Upwards Church

Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity / 7:1-23

7:1-2 Another group from Jerusalem came to investigate this new rabbi who was causing such a stir throughout the country. The Pharisees and teachers of religious law were ready to debate Jesus about the fact that his disciples did not follow all of the laws of the Pharisees’ oral tradition. As these religious leaders scrutinized Jesus and his disciples, they noticed that some of Jesus’ disciples failed to follow the usual Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. This referred not to washing for cleanliness, but to a particular kind of washing that made a person “ceremonially clean” before eating.

7:3 Mark explained this “ritual of hand washing” for his Roman readers. The Pharisees did not eat until they had performed a ceremonial washing where water would be poured over their cupped hands. They did this so that they would not eat with “defiled” hands, for they believed that they then would become defiled. They scrupulously followed this law, thinking that this ceremony would cleanse them from any contact they might have had with anything considered unclean.

The origin of this ceremonial washing is seen in the laver of the Tabernacle, where the priests washed their hands and feet prior to performing their sacred duties (Exodus 30:17-21). That was part of God’s law. But oral tradition extended this law to all Jews to be performed before formal prayers and then before eating. So before each meal, devout Jews performed a short ceremony, washing their hands and arms in a specific way. But this was part of their ancient traditions, not a requirement of God’s law.

Jesus discerned that the Pharisees’ purpose was to keep up appearances, to demonstrate that they were not Gentiles, and to outdo the common people in priestly devotion. By their scrupulous observance of minute traditions and rituals, these religious leaders had completely lost their perspective on the reason the law of God had been given: to bring God’s Kingdom to earth, to provide reconciliation between God and his people, and to bring peace.

7:4 Mark explained this Jewish ceremonial cleansing ritual a bit further for his Roman audience. The religious leaders were aware that in daily business they might unknowingly come into contact with a Gentile or an unclean Jew and thereby become defiled. If they were defiled, they would be unable to perform their religious duties. So they would not eat anything from the market before they had immersed their hands in water—another form of ceremonial washing. The devout leaders observed many traditions, including laws about how to wash their dishes. There were laws for everything; no wonder the common people didn’t bother themselves with strictly following them. But the religious leaders kept all these laws because they believed their “cleanliness” equaled “godliness.” In their minds, keeping these laws showed their devotion and service to God. But Jesus could not have disagreed more.

7:5 Picking up from 7:2, Mark continued the narrative. The religious leaders asked Jesus why his disciples did not follow the age-old customs, one of which was not eating without first performing the hand-washing ceremony. Their underlying question was, “If you are really a rabbi, as holy and righteous and versed in the law as we are, then you should know that we don’t eat without first ceremonially washing our hands. That makes you no better than a common sinner, certainly not a rabbi whom all these people should be following!”

7:6-9 Jesus did not answer their spoken question, but their underlying one, by quoting the Scripture that they claimed to know so well. First, he called them hypocrites. A hypocrite is one who makes judgment from under a cover. The Pharisees pretended to be holy and close to God and judging all other people as sinners. But what they pretended on the outside was not true on the inside.

Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah. The Pharisees and teachers knew this Scripture. The prophet Isaiah criticized hypocrites (Isaiah 29:13), and Jesus applied Isaiah’s words to these religious leaders. They might say all the right words and give lip service to God, but their hearts were far from him. Jesus attacked their true heart condition. The problem: They replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings and their own traditions. Their focus on minute rules of everyday life caused them to forget the scope of God’s law and what it meant for the people. As leaders, they were especially culpable, for they should have been teaching the people about God. Instead, they looked down on the people as ignorant sinners and spent their time busily staying pure. Isaiah explained that their worship was a farce. They worshiped for appearances, not out of love for God.

7:10-12 Next, Jesus gave an example to illustrate how the tradition could be (and was being) used to negate God’s law. Jesus first quoted Moses, an especially relevant choice because the religious leaders traced the oral law back to him (see Deuteronomy 4:14). Jesus chose an example about people’s duty toward their parents. One of the Ten Commandments, Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12), states that people are to respect their parents in honor of who they are and what they have done. The commandment did not apply just to young children, but to anyone whose parents were living. Honor includes speaking respectfully and showing care and consideration.

The same law is written negatively in Exodus 21:17, Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death (see also Leviticus 20:9). Speaking evil of one’s parents is the opposite of honoring them. It means to speak ill of, to ridicule, to abuse verbally. The natural result of such behavior is that the person will not honor his parents for who they are, will not speak respectfully, and will certainly show no care or consideration to them. Such action carried a severe penalty.

The religious leaders knew Moses’ words, but they found a way to completely sidestep God’s command to honor parents. The words but you say demonstrated their opposition to what Moses had written (7:10). What Jesus described here was the practice of “Corban” (literally, “offering”) where a person could dedicate something to God for his exclusive use by withdrawing it from profane or ordinary use by anyone else. People could dedicate money to God’s Temple that otherwise would have gone to support their parents (based on Deuteronomy 23:21-23 and Numbers 30:1-16).  So a man could simply take the vow of Corban, saying that he had vowed to give to God what he could have given to his parents. He could still use his money any way he chose, but could use his Corban vow as an excuse to disregard his needy parents. Corban had become a religiously acceptable way to neglect one’s parents. Although the action—dedicating money to God—seemed worthy and no doubt conferred prestige on the giver, these religious leaders were ignoring God’s clear command to honor parents.

7:13 The Corban vow effectively put tradition above God’s word. To be able to exempt oneself from one of God’s commandments by taking a human vow meant that the Pharisees had attempted to break the law of God.

Jesus added that the Pharisees did many, many things like that. This was only one example of the premeditated selfishness of these religious leaders who set themselves above all the people and, in effect, destroyed the laws that they took so much pride in keeping. In his example, Jesus clarified to these hypocritical religious leaders that God’s law, not oral tradition, should be the true authority over people’s lives.

7:14-15 Jesus addressed the crowd and the disciples regarding the true nature of “defilement.” The people had listened to Jesus’ stinging accusation of the religious leaders; here Jesus called the crowd to listen . . . and try to understand, for he would make his final point and have the final say in this debate. The Pharisees thought that to eat with defiled hands meant to be defiled (7:5). Jesus explained that the Pharisees were wrong in thinking they were acceptable to God just because they were “clean” on the outside. He explained that defilement is not an external matter (keeping food laws, washing ceremonially, keeping Sabbath requirements), but an internal one.

7:17-19 (Verse 16 is not in the earliest manuscripts.) In private, the disciples (specifically Peter, Matthew 15:15) asked him what he meant. Jesus explained that what goes into a person cannot defile that person. Eating food with hands that may have touched a “defiled” person or article did not mean that a person was ingesting defilement. Logically, as Jesus explained, food goes in the mouth, passes through the stomach, and then goes out. It has no effect whatever on the moral condition of the heart. Sin in a person’s heart is what defiles (see 7:14-15).

The Roman Christians, the primary audience of Mark’s Gospel, may have been confused about the Jewish food laws and whether they had to follow them. These words, he showed that every kind of food is acceptable, clarified this issue for them (although it took the early church several years to fully understand; see Acts 10 and 15).

The bottom line: People are not pure because of adherence to ceremonial laws and rituals. We become pure on the inside as Christ renews our minds and transforms us into his image.

7:20-23 Defilement occurs because of sin. Sin begins in a person’s heart—in the thought life—and what is in the heart comes out in words and actions. In Romans 6–8, Paul explained how this happens. Unless the Holy Spirit controls our sinful human nature, outbursts of the flesh will be prevalent. Evil thoughts begin within, in a person’s heart. While most people work hard to keep their outward appearance attractive, what is in their hearts is even more important. When people become Christians, God makes them different on the inside.

Jesus listed a catalog of twelve “evil thoughts” that begin in the heart. Six are evil individual actions; six are evil attitudes or principles. Notice that the evil attitudes, whether acted upon or not, are still considered sin:

Sexual immorality—Various kinds of extramarital sexual activity

Theft—Taking something that belongs to another

Murder—Taking the God-given life of another person

Adultery—A married person having sex with someone other than his or her spouse

Greed—Relentless urge to get more for oneself

Wickedness—Doing evil despite the good that has been received (malice)

Deceit—To trick or mislead by lying

Eagerness for lustful pleasure—Immoral behavior that is neither restrained nor concealed

Envy—Desire for something possessed by another

Slander—To destroy another’s good reputation

Pride—Making claims of superior intelligence or importance

Foolishness—Inability to discern between immorality and morality

All these things begin in a person’s heart. It is those evil actions and attitudes that cause defilement. Many of the words Jesus used could have described the Pharisees.

Jesus Sends a Demon Out of a Girl / 7:24-30

Jesus’ actions never yielded to simple explanations. Those who thought they had him “figured out” were usually about to be stunned. His opponents tended to see the hurting people who came to Jesus as cases to be solved or examples of those who broke the law. Jesus treated them as valuable human beings, worthy of his attention. The presumption that Jesus was out to trample God’s law might have led Jesus’ opponents to expect him to quickly heal the daughter of this Gentile woman. But instead of adding this situation to his portfolio of unusual miracles performed, Jesus ignored the opportunity to make a statement; instead, he dealt with this woman as an individual whose own faith needed to be challenged and clarified.

