus demands the demon's silence and delivers the man from possession. (See Mark 1:23-25 and our Mark 1 notes.)
2. How it Ends: Jesus demands the demon's silence. 
2. The Man with a Withered Hand
1. Summary: Jesus, at the synagogue, was being watched closely by people who were working to accuse Him. Before healing the man with the withered hand, He asked the bystanders if it was better to do good or evil on the Sabbath. But no one asked Him. He healed the man. (See Mark 3:1-6 and our Mark 3 notes.)
2. How it Ends: The Pharisees begin plotting Jesus' death with the Herodians. 
3. The Bent Over Woman
1. Summary: While teaching in the synagogue, Jesus noticed a woman who could not stand tall or look up. For eighteen years she suffered from this affliction. Jesus beckoned her forward and freed her. Immediately she stood tall and praised God openly. (Luke 13:12-16)
2. How it Ends: Jesus' authority to heal on Sabbath is challenged. 
4. Healing the Paralytic
1. Summary: Hearing of Jesus' presence in Capernaum, four friends carry a paralytic man through the crowds. But, finding no way in, lower him through the roof. Jesus first forgives the man's sins, then heals him. (See Mark 2:1-12 and our Mark 2 notes.)
2. How it Ends: The Pharisees accuse Jesus of blasphemy and the witnesses are amazed by what they saw.
5. Jairus' daughter
1. Summary: Jairus, a synagogue leader whose daughter is near death, asks Jesus to heal her. By the time Jesus reaches Jairus' house, she is already dead. But Jesus tells Jairus not to listen to the people, but to have faith in Him. A select group of five people witness her resurrection. (Mark 5:21-24; 35-43)
2. How it Ends:  Jesus commands the witness to tell no one. 
6. Lazarus
1. Summary: Mary and Martha ask Jesus to come heal Lazarus. He waits two days and comes after Lazarus has already died. A weeping crowd, Jesus included, watches as Lazarus comes out of the grave dressed in his grave clothes. (John 11:1-48)
2. How it Ends: While many began to believe because of what they witnessed, others ran to the high priests to betray Jesus. 
7. The Feeding of the 5,000
1. Summary: Jesus just found out about John the Baptist's death and was searching for solitude when a crowd of people pressed in around Him begging for healing. Having pity on them, He stopped to heal. They were there for three days and hungry. The disciples asked if He could send them home so they could eat. Instead, Jesus multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fish. Everyone left satisfied, and there were 12 baskets leftover. (See Matthew 14:13-23  and our Matthew 14 notes.)
2. How it Ends: Jesus sends them away so He can find the solitude He needs.

Miracles for Gentiles

1. The Man Possessed by Legion
1. Summary: Coming ashore in Gentile territory, Jesus is rushed by a demon possessed man. The man bows, then screams in agony as Jesus demands the spirit to leave. Legion, because they are many, asks that Jesus sends them into a herd of nearby pigs. Jesus does and all 2,000 pigs run off the cliff and into the sea. Mark 5:1-20
2. How it Ends: The residents force Jesus to leave. The man wants to follow Jesus, but Jesus tells him to stay so he can show and tell everyone of the mercy he experienced through Jesus. 
2. The Hemorrhaging Woman
1. Summary: Among a crowd of people following Jesus who was on His way to heal Jairus' daughter was a woman who suffered from endless bleeding. Though she sought medical help on numerous occasions, no cure was found. In fact, her problem was only made worse. (It was likely that she was a Gentile, because Jewish laws would prohibit her from being in the crowd.) She had heard of Jesus and believed that if she could just touch the edge of His robe, she would be healed. She does, and she is. (See Mark 5:25-34 and "Was the Bleeding Woman in Mark 5/Luke 8 a Gentile?" by David M. Shaw)
2. How it Ends:  Jesus publicly calls her daughter, commends her faith, and commissions her to a life of peace that is free from suffering.
3. The Woman at the Well
1. Summary: Headed through Samaria, Jesus sends the disciples ahead for food. He stops at a well with a Gentile woman. They talk about her faith and He tells her that He knows who she is along with everything that she has ever done. (John 4:5-42)
2. How it Ends: She went to the village and told everyone about Him.
4. The One Gentile Leper
1. Summary: Jesus tells ten lepers to go to the priests for ritual cleansing. One of them is a Gentile, the rest are Jews. On their way to see the priests, they are healed. Only the Gentile returns to thank Jesus. (Luke 17:12-19)
2. How it Ends: Jesus commends the Gentile for returning and questions why the other nine would not. 
5. The Centurion
1. Summary: A centurion asks Jesus to heal a servant of his that is ill. To save Jesus from the embarrassment of a Jew entering a Gentile household, the centurion suggests Jesus just give the command from where He is. For surely, just as the centurion's orders are carried out from afar, so would Jesus' be. (See Matthew 8:8-12 and our Matthew 8 notes.)
2. How it Ends: Jesus commends the centurion's faith, saying it exceeds that of the faith found in Israel.
6. The Woman with the Demon Possessed Daughter
1. Summary: As Jesus travels through Canaan, a woman asks Jesus to deliver her daughter from demonic possession. The disciples try to chase her away and Jesus states that He came for the sheep of Israel. But she insists that even the dogs get scraps from the table. (See Matthew 15:21-28 and our Matthew 15 notes.)
2. How it Ends: Jesus delivers the daughter of possession and commends the woman for her great faith.
7. The Feeding of the 4,000
1. Summary: After freeing the Canaanite woman's daughter, Jesus is surrounded by Gentiles who seek the healing only He offers. After three days of healing, He takes pity on them and performs the same miracle for them that He did for the Jews on the other side of the lake. This time, 7 loaves and a few fish feed 4,000 and 7 baskets remain. (See Matthew 15:29-39 and our Matthew 15 notes.)
2. How it Ends: Jesus sends the crowd away and heads home. It's worth noting that while the disciples show concern for the hungry Jews, it's Jesus who pities the Gentiles' hunger.

