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JESUS TEACHES THAT OUR MINISTRY IS TO HEAL EVIL: BOTH CAUSE AND EFFECT

12-11-11

(Mark 5:21)  And when Jesus was passed over again  by ship unto the other side [probably to Capernaum], much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

1.      Commentary: “when Jesus was passed over again” = Jesus Christ taught His two stage ministry to His disciples (Gk: pupils: students) by example. At the close of the teaching of “Stage One” in the unsaved land of the Gadarenes, Jesus returned to The Promised Land from the wilderness east of the Sea of Galilee. “Stage One” consisted of “healing” the causes of affliction (Mark 5:1-20) in a man. Jesus cast out Legion (6,000 demons, fallen angels, unclean spirits, devils) out of what was clearly a wild man, that is, within a much compacted idealized period of time representing our more lengthy transformation process (Rom 12:2), Jesus “healed” (metamorphosed: changed, transformed, transfigured) the man’s thoughts and behavior from being wild (serving Satan) into being tamed or domesticated so that he would willingly and acceptably serve God; Jesus saved the man. Immediately thereafter, still teaching the disciples His/their ministry, but now teaching “Stage Two,” Jesus concluded the ministry by “healing” the manifestations of demonic possession in a blended but inter-related mixture of examples involving two people, the rapidly dying and then dead daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:21-43), and the slowly dying woman with an issue of blood (Mark 5:21-34).

2.      Commentary: “And [Jesus] needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” (John 2:25). Fallen angel demonic possession is existent in every unsaved person prior to their being born again; the unsaved serve Satan who is “the God of this world.” (2 Cor 4:4). Fallen angel demonic influence is existent in every born again person. “Influence” may be defined to be a lesser degree of “possession” in that it is much less powerful than possession due to the righteous opposition to evil fallen angels derived from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in every saved person. Ultimately, both demonic possession and demonic influence seek to kill us (whosoever); however, whereas possession indeed can kill us, influence, if successful (victorious), can only negate or disable our ministry, and we then become powerless soldiers  (2 Tim 2:3,4) – a victory of sorts for Satan.

3.      (Mark 5:15)  And they [other demonically possessed people from the surrounding area, also possessed but to a lesser degree than the “idealized” wild man, and still unsaved] come to Jesus, and see him [the notorious wild man] that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed [domesticated, tamed], and in his right mind: and they were afraid [Who was really afraid?].

(Mark 5:22-24)  And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue [presumably a very pious man], Jairus by name; and when he saw him [Jesus], he fell at his feet [Jairus was a believer], And besought [Gk: implored] him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her [touch her (equivalent to sight)], that she may be healed; and she shall live [Jairus begged that Jesus come and touch his daughter. In that request, Jairus had not the “great faith” (Mat 8:9) of the centurion]. And Jesus went with him [Jesus agreed to what Jairus asked, healing by sight (2 Cor 5:7), but had Jairus more faith, he could have asked more of Jesus, as the centurion did]; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

1.      (Mat 8:5-10) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion [a soldier in charge of 100 other soldiers], beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy [a paralytic], grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only [i.e., send your angels (soldiers)], and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority [paralleling Jesus and His angels under the authority of Father God], having soldiers under me [a type and shadow of angels under Jesus, i.e., the words of Jesus are angels (ministering spirits)]: and I say to this man [soldier - angel], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

2.      (Heb 1:13,14)  But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister [as, or in the form of, the words of the Bible] for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

(Mark 5:25-29)  And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch [Gk: to attach oneself to] [to become “one” with] but his clothes, I shall be whole [Gk: delivered, saved]. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague [Gk: (through the idea of contact); a whip (lit. the Roman flagellum for criminals), fig. a disease): plague, scourging].

(Mark 5:30-34)  And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue [Gk: force; spec. miraculous power] had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched [has become “one” with] my clothes [my cover: John 1:14: the Bible]? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

1.      Commentary: “the multitude thronging thee” = the very many people in the thick tight press were jostling each other about and unintentionally touching Him, and perhaps some intentionally, but they were not asking Him their heart’s desire, nor adoring or worshiping Him. Instead, they were treating Him as if He were a Hollywood movie star, or an important political personage, but not as the Son of God, nor as God incarnate. The woman, in desperate need of help, attentively, constantly probed the space of her surrounding world to the utmost extension of her perceptions, and “When she had heard of Jesus,” she recognized Jesus properly for who He was, “came in the press behind, and touched his garment.” (Mark 5:27). Knowing whom she had touched, she was duly fearful and trembling (Prov 9:10), and was rewarded for her perception and consequent belief with eternal “healing” (salvation).

(Mark 5:35-37)  While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master [Gk: teacher] [vs. Lord] any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man [of unbelief] to follow him, save [except believers] Peter, and James, and John the brother of James [whose belief would strengthen the faith of Jairus].

1.      Commentary: “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken” = The negative word that was spoken by the messenger (carrying an embedded unclean spirit, fallen angels) from the house conjured up seeds of disbelief in the soil of Jairus’ mind which were directly contrary to the spoken words and continuing action of Jesus Christ who was traveling on the way to Jairus’ house. Jesus therefore immediately repelled the (demonic) attack that was intended to weaken and destroy the faith of Jairus by saying “Be not afraid, only believe” and then permitted no man of unbelief (including the unbelieving evil messenger) to follow. One moral of this story is: Who do you want to hang out with, a destroyer of your faith or a strengthener of your faith?

(Mark 5:38-43)  And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult [Gk: disturbance: uproar], and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in [to the house], he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth [a euphemism used by Jesus for being dead. “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth” John 11:11; and the plain truth later, “Lazarus is dead” John 11:14]. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand [He touched her], and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment [“Lord, Increase our faith.” Luke 17:5]. And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

1.      The Living Bible: Loud mourning and crying was customary at a person’s death. Lack of it was the ultimate disgrace and disrespect. Some people, usually women, made mourning a profession, and were paid by the dead person’s family to weep over the body.

2.     Commentary: “for she was of the age of twelve years” = is an unnecessary bit of peripheral information., seemingly not directly pertinent to the story. Why is it here? The rather strange coincidence (there are no coincidences in the Bible) in this chapter five of Mark is that the twelve years old damsel was born at the same time that the woman began her twelve years issue of what appears to be defiling (making unclean) menstrual blood, and the (cleansed) damsel was resurrected (a type of born again) when the woman’s issue of blood was ended. What do you make of that???