7:24 Jesus traveled about thirty miles to the region of Tyre and then went to Sidon (7:31). These were port cities on the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel. Both cities had flourishing trade and were very wealthy. They were proud, historic Canaanite cities. In David’s day, Tyre was on friendly terms with Israel (2 Samuel 5:11), but soon afterward the city became known for its wickedness. Its king even claimed to be God (Ezekiel 28:1ff.). Tyre rejoiced when Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 b.c. because without Israel’s competition, Tyre’s trade and profits would increase. Jesus and the disciples probably went to this Gentile territory thinking that they would be less well known. Then they could obtain privacy and rest time. They went to someone’s house (probably the home of a Jew who lived in that area) and did not want anyone to know they were there. But even in this Gentile territory, he couldn’t keep his presence secret.

7:25-26 The word of Jesus’ arrival had spread. One woman came to Jesus right away on behalf of her little girl who was possessed by an evil spirit. The woman fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to release her child from the demon’s control. Mark added that this woman was a Gentile.

7:27 Jesus answered her in the language of a parable. Jesus used the word for dogs that referred to household pets. The simple parable meant that the children at the table are fed before the pets; it would not be right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. While it is true that in Jewish tradition Gentiles at times were referred to derogatorily as “dogs,” that probably does not apply here. The Greek word used as a derogatory nickname applied to wild dogs or scavenger dogs, not household pets.

Jesus’ ministry was first to his own family, the Jews. He would not take away from them to perform miracles for a Gentile. If that was what Jesus meant, we should realize that his words do not contradict the truth that God’s message is for all types of people (Psalm 22:27; Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 28:19; Romans 15:9-12). Jesus was simply telling the woman that the Jews were to have the first opportunity to accept him as the Messiah because God wanted them to present the message of salvation to the rest of the world (see Genesis 12:3). Jesus may have wanted to test her faith, or he may have wanted to use the situation as another opportunity to teach that faith is available to all races and nationalities.

7:28 Unlike many of Jesus’ Jewish listeners, this woman understood Jesus’ parable. Her answer was wise, for she explained to Jesus, by extending his parable, that the children who love the pets often drop crumbs to them. Not all the Jews accepted Jesus, while some Gentiles chose to follow him. Why couldn’t she have some of those “leftovers” that the Jews didn’t “eat”? She adroitly pointed out that such “dogs” ate with (not after) the children. She did not ask for the entire meal, just for a few crumbs—or one crumb in particular—one miracle of healing for her daughter.

Ironically, many Jews would lose God’s spiritual healing because they rejected Jesus, while many Gentiles, whom the Jews rejected, would find salvation because they recognized Jesus.

7:29-30 Jesus was delighted by the faith of the woman. He granted her request because of her humility and persistence. Her faith and understanding was in contrast to the misunderstanding of the disciples (6:52; 8:14-21). Her request had been made in faith that Jesus could perform the healing. His words had been meant to test her, and she had passed the test. She understood Christ’s lordship and that, as a Gentile, she had no right to request mercy from Jesus. She also willingly accepted his conditions. On that basis, Jesus healed the woman’s daughter. With his words, the demon left the little girl. This miracle showed that Jesus’ power over demons is so great that he doesn’t need to be present physically, or even to speak any word to the demon, in order to free someone. His power transcends any distance.

Jesus Heals Many People / 7:31-37

Mark selected instances from Jesus’ life to illustrate the many ways the Lord shows compassion for others. Mark seems to have made a connection between the deaf-mute here and the blind man in 8:22-26 with the deafness and blindness of the disciples described in 8:18. Jesus wants to open the ears and eyes of all who are deaf and blind so that they may receive the light of life.

7:31-32 The Ten Towns was a Gentile area, so this continues the emphasis of the previous miracle. Jesus had been in part of this region before (5:19-20). Mark alone recorded the miracle of the healing of this deaf and mute man. Apparently several of this man’s friends brought him to Jesus; they had faith that Jesus could heal him. The key to Mark’s recording of this miracle may be found in the Greek word translated speech impediment. That word is found only here and in the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament in Isaiah 35:6, where Isaiah wrote that one day “those who cannot speak will shout and sing.” Mark saw the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words in the healing ministry of Jesus.

7:33 Jesus wanted to heal this man, but again he wasn’t looking for crowd acclaim in his healings. So he took the man to a private place so they could be away from the crowd (see also 8:23). Jesus intended to deal with the man on a personal level—not use him as an advertisement of healing power.

Mark described this miracle in detail—apparently the disciples were with Jesus and the man. In this instance, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears and then spit onto his own fingers and touched the man’s tongue with the spittle. Jesus often used touch in his healings. In addition, spittle was commonly recognized in the ancient world as having healing properties. The man responded in faith and desire for healing.

7:34-35 Jesus looked upward to God (the source of his power) and sighed. The sigh was probably in sympathy for the suffering man. Whether Mark recorded these details to describe what always happened in healings or whether this was unusual, is uncertain. In any case, the healing took place. Jesus commanded that the man’s ears and mouth be opened. Immediately upon Jesus’ speaking the word, the deaf man could hear perfectly and speak plainly.

7:36-37 Even though the miracle had been done in private (7:33), its results were obvious to the waiting crowd. The man, formerly deaf and barely able to talk, suddenly could hear and speak. Jesus asked the people not to talk about this healing because he didn’t want to be seen simply as a miracle worker. He didn’t want the people to miss his real message. But the people simply could not keep quiet, and spread the news.

We’ll look at chapter 8 tomorrow.  I’m praying that in this time of reading and reflection that you will KNOW Christ better,

Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary

Rejected by His Hometown!  Ordinary Men Do Miracles! A Grudge Leads to Murder. Thousands Fed from a Sack lunch.  He Walks on Water!  Entire Town Healed by a Touch! These are the headlines from chapter 6.

The People of Nazareth Refuse to Believe / 6:1-6

6:1 After the previous incidents in Capernaum, where Jesus healed the bleeding woman and brought a dead girl back to life, Jesus returned with his disciples to Nazareth (1:9, 24), about twenty miles southwest of Capernaum.

Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, but raised in Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-40). This was not the first time he had spoken and taught in Nazareth; Luke 4:14-30 describes a visit when the people there had tried to kill him, but Jesus had walked away unharmed. This trip to Nazareth, recorded in Mark, is significant. The people of Nazareth were about to receive a second chance to believe; unfortunately, they again refused.

6:2 Synagogue services were conducted by lay people under the leadership of one or more synagogue “rulers” or leaders. For example, Jairus, the man whose daughter Jesus brought back to life, was a synagogue ruler (see 5:22). It was common for a visiting rabbi to be asked to speak in the local synagogue. Jesus, a well-known and popular speaker, had no trouble gaining an opportunity to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. As often happened when Jesus spoke, many who heard him were astonished (see also 1:22; 7:37; 10:26; 11:18) by his wisdom and his miracles.

6:3 Jesus was teaching effectively and wisely, but the people of his hometown saw him as only the carpenter whose family they also knew well. “He’s no better than we are—he’s just a common laborer,” they said. Jesus was almost thirty years old before he began his public teaching ministry. For the years prior to that, he had been at home, learning the trade of carpentry from his father and probably helping to support himself and the family.

When the townspeople called him the son of Mary, it may have been a derogatory remark. While it may have been true that Joseph was already dead, in any normal situation Jesus would still have been called “son of Joseph.” But Jesus was conceived prior to Joseph and Mary’s wedding (while they were engaged, Matthew 1:18), and perhaps the townspeople had always regarded Jesus as not even being Joseph’s son. Such was the stigma Mary continued to carry, even when Jesus was almost thirty years old. Apparently people saw Mary as less than honorable. Mary’s obedience to God in carrying his blessed Son had changed the course of her life (Luke 1:26-38).

The listing of the brothers (probably some of whom had come earlier to try to take Jesus by force in 3:21, 31) indicates that the people knew the family well. Apparently they were all ordinary people and Jesus had experienced an ordinary childhood. So for Jesus to claim to be someone special (especially with what they considered his less than honorable beginnings) caused them to be deeply offended by his words. So they refused to believe in him.

Jesus’ brother James later became a believer, a leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; Galatians 2:9) and the author of the book of James. Judas may have been Jude, author of the book of Jude. Nothing else is known of the other brothers and sisters.

6:4 Jesus used a common proverb found in rabbinic literature. It is significant that Jesus applied the word prophet to himself. The word refers not to one who foretells future events (although that may be part of a prophet’s ministry), but to one who speaks God’s message. Jesus was not the first prophet to be rejected in his own hometown. Jeremiah experienced rejection in his hometown, even by members of his own family (Jeremiah 12:5-6). Jesus also experienced rejection by his relatives. His family thought he had gone crazy (3:21) and most of them didn’t believe until after his resurrection (John 7:5; Acts 1:14).

6:5-6 That Jesus couldn’t do any mighty miracles in Nazareth does not mean a restriction on his power. Rather, Jesus could have done greater miracles in Nazareth, but he chose not to because of the people’s unbelief—unbelief which amazed him. Jesus’ mighty works were meant to further the Kingdom of God, not to try to convince a group of stubborn people who had already thoroughly rejected him. To do miracles would be of no value because the people did not accept his message or believe that he was from God. Apparently even in Nazareth, a few sick people, humbled by their need, did come to Jesus for healing. And Jesus, always compassionate, healed them.

Jesus left his hometown and went out from village to village. He visited all the villages in the environs of Nazareth. This sentence gives us a transition from Jesus’ leaving Nazareth to preparing his disciples to continue his itinerant ministry.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples / 6:7-13

When Jesus gave his disciples their first commission, he included directions about conduct and content. Even while Jesus was still with the disciples, he helped them to discover what it would be like to function without him. Mark already mentioned two other mission circuits that Jesus traveled (1:14, 39), indicating that at least some of the disciples had experience in itinerant ministry. For these Galilean towns, the disciples’ visit may have provided another opportunity for exposure to the gospel.