Verses about Light to the Gentiles

• The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows - light! sunbursts of light! You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Isaiah 9:2 MSG
• "I am GOD. I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations. Isaiah 42:6 MSG
• He says, "But that's not a big enough job for my servant - just to recover the tribes of Jacob, merely to round up the strays of Israel. I'm setting you up as a light for the nations so that my salvation becomes global!" Isaiah 49:6 MSG
• Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness. Isaiah 60:3 MSG (See our Isaiah 60 notes.)
• With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; it's now out in the open for everyone to see: A God- revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel. Luke 2:32 MSG

*Thoughts: Obviously, I have not included every miracle, but it seems as though the miracles performed for Jews often ended in secrecy, conflict, or conspiracy. In contrast, when Jesus performed miracles for the Gentiles, He often publicly commended their faith and commanded them to share their testimony. Jesus was a thorn to the Israelites, but a light to the Gentiles. Hear the Good News: the Kingdom of God is available to everyone!

Sources: 

1. "Did Jesus Come to Reach the Gentiles?" at Cru.org.
2. "Synagogue Miracles of Jesus" at BibleStudy.org.

Reflection

I am struck by the commonalities of the miracles Jesus performs. It makes me wonder if in the commonalities there are lessons to be learned.

First, let's consider deliverance from demonic possession. Both in Mark 5, when the man is freed from Legion's possession, and in Mark 1, when Jesus delivers the man from the demon on the Sabbath, the demons recognize and react to Jesus' authority. What we witness is what James must be referencing when he says, "Even the demons know Him and tremble," (James 2:19).

Without a doubt, God is real. Evil trembles at His power. Why, then, do we resist believing? Or, when we do believe, we create an image of God that ignores His authority. We build an idol when we choose to believe in a God that is only love who should never be feared. This simply is not true. 

The demons recognize and obey His authority. The demons recognize His existence. We are given a choice. We are free to believe in Him or not. We are free to obey Him or not. Yes, the choice is ours, and there will be a consequence for what we choose.

For the demons there is no choice: they know the truth. So should you.

What remains in Mark 5 is a story of miraculous faith-based healing and a resurrection. The stories of two women are intwined here. A woman is healed through faith as Jesus is making His way to heal the daughter of a synagogue leader. But, perhaps, because He pauses to find out who the woman was, Jairus' daughter dies. 

While these stories are interconnected sequentially, I now also see them connecting in so many other ways. Bear with me as I think through this. I don't know the answers; I'm struggling to make connections. Maybe there is nothing there, but maybe there is. And maybe you see something I don't see. Here's what I notice:

• Both are women. Which, clearly, God cares about women, has no problem making time for them, and has no problem allowing them to interrupt His schedule. Women can also represent philosophies of faith (Reference linked below.). Which, to plug in the symbology, means when you choose to turn to Him, to change your philosophy of faith to focus on Him, He welcomes you. No matter what business He is attending to, when you turn to Him, He turns to you.
• Both stories feature the number 12. The woman healed hemorrhaged for twelve years. The resurrected girl was 12 years old. So, the healed woman suffered for the same number of years that the resurrected girl lived her "first" life. The number 12 also bears significance as the number of tribes of Israel and the number of disciples. Perhaps another indication that everyone who believes is grafted into the family because of another death and resurrection.
• Both stories required the women to act in faith. The same faith is required of us.
• Both are called daughters. Jairus' daughter is called daughter by her earthly father, while the hemorrhaging woman is called daughter by Jesus because of her faith. It's possible, this is how Jesus was letting a Samaritan know she is now part of the family. We can also relate to the idea that after being born again, or resurrected, Jairus' daughter might also accept her identity as Jesus' daughter. Because of your faith, you too are a child of God; accept your identity in the Beloved.
• One story featured a Samaritan, the other a Jew. The Samaritan required healing, the Jew resurrecting. Perhaps the suffering woman represented life under the Old Testament: no matter how hard you try you cannot fulfill the mandate. Your suffering will not end. And the resurrected girl represents the hope given in the New Testament: so I will take all your suffering upon me and raise you to new life.

For Further Study:

1. "The numbers as Jewish symbols" at AlbertTours.com.
2. "What the Bible says about Woman as Symbol of System Beliefs" at BibleStudyTools.org.

Respond

Connect

God cares about you.

Reflect

• In the first story, Jesus frees a man of demons that were weighing Him down, controlling forces that held the man back from being who God made him to be. What do you need freedom from? What is keeping you from being who you were made to be?
• In the second story, a woman is healed because she believes Jesus can. Do you believe Jesus can heal you? Take a moment to pray for the healing you need and to help you identify where else you might need healing that you don't already know about.
• In the third story, a girl is raised to new life. You, too, are a new creation. What are you leaving behind as you celebrate your new life? What junk are you exchanging for God's divine nourishment?

Act

• Arise! Tell the world (or even one person) about the freedom God gave you because you recognized His authority over the powers that hold you back and surrendered them to Him.
• Arise! Accept your title as a child of the Most High King. Know your Heavenly Father cares for you and is making you complete.
• Arise to new life! Leave behind everything that ensnared or disqualified you. You are free and whole in His love.

In Closing

Father God, You sent Your Son to die for us so that we might live. But we let so many things hold us back from living as the beloved children You created us to be. Free us from the forces that ensnare us. Heal us from the infirmities that disqualify us. Empower us in Your love as we walk in this new life You have given us through the power of Your Son.

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