6:7 The twelve disciples had been trained in both the teaching they should give and the reception they could expect. It was time for them to do their “student teaching.” Jesus could only travel so far and do so much. This sending out of six groups of disciples geographically multiplied his efforts (Jesus would later send out seventy-two others, also in pairs, see Luke 10:1-2). Jesus gave his disciples responsibility and authority to act as his representatives in both teaching and power. Jesus sent them out to witness. They also were given authority to cast out evil spirits. Matthew included the ability to cure disease and sickness (Matthew 10:1). This authority and power authenticated their message.

6:8-9 While these instructions—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money—seem at first to be contrary to normal travel plans, they simply reveal the urgency of the task and its temporary nature. The disciples were sent out and then expected to return to Jesus with a full report. This was a training mission, and they were to leave immediately and travel light, taking along only minimal supplies. They were to depend on God and on the people to whom they were sent (6:10). Jesus allowed only the minimum: a walking stick and sandals. They were not even allowed to carry a bag because it was common for beggars to use such bags to solicit money. The disciples were not to be beggars, but were to live off the support of those who welcomed their message.

6:10 That a pair of disciples would be a guest in only one home meant that they had found a “worthy man” (Matthew 10:11)—a believer—and would either request or be invited to lodge in that person’s home. By staying only in that home, they would not offend their hosts by even appearing to look for “better” lodging in a home that was more comfortable or socially prominent. To remain in one home would not be a burden for the host because the disciples’ stay in each community would be short.

In a nutshell, Jesus instructed the disciples to depend on others while they went from town to town preaching the gospel. Their purpose was to blanket the area with Jesus’ message, and by traveling light they could move quickly. Their dependence on others had other good effects: (1) It clearly showed that the Messiah had not come to offer wealth to his followers; (2) it forced the disciples to rely on God’s power and not on their own provision; and (3) it involved the villagers and made them more eager to hear the message. Staying in homes was an excellent approach for the disciples’ short-term mission; it was not intended, however, to be a permanent way of life for them. Yet the faith and simplicity that this way of life portrayed would serve them well in the future.

6:11 The disciples should also expect rejection, such as Jesus had faced in the Ten Towns (5:17) and in Nazareth (6:3). So Jesus further instructed that if any place did not welcome them (that is, take them in and offer hospitality) or listen to them, then they should shake off its dust from their feet as they left.

Shaking off dust that accumulated on one’s sandals showed contempt for an area and its people, as well as the determination not to have any further involvement with them. Pious Jews shook dust from their feet after passing through Gentile cities or territory to show their separation from Gentile influences and practices. When the disciples shook the dust from their feet after leaving a Jewish town, it would be a vivid sign that they wished to remain separate from people who had rejected Jesus and his message.

Shaking off the dust of a place, Jesus said, would be a sign that the disciples had abandoned that village to its fate (see also 1:44). The act showed the people that the disciples had discharged their duty, had nothing further to say, and would leave the people to answer to God. By this statement, Jesus made it clear that the listeners were responsible for what they did with the gospel. The disciples were not to blame if the message was rejected, as long as they had faithfully and carefully presented it. Likewise, we are not responsible when others reject Christ’s message of salvation, but we do have the responsibility to share the gospel clearly and faithfully.

6:12-13 The disciples went out as Jesus’ representatives, continuing his message (1:14-15) and preaching that people should turn from their sins. The disciples not only brought the message of the gospel; they called for action in the form of repentance and belief. The gospel can only be life-changing if people allow it to change their lives. The change, for sinful humans, can begin only with turning from sin.

Jesus gave his disciples authority to cast out demons (3:15), as well as the power to heal the sick. Casting out demons extended Jesus’ personal ministry, which was to confront Satan’s power and destroy it. As the disciples went throughout Galilee, they would be announcing the arrival of the Kingdom of God through their preaching and healing.

Of all the Gospel writers, Mark alone included the words anointing them with olive oil in writing of the disciples’ healing ministry. This “oil” was used often at that time as treatment (both internally and externally) for many illnesses. Medicines were few in these days, and olive oil had proven to have exceptional qualities.

Herod Kills John the Baptist / 6:14-29

6:14 The expanded ministry of the gospel by the disciples brought Jesus to the attention of King Herod Antipas, ruler over the territories of Galilee and Perea. John the Baptist had been arrested just prior to Jesus beginning his public ministry (1:14). The arrest marked the end of John’s public ministry. He was imprisoned for some time prior to his death (see Matthew 11:2-6). At this point, the reader is to understand that John the Baptist had died at Herod’s hands. (Mark will record the story in detail.)

The people, still trying to figure out where Jesus’ miraculous powers came from, thought he was John the Baptist who had come back to life. Oddly enough, John had done no miracles; he had simply preached and prepared the way for Jesus. Among those who thought Jesus was John the Baptist was Herod himself (6:16). While Herod had succeeded in silencing John, he had not succeeded in silencing his own guilty conscience.

6:15 Others believed that Jesus was the ancient prophet Elijah, the great prophet who did not die but was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:1-11). They applied the prophecy of Elijah’s return in Malachi 4:5 to Jesus. (Later Jesus explained to his disciples that John had fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy, see Mark 9:13.) Still others believed that Jesus was simply a prophet, someone in the tradition of Moses, Isaiah, or Jeremiah.

It was so difficult for the people to accept Jesus as the Son of God that they tried to come up with other solutions—most of which sound quite unbelievable to us. Very few found the correct answer, as Peter did (Luke 9:20). Many people today still cannot accept Jesus as the fully human yet fully divine Son of God, and they look for alternate explanations—a great prophet, a radical political leader, a self-deceived rabble-rouser. None of these explanations can account for Jesus’ miracles or, especially, for his glorious resurrection; so these realities have to be rationalized. In the end, the attempts to explain away Jesus are far more difficult to believe than the truth.

6:16-17 Upon hearing about Jesus, Herod was certain that John, whom he had beheaded, had come back from the dead.

Mark explained how John’s death came about. Herod, empowered by Rome over the region of Galilee, had simply sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John. The Jewish historian Josephus pinpointed this prison as Machaerus, a fortress (combination palace and prison) near the barren northeastern shore of the Dead Sea in the region of Moab. Herod did this as a favor to Herodias. She was Herod’s brother Philip’s wife. John the Baptist condemned Herod and Herodias for living immorally (6:18). Rebuking a tyrannical Roman official who could imprison and execute him was extremely dangerous, yet that is what John did.

6:18 John’s denunciation of the marriage of Galilee’s leader had been public as well as private. John had explained the obvious to Herod: It was against the law for Herod to be married to his brother’s wife (not to mention that she was also his half niece). Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 describe the laws that Herod was breaking. Herod was partly Jewish, and whether or not he cared about the Jewish law, he did care about a revolt against him by the Jews. John’s public denunciation of the incest and adultery of Herod and Herodias was too much for them to bear, especially Herodias, whose anger turned to hatred.

6:19-20 Herodias was enraged. The word usage indicates that she never let up for one moment, but was waiting for her opportunity to have John killed in revenge. But Herod respected John, knowing that he was a good and holy man. So he protected John from Herodias’s murderous intentions by locking him in prison. Perhaps he hoped that stopping John’s public speaking would end the problem and quiet Herodias. Herod had little backbone. While he greatly respected John and liked to listen to him, he also kept John imprisoned for the sake of his evil wife and his incestuous and adulterous marriage. Herod was an evil man, so when he listened to John, he was disturbed.

6:21 That Herod had imprisoned John the Baptist was not enough for the angry Herodias. She continued to nurse her grudge against John for speaking publicly about her sins. Then on Herod Antipas’s birthday, her chance finally came. Whenever we harbor guilt and hatred in our heart, Satan is busy creating opportunities for greater evil to happen. Herod gave a party for many notable men from governmental, military, and civil strata in Galilee. He hoped to entertain them, impress them, and win their respect and admiration by this elaborate party.

6:22-23 The daughter was a young woman in her middle teens. She performed a dance for Herod and his roomful of male (and probably drunken) dinner guests. She greatly pleased them all, so the king offered her anything she wanted. Herod continued to flaunt his power, desiring in this promise to show his ability to provide anything the girl might ask. Then he added that this gift could be up to half his kingdom. Herod and all his notables in the banquet hall knew that Herod had no kingdom to give. Herod’s power came from Rome. Herod used a saying that revealed the scope of his offer but was not meant to be taken literally. But the young girl understood that she could ask for practically anything and receive it.

6:24-25 Any young woman might be prepared with a thousand possible suggestions to an offer such as Herod’s, but the girl left the banquet hall to confer with her mother. Then she returned triumphantly with the gruesome request for the head of John the Baptist. Herodias wanted John killed and the gruesome proof of his death brought to the palace. Herod had no way out; John’s death was sealed.

6:26-28 When the girl grandly gave her request to Herod in the hearing of all the important officials, Herod suddenly realized what he had done and was very sorry. Herod had made a promise (6:23). Such words were considered irrevocable. To break his oath would show his important guests that Herod was not a man of his word. So, out of regard for his reputation in front of the guests, Herod decided to show his power and authority by immediately fulfilling the girl’s request. He sent an executioner to behead John and bring the grisly trophy back to the girl, who took it to her mother. Herodias had satisfied her lust for revenge.

Herod fulfilled his oath and saved face before his guests. But he had been shown up by his wife and was left with great fear over what he had done in killing a holy man. Herod’s guilt could not be assuaged. So, when Jesus came upon the scene, he thought that John had come back to life (6:16).

6:29 John the Baptist apparently still had disciples (see Acts 19:1-5), even though many had left him to follow Jesus (John 1:35-37). When they heard that John had been beheaded, they came and buried him. They wanted to give their leader an honorable burial instead of having his body disposed of by the guards in the prison. Matthew added that after burying the body, “they told Jesus” (Matthew 14:12).

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand / 6:30-44

6:30 The word “apostle” means “one sent” as a messenger, authorized agent, or missionary. The word became an accepted title for Jesus’ twelve disciples after his death and resurrection (Acts 1:25-26; Ephesians 2:20). Mark deliberately used the word because the apostles had completed their teaching mission (6:7-13) and So were official “sent ones.”

The pairs returned to Capernaum and reported to Jesus. This marked the first time the disciples had gone out on their own, so quite naturally, they were full of excitement upon their return. Jesus listened to their stories and answered their questions.

Perhaps it would be a great corrective for our furtive and sometimes foolish activities if we adopted the same practice of reporting our work to the Lord in prayer. We could ask him to sort out the wheat from the chaff, the important from the trivial. By so doing, we could seek his guidance for future activity.

6:31-32 Capernaum had never proven to be a place where Jesus and his disciples could find solitude. Indeed, so many people were coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Jesus knew that his disciples were weary, so he kindly suggested that they all go away and rest. So they left by boat for a quieter spot. Luke tells us that they went to Bethsaida (Luke 9:10), probably landing at a solitary harbor apart from the city, or else they went on foot into the hills.

6:33 Popularity and recognition have their own pitfalls. The disciples, now almost as well known as Jesus after their preaching mission, were seen and recognized along with Jesus, and the crowds would not let them get away. Either the people somehow heard where the boat was headed, or perhaps the boat sailed not quite out of sight along the horizon so that the people could follow it. In any case, a crowd met them as they landed.

6:34 As they drew near to shore, no doubt the disciples realized that their time alone on the boat was all the rest time they would have. A vast crowd waited on the shore, some having walked for miles in order to be there when Jesus and the disciples arrived. This would provide another lesson for the disciples. Far from feeling impatience and frustration toward these needy people, Jesus had compassion on them. He knew these people were as pitiful as sheep without a shepherd. Sheep are easily scattered and lost; without a shepherd they are in grave danger. The people needed a true Shepherd who could teach them what they needed to know and keep them from straying from God. While Jesus had hoped to be alone with the disciples for a time of rest, he did not send away this needy crowd. He had compassion for the people and took it upon himself to meet their needs.

6:35-37 Jesus had been teaching the people until late in the afternoon (after 3:00 p.m.). Sunset was approaching, and the disciples wondered what Jesus planned to do with this crowd that had come far from their homes to be with them. The place where Jesus had been teaching was desolate, far from any town or village. The disciples thought Jesus would be wise to let the people go before it got dark in order for them to find food and lodging for the night. So they brought their suggestion to Jesus: “Send the crowds away.” No doubt, the disciples also hoped to soon get the rest they had anticipated when they had set out on this journey (6:31). Jesus’ answer both astounded and exasperated them: “You feed them.” The disciples summed up the situation and found it hopeless—“It would take a small fortune to buy food for all this crowd!” So what did Jesus mean, and why would he ask them to do something so obviously impossible?

6:38 In reply to their question about going and spending an extravagant amount of money on bread, Jesus told them first to check out their resources. John records that the five loaves (round barley cakes) and two fish they found were from the lunch of a young boy (John 6:9). Apparently, in their hurry, no one else in the crowd had thought to bring along food to eat, or they were unwilling to share it. The young boy offered his lunch to the disciples (specifically to Andrew, see John 6:8), but again the disciples could see only the impossibility of the situation.

6:39-40 Jesus did not answer the disciples, but set about organizing the people to sit down in groups. The men were probably separated from the women and children for the meal according to Jewish custom. So the people sat in groups of fifty or a hundred. In this wilderness, the Good Shepherd was about to feed his sheep (6:34).

6:41 Jesus, acting as the host of the soon-to-be banquet, took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God beforehand for the provision he was about to give, and then broke the loaves. As Jesus broke the loaves, the miracle occurred. The verbs in this verse are in different tenses in the Greek. The word breaking is in the aorist, implying an instantaneous act. The word giving is in the imperfect, implying a continuous act. So the miracle occurred in Jesus’ hands. He broke the bread and then kept on giving it to his disciples to then give to the people. The same thing happened with the fish. The disciples acted as waiters to the groups of hungry people seated on the grass, taking bread and fish, distributing it, and then returning to Jesus to get more. They continued to serve the crowd until everyone had had enough to eat (6:42).

The God who multiplied the bread was authenticating Jesus as his Son and portraying the Kingdom. Just as God provided manna to the Hebrews in the wilderness (Exodus 16), multiplied oil and meal for Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16) and for Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7), he was providing bread for the people on this day.

6:42-44 The five loaves and two fish multiplied so that they all ate as much as they wanted. Even the leftovers were more than they had begun with. The disciples picked up twelve baskets with the broken pieces of food. As if to cap off the record of this miracle, Mark added that five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves! If the readers weren’t impressed already, now they should be astounded. The Greek word for men is andres meaning not “people,” but “male individuals.” Therefore, there were five thousand men in addition to the women and children. The total number of people Jesus fed could have been over ten thousand.

Jesus did what the disciples thought was impossible. He multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed over five thousand people. What he was originally given seemed insufficient, but in his hands it became more than enough. While we may feel that our contribution to Jesus is meager, he can use and multiply whatever we give him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. When we give our resources to Jesus, they are multiplied.

Jesus Walks on Water / 6:45-52

6:45 As soon as the crowd had been fed and the disciples had picked up the scraps, Jesus immediately got his disciples and the crowd moving. His sudden desire to dismiss the crowd and send the disciples off in their boat is explained in John’s Gospel. Upon seeing the miracle of multiplied loaves and fish, the people “were ready to take [Jesus] by force and make him king,” so Jesus “went higher into the hills alone” (John 6:15 ). Jesus’ Kingdom would not be an earthly one, and he didn’t want the enthusiasm of the crowd to deter him or his disciples from fulfilling their true mission. Before the crowd could become an unruly mob, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and return to Bethsaida while Jesus sent the people home.

6:46 Jesus then went up into the hills by himself to pray. During his ministry on earth, Jesus was in constant prayer with the Father—he may often have gone off alone to pray, so his desire to do so may not have surprised the disciples who left in the boat as instructed. Jesus had just left a crowd that wanted to make him their king. Popularity was a temptation in itself, for it could threaten to turn Jesus away from his mission—death on the cross to accomplish salvation. Jesus, in his humanity, may have continued to face the temptation to turn away from the difficult path and take the easier one. He constantly sought strength from God. Going into the wilderness, alone with the Father, helped Jesus focus on his task and gain strength for what he had to do.

6:47 The disciples had left sometime before sunset, so by the time evening came, they were well out in the lake. The disciples often fished during the night, so sailing out into the night was not unusual. However, a storm blew in (see Matthew 14:24; John 6:18). Once again (as in 4:35-39), Jesus had sent them out to sea, when they were already bone tired, right into a storm. At least previously Jesus had been in the boat with them. This time, he was alone on land, and the disciples were left to fend for themselves.

6:48-50 The disciples took down the sails and tried to keep control of the boat by strenuous rowing. For the entire night they fought the storm.

As Jesus prayed on the mountainside, he saw the disciples in serious trouble. Jesus came to them, walking on the water. While some might try to explain away this miracle by saying Jesus was simply on the shore, Mark clearly states that Jesus walked on the water. Not only that, but he had walked a great distance. John records that the disciples had gone three or four miles by the time Jesus came to them (John 6:19).

Much confusion surrounds the phrase, he started to go past them. While the text sounds like Jesus meant to walk on by and leave the disciples to their fate, obviously that was not the case because he did help them. Interpretations on the meaning of this phrase include: (1) Jesus “meant to pass beside” them as in providing a divine manifestation so to reveal to them his divine presence; (2) Jesus “was about to pass by” as he waited for the disciples to see him and call out to him for help; (3) the phrase was written from the disciples’ standpoint (from Peter’s eyewitness account) that, when they saw Jesus, it appeared to them that his intention was to “pass by them”; (4) the phrase means Jesus “intended to pass their way,” that is, to go to them, which is exactly what he did. When they all saw Jesus walking on the water, the disciples thought he was a ghost; so they screamed in terror. Once again, Jesus was doing the unexpected, the impossible, and they were terrified.

Jesus called out to the disciples over the storm, telling them not to be afraid. The literal reading for “I am here” is “I am”; it is the same as saying “the I AM is here” or “I, Yahweh, am here” (see Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10; 52:6). Jesus, the “I AM,” came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples’ time of desperate need.

6:51-52 Jesus then climbed into the boat with the disciples. Then, as had occurred once before when the disciples had been tossed about by a storm at sea, the wind stopped (see also 4:39). Jesus had revealed to them his complete mastery over nature.

The disciples had seen Jesus perform numerous healings, calm a raging sea, multiply food to feed over five thousand people, and walk to them on the water. Their responses to the last miracle had been fear and then amazement. While they had seen the miracles, they still didn’t understand them. They had seen the loaves multiplied, but they didn’t realize who Jesus was and what he could do. Mark explained that their hearts were hard. This was not merely misunderstanding; it was a hard-hearted refusal to believe (the word is used elsewhere only when describing unbelievers, see 3:5; 10:5). But why wouldn’t the disciples believe? Perhaps they simply couldn’t bring themselves to consider that this human being was actually God’s Son. Or maybe they thought that if and when the Messiah really did come, he wouldn’t choose them for followers. The disciples needed a good healthy dose of faith in order to be able to see and understand what their Master, the Messiah, so beautifully and amazingly continued to teach them.

Jesus Heals All Who Touch Him / 6:53-56

6:55 The storm had blown the disciples off course, and they did not land at Bethsaida as planned (6:45). They arrived at Gennesaret, a small fertile plain located on the west side of the Sea of Galilee as well as the name of a small town there. Capernaum (from where they had sailed that morning, 6:32) sat at the northern edge of this plain. Jesus was well known in the region of Galilee, and his presence always created great excitement. Immediately upon getting out of the boat, people recognized Jesus, and a flurry of activity began. There still would be no rest for the weary. The news of Jesus’ arrival spread like wildfire through the area. As Jesus moved through the region, people began carrying sick people to him so that he might heal them.

People may seek Jesus to learn valuable lessons from his life or to find relief from pain. But we miss Jesus’ whole message if we look to him for help only in this life, rather than for his eternal plan for us. Only when we understand the real Jesus Christ can we appreciate how he can truly change our lives.

6:56 In a day when medicines and medical help were few and limited, sickness was rampant and constant. As Jesus walked through Galilee, people laid the sick in the market plazas. Perhaps the story had spread of the woman in Capernaum who had been healed by touching Jesus’ cloak (5:27-29), for now the people begged to touch the fringe of his robe. No one missed out on Jesus’ loving compassion—all who touched it were healed.

Tomorrow we’ll look at chapter 7.  I am praying that you will continue to GROW in Christ.

Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary

What kind of people does Jesus spend time with?  It’s the troubled, the sick and the heart broken.   In this chapter we see him restore a town’s biggest outcast, heal a woman who had been sick for years with a touch and raise a young girl from the dead.

Jesus Sends Demons into a Herd of Pigs / 5:1-20

Though we may emphasize the love for the world that God expressed through Christ, we sometimes fail to apply it to individual people. That Jesus permitted the demons to enter the large herd of pigs strikes us as odd, and we might be surprised by Jesus’ disregard for personal property. Jesus’ action, however, demonstrated the value of the man possessed by the demons. The demons, not Jesus, incited the pigs in their suicidal stampede.

By any standard, the value Jesus places on each one of us cannot be measured. He did not hesitate to present his own life in exchange for our salvation. The story about the herd of pigs dramatically contrasts the purposes of God and the purposes of Satan for people. To Jesus, the crazed man was worth saving. To Satan, he was a soul targeted for destruction. Upon entering the pigs, the demons immediately revealed their destructive intent. They accomplished in the pigs what they had been doing in the man.

5:1 The land of the Gerasenes was located southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The precise location is uncertain because this area is sometimes written as “Gerasenes,” “Gergesenes,” or “Gadarenes” in various manuscripts. However, some scholars cite evidence that favors “country of the Gerasenes,” probably referring to a small town called Gersa (modern-day Kersa or Kours). Others prefer “Gadarenes,” citing the town of Gadara, one of the most important cities of the region. Gadara was a member of the Ten Towns (see 5:20). These ten cities with independent governments were largely inhabited by Gentiles, which would explain the herd of pigs (5:11). The Jews did not raise pigs because, according to Jewish law, pigs were unclean and thus unfit to eat.

Whatever the exact location of their landing, the point is that Jesus had planned to go there. This was Gentile territory, revealing a new direction for his ministry.

5:2 It is difficult to picture the awful sight of this man, with an evil spirit, bloody (5:5), out of control, and apparently strong and frightening (5:4). Having an “evil” or unclean spirit means being demon possessed. Although we cannot be sure why demon possession occurs, we know that evil spirits can use the human body to distort and destroy a person’s relationship with God. These evil spirits (5:9) had entered the man’s body and were controlling him.

5:3-4 This demon-possessed man’s condition was clearly hopeless without Christ. He no longer had contact with society, but lived among the tombs. This could refer to a type of graveyard with caves hewn into the rock. People with hopeless conditions, such as this man, could find shelter in the caves. People had tried to restrain his violent acts. The man had been put into chains and shackles. But he snapped the chains and smashed the shackles, indicating power not his own, but derived from the demons that held him. This man was so strong that no one could control (or overpower) him.

5:5 His screaming was more of a shriek—the voices of the demons (see also 1:26). The hitting of his skin with sharp stones refers to gashing and hacking at his body, leaving him bloody and covered with scars. These horrible actions occurred constantly. He was indeed a frightening creature.

5:6 The man did not run to escape Jesus, but ran to confront Jesus and scare him away as he would do to anyone else who ventured into his territory. When he came close to Jesus, the man fell on his knees, not in worship, but in grudging submission to Jesus’ superior power. The demons immediately recognized Jesus and his authority. They knew who Jesus was and what his great power could do to them (see James 2:19).

5:7 The demon’s first question was a request that Jesus leave them alone, showing the demons’ ultimate rebellion. Jesus and the demons were as far separated as anything could be. Jesus’ purpose was to heal and give life; the demons wanted to kill and destroy. But Jesus would not leave this man in such a condition.

Like the demon who had possessed the man in Capernaum (1:24), this demon tried using Jesus’ divine name to control him. This demon referred to him as Jesus, Son of the Most High God. This is the highest title used for Jesus in Mark’s Gospel and shows that the demons recognized Jesus as God’s divine Son. The words “Most High God” appear in the Old Testament, and often were used by Gentiles when speaking of the superiority of Israel’s God over any idol.

Then the demon had the audacity to ask for Jesus’ mercy so that he would not be tortured in hell! The word for torture is graphic and correct. The Bible says that, at the end of the world, the devil and his demons will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). The question revealed that the demons knew their ultimate fate; they hoped that Jesus would not send them to their fate early.

5:8-9 Jesus’ first command was to one evil spirit. When that one did not obey, Jesus commanded the demon to give him its name. The answer revealed that there were many demons. A legion was the largest unit of the Roman army; it consisted of three thousand to six thousand soldiers.

5:10 The demons knew they had no power over Jesus; so when they saw Jesus, they begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place or into the Bottomless Pit (see Luke 8:31). Why didn’t Jesus just destroy these demons—or send them away? Because the time for such work had not yet come. Jesus healed many people of the destructive effects of demon possession, but he did not yet destroy demons. In this situation, Jesus wanted to show Satan’s destructive power and intent over the two thousand pigs. The same question could be asked today—why doesn’t Jesus stop all the evil in the world? His time for that has not yet come. But it will come. The book of Revelation portrays the future victory of Jesus over Satan, his demons, and all evil.

5:11 According to Old Testament law (Leviticus 11:7), pigs were “unclean” animals. This meant that they could not be eaten or even touched by a Jew. This incident took place southeast of the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Gerasenes (5:1), a Gentile area. A normal herd of pigs would be 150 to 300 head. So this herd was unusually large.

5:12 The evil spirits begged Jesus not to send them away, but to send them into those pigs. The demons knew they had to submit to Jesus’ power and authority, and they knew that he could seal their fate by returning them to the abyss or sending them far away. Notice that they did not ask to be sent into the city; they knew Jesus would not allow them to inhabit other people. But on the hillside were enough physical animal hosts for all these demons to inhabit.

5:13 Jesus did not command the demons to go into the pigs; he gave them permission to do what they requested. Satan has no final authority but can do only what God permits. While Jesus granted the demons’ request to enter the pigs and destroy the herd, Jesus stopped their destructive work in people, and particularly the man they had possessed. Jesus also showed his disciples, the townspeople, and even us who read these words today the absolute goal of Satan and his demons. They desire total and complete destruction of their hosts.

The demons’ action proves their destructive intent—if they could not destroy the men, they would destroy the pigs. Jesus’ action, in contrast to the demons’, shows the value he places on each human life. Some people might have difficulty with the fact that all the pigs died, but Jesus considered the man to be more important than the pigs.

5:14-17 When Jesus performed this miracle, he again gained immediate publicity. The herdsmen, astonished at what had happened, ran and told the amazing story. Their story seemed unbelievable: Two thousand pigs floating on the edge of the lake would certainly be a sight, so those who heard the story rushed out to see for themselves. The crowd saw the pigs in the water, they saw Jesus and the disciples on the shore, and they saw the one who had been demon-possessed in his right mind. Jesus had restored this man’s humanity; he was sane and self-controlled.

The people might have responded in several ways. They could have been overjoyed to see Jesus on their own shore, or they could have responded with joy that the demon-possessed man had been healed. However, Mark used one word for the people’s response: frightened.

What were they afraid of? Perhaps such supernatural power as Jesus had displayed frightened them. Perhaps they thought Jesus would be bad for their economy (losing two thousand pigs in one day certainly cost someone). Perhaps they didn’t want Jesus to change their status quo. In any case, their fear caused them to make a terrible mistake. They asked Jesus to go away and leave them alone. Unlike their own heathen gods, Jesus could not be contained, controlled, or appeased. They feared Jesus’ supernatural power, a power that they had never before witnessed. And they were upset about losing a herd of pigs more than they were glad about the deliverance of the demon-possessed man. Unfortunately for them, Jesus did as they asked. And there is no biblical record that he ever returned. Sometimes the worst possible thing that can happen is for Jesus to answer one of our requests.

5:18-19 Having been freed, the man begged to go with Jesus. The man’s request meant that he wanted to be one of Jesus’ followers, with Jesus as a constant and close companion. But Jesus had other plans for him. As Jesus had done when he healed the leper (1:40-42) and the paralytic (2:11-12), Jesus gave this formerly demon-possessed man his life back. He could go home, something he could not do before. Certainly his family would rejoice to see him returned to sanity. When they would ask him what happened, the man was to tell them about the Lord’s mercy.

Often Jesus asked those he healed to be quiet about the healing (1:43-45; 5:43), but he urged this man to “go and tell” what the Lord had done for him. Why the difference? This man was returning to his home in a Gentile region. Jesus knew the man would be an effective witness to those who remembered his previous condition and could attest to the miraculous healing. Through him, Jesus could expand his ministry into this Gentile area. Jesus would not remain in the region, but he did not leave himself without witness.

5:20 Although the man was healed and able to travel with Jesus, Jesus sent him on a mission. And the man wasted no time. He started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region. Ten cities, each with its own independent government, formed an alliance for protection and for increased trade opportunities. These cities had been settled several centuries earlier by Greek traders and immigrants. Jews were a minority in the area. Many people from the area followed Jesus (Matthew 4:25). This former madman may have been known throughout the region. So when he returned to that same region, his testimony had results—everyone who saw and heard him was amazed.

Jesus Heals a Bleeding Woman and Restores a Girl to Life / 5:21-43

Mark often wove together events in Jesus’ life. On the way to see an ailing child, Jesus met a suffering woman. While he was dealing with her crisis, the message arrived that the sick girl had died. The account rings with lifelikeness. We are familiar with the jumble of urgency, delays, obstacles, and disappointments in life. Mark demonstrates that Jesus knew the same experiences. The conclusion of this episode reintroduces Jesus’ efforts to control his publicity. His compassion motivated him to constant action, but God’s plan required that Jesus resist the pull of growing public acclaim.

5:21 Jesus went back across the Sea of Galilee, probably landing back at Capernaum (4:35). As always, a large crowd gathered (see also 1:33; 2:2; 3:7, 20; 4:1). The contrast with Jesus just having been asked to leave the Gerasene region is unmistakable. Unfortunately, although he was popular with the people in Capernaum, they really were no more receptive to his message.

5:22-24 The synagogue was the local center of worship (see the explanation on 1:21), and Jairus was a lay person elected as one of the leaders. Jairus held a position of high esteem in the town. For him to fall down before Jesus and plead for him to come heal his daughter was a significant and daring act of respect and worship.

We do not know the nature of the young girl’s sickness; apparently nothing had helped her and she would soon die. But Jairus remembered someone who could help—someone whose touch had healed many people in Capernaum (1:33-34). When Jairus heard that Jesus had returned to Capernaum, he was among the crowd on the seashore (5:21). He asked for Jesus’ touch on his daughter, knowing that if Jesus were to come, his daughter would live. So Jesus went with him, with the curious crowd following along.

5:25-26 In the crowd that pressed on Jesus was another person in need of divine help. A woman who had had a hemorrhage (that is, bleeding; this may have been a menstrual or uterine disorder) for twelve years. The bleeding caused the woman to be in a constant condition of ritual uncleanness (see Leviticus 15:25-33). She could not worship in the synagogue, and she could not have normal social relationships, for anyone who came into contact with her would also become unclean. Thus, the woman was treated almost as severely as a leper. She had suffered and become destitute in trying to get a cure. There was no hope for alleviating her suffering, until she heard about Jesus.

5:27-28 The woman worked her way through the crowd and came up behind Jesus. She knew she only had to touch his clothing and she would be healed. The decision to touch Jesus’ garment was due to the popular belief that the clothes of a holy man imparted spiritual and healing power (see 6:56; Acts 19:11-12). She may have feared that Jesus would not touch her if he knew her condition. Or she may have feared that if her disease became known to the crowd, the people who had touched her would be angry at having become unclean unknowingly. The woman knew she could be healed, but she tried to do it as unobtrusively as possible. She thought that she would just get healed and go away.

5:29 The moment the woman touched Jesus’ garment, the bleeding stopped. The disease that had weakened her body for years suddenly disappeared. She felt the difference and knew not only that the pain had stopped, but that she was also completely healed of the disease. What a moment of incredible joy this must have been for this woman!

5:30 The healing had been immediate upon the woman’s touch (5:29); Jesus’ knowledge of the healing was also immediate. As the woman felt the healing of her body, Jesus felt the supernatural healing power go out of him. Someone had touched him in order to be healed, that person’s faith had allowed the healing to take place, and Jesus perceived what had happened. Jesus’ question, “Who touched my clothes?” had a definite purpose. Whether Jesus already knew who touched him or not is inconsequential. What mattered was that Jesus wanted to establish a relationship with this woman. She had hoped to go away undetected. Jesus, having healed her physically, wanted to heal her spiritually as well.

In the meantime, Jairus must have been exasperated; he was already in a hurry due to the severe illness of his daughter. No doubt the slow movement of the crowd was frustrating him. Then, of all things, Jesus stopped to ask a seemingly silly question. Little did Jairus know that through all these events, he would be learning a valuable lesson about Jesus’ power.

5:31 The disciples were surprised by Jesus’ question, so their reply seems almost rude. In effect they said, “How can you ask such a ridiculous question? Lots of people are touching you!” They did not understand that Jesus meant a different kind of touch.

5:32 Jesus looked around—the healed person could not have gone far, for Jesus had stopped immediately upon being touched. He knew that person was there. In his piercing gaze at the few people nearest him in the crowd was the unspoken demand that the person come forward. The crowd didn’t understand what was happening, the disciples thought Jesus was being unreasonable, and Jairus was probably fuming. But one person did understand what Jesus meant by the question, and she knew she had no choice but to answer.

5:33 The woman told him what she had done—that she had been unclean and had come jostling through the crowd, that she had dared to touch him (a man) and did so in her unclean state, that she had hoped to remain undetected, and that she had been healed. To top it off, she had to say all of that in front of a crowd. No wonder the woman was frightened and trembling. According to Jewish law, a man who touched a menstruating woman became ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:19-28). This was true whether her bleeding was normal or, as in this woman’s case, the result of illness. To protect themselves from such defilement, Jewish men carefully avoided touching, speaking to, or even looking at women. By contrast, Jesus proclaimed to hundreds of people that this “unclean” woman had touched him—and then he healed her. In Jesus’ mind, this suffering woman was not to be overlooked. As God’s creation, she deserved attention and respect.

5:34 Far from being angry, Jesus spoke to the woman in gentle words. She came for healing and received it. But she also received a relationship and peace with God himself because of her faith. Jesus explained that it was not his clothing that had healed her; rather, her faith in reaching out to the one person who could heal her had allowed that healing to take place. She not only had faith, but she had placed her faith in the right person.

The disciples, no doubt, received a profound lesson in the value of planting seeds in even the most unlikely places. The crowd, while seeming to be nothing more than a hindrance on the way, held one pocket of “good soil” in whom Jesus planted a seed.

5:35 The time taken by Jesus to seek out and speak to the woman was too long for the sick little girl at Jairus’s house. During the delay, she died. The message was delivered to Jairus, undoubtedly calling him to come home. The opportunity for healing had passed, so the Teacher would no longer be needed.

5:36 Death did not make Jesus too late, however; instead, it meant that Jesus would do an even mightier miracle. Jairus must have looked in despair at Jesus, but Jesus made no indication of changing his plans. He turned in the direction of Jairus’s house and told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” Jairus must have wondered what Jesus was going to do.

5:37 No doubt the curious crowd had every intention of staying with Jesus, having observed the healing of the diseased woman and hearing the words of the men from Jairus’s house. What would Jesus do next? Sensitive to Jairus’s pain, Jesus stopped the crowd. He planned to raise this little girl from the dead—a sign to his disciples of his true mission, of his power, and as a harbinger of his own resurrection. So he left the crowd and nine of his disciples behind, followed Jairus, and took along Peter and James and John. These three men became Jesus’ inner circle—his closest followers, the only ones to see this miracle, observe the Transfiguration (9:2), speak about the end times on the Mount of Olives (13:3), and know of Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane (14:33).

5:38 The five men finally reached Jairus’s house, and the commotion of loud weeping and wailing filled the air. Such cries were customary at a person’s death; lack of weeping and wailing 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. Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, was an important person in the town. Thus, at the death of his only daughter, the town demonstrated their great love and respect for Jairus and his family by their weeping and wailing.

5:39 Jesus’ words, “The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep,” probably made Jesus appear rather stupid—certainly anyone could distinguish death from sleep. Neither was she just in a coma from which Jesus would awaken her, as some have proposed. The girl was indeed dead, and everyone from the family to the paid mourners knew it. Jesus knew it too, but his words revealed to Jairus the hope beyond all hope of what Jesus was about to do. She was dead, but Jesus would bring her back to life, as if awakening her from sleep.

5:40 Jesus’ words sounded ridiculous to the faithless crowd, so Jesus took charge in Jairus’s house and used force to get rid of the jeering mourners. He had nothing further to say to them, and he had no use for their mourning or their scoffing.

Then Jesus took the girl’s father and mother and the three disciples who had come (5:37) and went into an inner part of the house. Jesus had come to earth to conquer sin and death, and in this dramatic but quiet miracle, he would show his disciples that power. And two bereaved parents would receive back their beloved daughter.

5:41 Jesus did no incantations and spoke no magic words. He simply went to the girl’s bedside and held her hand. The fact that Jesus touched the girl’s hand would have amazed the proper synagogue leader and the disciples. Touching a dead body meant to become unclean. But Jesus had already dealt with a demon-possessed man and a woman with an incurable issue of blood and had touched and healed them. Touching the dead girl confirmed once again that compassion was more important than the letter of the law. Then Jesus spoke a simple command, “Get up, little girl!”

5:42 At Jesus’ touch and command, the dead child awoke as if from sleep, immediately standing up and walking around. Just as the healings Jesus performed were always complete, so the rising of this young girl from the dead was complete. She didn’t come back to life in the sick state in which she left; she came back well, whole, and able to walk around. The parents and the disciples were absolutely overwhelmed.

This was not the first time the disciples had witnessed the raising of a dead person. Luke 7:11-15 records Jesus raising a boy near the village of Nain. Yet, even in this instance, the disciples were amazed.

5:43 Jesus then gave two further commands. First, he commanded them (that is, the parents and the three disciples) not to tell anyone what had happened. Obviously the girl was not to be hidden for the remainder of her life; people would know she had recovered. Those in the unbelieving crowd would have to decide for themselves what had happened—no one would try to convince them. In fact, no one would even tell them what had happened.

Jesus told them to be quiet because he was concerned for his ministry. He did not want to be known as just a miracle worker; he wanted people to listen to his words that would heal their broken spiritual lives. Jesus’ mission was to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God. If crowds descended on him to see dead people raised, they would not be coming with the heart attitude needed to hear and respond to the gospel (see also 1:43-45). The disciples would talk about them and understand Jesus’ miracles after his resurrection—then they could write them down for all of us to read and marvel as well.

Second, Jesus told them to give the girl something to eat. This is a good picture of Jesus’ compassion and his understanding of human needs. The girl would be hungry and should be fed. This command also revealed to the parents and disciples that the girl was completely restored—she was well enough to eat.

 We’ll look at chapter 6 tomorrow. I’m praying that in this time of reading and reflection that you will KNOW Christ better,

 Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary

 

Do you like a good story? Today’s passage will look at three parables of Jesus.  The story of the farmer, seed, and soils describes how the human heart responds to the truth.  Also we’ll see Jesus divine power over nature as he calms a storm.

 Jesus Tells the Parable of the Four Soils / 4:1-9

In the first three chapters, Mark recorded the quick pace of Jesus’ ministry. In this chapter, Mark turned his attention to the content of Jesus’ teaching, including a series of stories. Jesus’ stories entertained the many who were merely curious, while they enlightened the few who genuinely sought to know God. These earthy stories have profound spiritual applications.

4:1 Again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore (of the Sea of Galilee). The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake. Jesus spoke from there.

4:2-3 Jesus used many stories, or parables, when teaching the crowds. These stories used familiar scenes to explain spiritual truths. A parable compares something familiar to something unfamiliar. It compels listeners to discover truth, while at the same time conceals the truth from those too lazy or too stubborn to see it.

This story gave a familiar picture to Jesus’ audience—a farmer planting seed, with the resulting increase dependent on the condition of the soil. In ancient Israel, seed was sown by hand. As the farmer walked across the field, he would throw handfuls of seed from a large bag slung across his shoulders. No matter how skillful, no farmer could keep some of his seed from falling by the wayside, from being scattered among rocks and thorns, or from being carried off by the wind. So the farmer would throw the seed liberally, and enough would fall on good ground to ensure the harvest.

4:4-7 Some of the seeds fell on a footpath. The hard and compacted soil of the road made it impossible for the seed to penetrate. So it sat on top, as tempting morsels for the birds that came and ate the seeds. (In 4:15 we learn that these “birds” represent Satan.) Some of that seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. Unlike the wayside, the rocky places had some soil to accept the seed, but not much. The seed sprang up quickly in the shallow soil, but the sun took the moisture out so rapidly that the young plants wilted. Some of the farmer’s seed fell among thorns. Thorns rob the sprouts of nutrition, water, light, and space. So, when the thorns grew up, the good seed was choked out.

4:8-9 However, some of the seed landed in fertile soil. This seed had the depth, space, and moisture to grow, multiply, and produce a crop. A farmer would be happy to see his crop multiply even ten times—thirty, sixty, or a hundred times would be an incredible yield for it would mean even more to plant and harvest in the coming year.

Jesus pointed out that “listening” makes fertile soil for the message of the Kingdom. If we bear fruit, it is proof that we have listened. If others bear fruit, it shows that the seed we have planted has taken root in their heart. Those willing to hear are those who will do a deeper kind of listening with the mind and heart that is necessary in order to gain spiritual understanding. Some people in the crowd were only curious about Jesus, a few were looking for evidence to use against him, and others truly wanted to learn and grow. Jesus’ words were for the honest seekers. Those who honestly seek God’s will have spiritual hearing, so they will be able to listen and understand.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Four Soils / 4:10-25

The story of the soils was one of many Jesus used to create questions in the minds of his followers. Later, in a smaller group, Jesus explained why he used these stories, called parables, and what they meant. Although Jesus pointed out that the parables kept some people in ignorance, he willingly explained their meaning to the disciples. Any hearer who continued to be ignorant or confused did so because he or she refused to learn. Those who failed to understand the parables were not ready to obey the truth they taught.

4:10 When Jesus got away from the crowd and was alone with his true followers (the twelve disciples and the larger group of believers), a more intimate question-and-answer period followed. Perhaps these close followers did not want to reveal their ignorance about Jesus’ words in front of the entire crowd. So, as soon as they were alone with Jesus, his followers asked him about the stories in general, and particularly the story of the four soils.

4:11 The you to whom Jesus spoke was the group of his true followers. They had been given a special gift by God, for only they—among the crowds around Jesus—were permitted to understand the secret about the Kingdom of God. They understood, though only partially, the secret that God’s Kingdom had arrived among them in the person of Jesus. The Kingdom of God had been a “secret” to the prophets of the Old Testament because, though they wrote about it, they did not understand it (see Romans 16:25-26). The believers who knew Jesus personally received spiritual insight that illuminated the secret so that it was no longer a mystery to them.

Jesus was aware of the unbelief and outright hostility of many of his listeners. The outsiders have not yet accepted the message of salvation and may never do so. So, for them everything will remain concealed. Those “outside” (the religious leaders and the vast majority of the crowd) would never comprehend the secret, for they would not come to God for the answer. Choosing not to believe in Jesus as their Messiah, they would not be able to understand his Kingdom. The parables allowed Jesus to give spiritual food to those who hungered for it; but for the others, Isaiah’s prophecy would explain their situation.

4:12 God told Isaiah that people would see but not perceive, and hear but not understand (Isaiah 6:9); that same kind of reaction was witnessed by Jesus. The story of the farmer was an accurate picture of people’s reactions to all of Jesus’ stories. By quoting from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus was explaining to this inner group of followers that the crowd resembled the Israelites about whom Isaiah had written. God had told Isaiah that the people would listen but not learn from his message because their hearts had hardened beyond repentance. Yet God still sent Isaiah with the message because, even though the nation itself would not repent and would reap judgment, some individuals would listen. Jesus came to the Israelites hundreds of years after Isaiah, but the scenario was the same. Most would not repent because their hearts were hardened; but a few would listen, turn from their sins, and believe.

The deafness to the message did not mean the message was false or that the messenger was somehow at fault. It is not for us to understand why some believe and some do not; instead, we are simply to continue to trust in God and proclaim his message. Neither Isaiah’s nor Jesus’ audiences were denied the opportunity to turn from their sins and be forgiven. Instead, the point was clearly made that refusing to listen would mean inability to perceive and understand anything Jesus had to say.

4:13 People cannot see without the illumination of the Holy Spirit. To understand is like formerly blind eyes being made to see. By nature, humans are spiritually blind. But the spiritual insight given by the Holy Spirit illumines Jesus’ stories and indeed all of God’s word so that believers can truly “perceive” and “understand” what God has to say (4:9). Jesus was speaking to those to whom the “secret” had been revealed (4:11); so, they shouldn’t have needed any explanation at all.

4:14 The farmer was Jesus (see Matthew 13:37) and—by extension—anyone after him who would bring God’s message. The seed that is sown is the word of God (4:3).

4:15 The story reveals people’s varying responses to the gospel message. The attitude or condition of their hearts would govern their response. The word makes no impression on the “hard-path” people. Satan (like the birds, 4:4) comes at once and takes it away. Perhaps the person feels no need in his or her heart, no desire for anything other than this life, no guilt of sin or need of forgiveness. Satan has no trouble with these people.

4:16-17 The “rocky-soil” people hear the message and receive it with joy (4:5). These people receive the Good News of the gospel because of the promises offered. They initially show some promise of growth. These people understand some of the basics but do not allow God’s truth to work its way into their souls and make a difference in their lives—their roots don’t go very deep and so they wilt. When trouble comes (the hot sun, 4:6), they fall away.

4:18-19 “Thorny-ground” people hear and accept the Good News and allow it to take root in their hearts, giving hope of a harvest. But “thorns” grow up and choke out the growing seed—distractions and conflicts rob new believers of time to reflect on and digest God’s word in order to grow from it, as well as robbing guidance and support from interaction with other Followers of Christs. Jesus described the thorns: cares of this life, lure of wealth, and desire for nice things. Worldly cares (no matter how important or how minor), the false sense of security brought on by prosperity, and the desire for material things (including anything that serves to distract a person) plagued first-century disciples as they do us today. Daily routines overcrowd and materialistic pursuits distract believers so no crop is produced.

4:20 But other people are like the good soil—they hear, accept, and produce a huge harvest. These are the true disciples—those who have accepted Jesus, believed his words, and allowed him to make a difference in their lives.

4:21 In ancient Israel, a lamp was a lighted wick in a clay bowl that was full of oil. The lamp was not lit and then put under a closed place. Instead, the lamp was lit and placed on a stand, where its light will shine and illuminate the room. The disciples may have wondered why Jesus seemed to be deliberately hiding the truth of the gospel through his stories. Perhaps they thought that if the word was going to fall on hard hearts, then why should they sow it so liberally? Shouldn’t they just limit their teaching to those who were ready and eager to listen? “No,” explained Jesus, “I am not deliberately trying to hide the truth from people. That would be like lighting a lamp and then putting it under a bowl. Why then light the lamp at all? If I am hiding the truth, there is no reason for me to teach.” The purpose of the stories was not to conceal the truth, but to reveal it; the stories explained spiritual truths in everyday terms. So the stories do not obscure, they clarify—but only to those who are willing to listen and believe.

4:22 Jesus continued his explanation for his use of parables. Although the truth may be hidden or secret for a while, it will not remain so. One day the truth will be brought to light. This could refer either to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (when his followers would fully understand Jesus’ words) or the Second Coming. Jesus’ followers did not understand everything about Jesus at that time, but all their questions would be answered one day.

4:23 This saying, which repeats 4:9, often concluded Jesus’ important statements. As explained in 4:9 above, Jesus spoke of a deeper kind of listening: hearing not with the ears, but with the mind and heart. Only then could the hearers gain spiritual understanding from his stories.

4:24 Because the stories are so important in what they teach, Jesus warned the people to pay attention to his words. We must treasure the words of Jesus. Those who heard, understood, and then shared with others would be given even more understanding to pass along. Believers are responsible to use well their God-given understanding, insight, and opportunities to share the gospel. Whether they have little or much, that is not nearly as important as what is done with what they have. “The more you do this, the more you will understand”—a person’s openness and perception of the Kingdom message will bring great rewards. Ultimately, believers will receive eternal blessings in heaven.

4:25 The people who listen and understand are those who are open to Jesus’ teaching. To them God will give more understanding. They will continue to grow because they let God’s word make a difference in their lives. In contrast, those who are not listening will lose whatever they had. Jesus’ words here may have been directed to the Jews who had no understanding of Jesus and would lose even what they had—that is, their privileged status as God’s people. Or Jesus might have meant that when people reject him, their hardness of heart drives away or renders useless even the little understanding they had. Eventually, any opportunity to share in God’s Kingdom will be taken away completely.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Growing Seed / 4:26-29

Many of Jesus’ stories sprouted from similes. He focused on what people knew or saw and then pointed to a similarity between that and a characteristic of the Kingdom of God. The way Jesus made use of his surroundings demonstrates that all of creation is filled with lessons and pointers. This story teaches us that spiritual growth cannot be measured by a stopwatch. The Kingdom of God may be planted in us in an instant, but its growth becomes apparent only with the passing of time and the practice of faithfulness.

4:26-28 This story about the Kingdom of God, recorded only by Mark, reveals that spiritual growth is a continual, gradual process that is finally consummated in a harvest of spiritual maturity. We can begin to understand the process of spiritual growth by comparing it to the slow but certain growth of a plant. Even though the farmer did not understand the actual process of growth, his ignorance does not stop it from happening—the seeds sprouted and grew. In the same way, the Kingdom of God begins in a person’s life with a seed of understanding that takes root in the good soil of a ready heart. That seed sprouts and grows into strong faith. But how that happens is God’s responsibility.

The disciples, wondering about the difficult mission ahead of them, were being told by Jesus that they need not worry about how the Kingdom would grow. That part was up to God. Their job was to plant the seed. With his coming to earth, Jesus planted the Kingdom of God, and God would bring that harvest to fruition.

4:29 The farmer lets the seed grow in the fields and goes about his other work (4:26-27), but as soon as the grain is ready, he has work to do. The farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle (a curved blade mounted in a short handle). Likewise, the time will come when God will intervene decisively into the world’s affairs.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Mustard Seed / 4:30-34

Mark concluded this sampling of Jesus’ stories with a second lesson about the Kingdom of God. He began the chapter with the story of the four soils, which illustrates the variety of responses to the gospel. The two following stories focus on what happens when the truth finds a receptive heart. The story of the growing seed illustrates the growth rate of the Kingdom of God. The story of the mustard seed illustrates the surprising size of the growth from such a small beginning.

4:30 As if repeating from 4:26, Jesus prepared again to explain the Kingdom of God in a story. No one story could completely describe God’s Kingdom in all its aspects, so Jesus employed several of them. The crowds, and even some of the disciples, were expecting the Messiah to be a political leader who would free Israel from Rome. The only “kingdom” they could picture was an earthly one. So Jesus attempted to clarify his Kingdom even further for them.

4:31-32 In this story, Jesus stressed that his Kingdom would have a small beginning—indeed, it began with Jesus alone and, upon his ascension, was left in the care of twelve apostles and a few hundred other followers. Jesus compared this beginning to the mustard seed, which was the smallest seed a farmer used. The mustard seed was so small that it would take almost twenty thousand seeds to make one ounce. From this very tiny seed would grow a large shrub—the largest shrub among all the herbs that the farmer would plant in his garden. A mustard shrub could grow ten to twelve feet in just a few weeks. Jesus’ point was that just as a tiny seed can grow into one of the largest of plants, so God’s Kingdom can begin with a few people who truly believe and grow into such greatness that, upon Christ’s second coming, it will overpower the entire earth and rule supremely forever. For the disciples, and for us, this story meant that size or relative power does not indicate final results. God’s Kingdom would take root and grow across the world and through the years. This would be no political coup; the Kingdom would grow slowly but surely in people’s hearts, making a difference in people’s lives and preparing them for life to come in God’s eternal Kingdom.

4:33-34 Mark made clear that he did not record all of Jesus’ stories—there were probably too many to record. Jesus adapted his methods to his audience’s ability and desire to understand. He didn’t speak in stories to confuse people, but to challenge sincere seekers to discover the meaning of his words. As explained in 4:2-3, Jesus spoke in stories to the crowds (see also 4:1), but when he was alone with his disciples, he explained the meaning to them (see also 4:10). The disciples here are specifically the Twelve.

Jesus Calms the Storm / 4:35-41

In this section, Mark has described the intense encounters between Jesus and various groups (religious leaders, crowds, his own family) and given us a series of teaching stories. In this section, he recalled a series of miracles that demonstrated Jesus’ power over the natural elements, the spiritual realm, and the human body. He presented a strong case for Jesus’ startling uniqueness and divine nature.

Mark’s details of Jesus calming the storm are absent in the accounts of Matthew and Luke. These details indicate that Mark used Peter as a source. He gives intimate facts that only an eyewitness would have known. Believers today profess trust in Jesus’ power over the storms of life, but many fall short of demonstrating that trust when the storms arrive. Saying we believe that Jesus can help us takes on a whole new meaning when we actually depend on him for help.

4:35 When evening came, Jesus suggested that he and the disciples cross to the other side of the lake—that is, to the east side of the Sea of Galilee. The boat probably belonged to one of the fishermen in the group, most likely to Peter. For Peter to set sail in the evening was not unusual because he was used to fishing at night (see John 21:3). Fishing was best then; storms usually came in the afternoon.

So, when Jesus finished speaking, the disciples pulled up the anchor and set sail. Jesus’ ministry was never without purpose. He was crossing the sea in order to enter a new area of ministry. Along the way, the disciples would be taught an unforgettable lesson about his power.

4:36 A few people in the crowd probably expected Jesus to come ashore to offer more healing or teaching. But Jesus, human as he was, needed rest. So he left the crowds behind when the boat set sail.

The detail that other boats followed is recorded only in Mark and signifies an eyewitness account—perhaps from Peter who sailed the boat and had to watch out for these other boats as they made their way out into the lake. (Josephus, an ancient historian, wrote that there were usually more than three hundred fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee at one time.) The other boats accompanying Jesus may have been filled with persistent followers. The tiny detail gives us a picture of God’s grace—many people on these other boats were also saved when Jesus stilled the storm.

4:37 The Sea of Galilee is an unusual body of water. It is relatively small (thirteen miles long, seven miles wide); but it is 150 feet deep, and the shoreline is 680 feet below sea level. Because it is below sea level and surrounded by mountains, it is susceptible to sudden storms. Winds sweeping across the land come up and over the mountains, creating downdrafts over the lake. Combined with a thunderstorm that appears suddenly over the surrounding mountains, the water stirs into violent twenty-foot waves. The disciples had not foolishly set out in a storm. In fact, they usually didn’t encounter storms at night and did not see this one coming. Even though several of these men were expert fishermen and knew how to handle a boat, they had been caught without warning by this fierce storm. Their peril was real as they battled huge waves that nearly swamped their vessel.

4:38 While this was happening, Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat. How Jesus could sleep during this storm indicates his complete exhaustion and reveals his human nature. That the noise, the violent rocking of the boat, and the cold spray of the water didn’t awaken him gives us a glimpse of the physical drain on Jesus throughout his earthly ministry.

The disciples had embarked on this journey at Jesus’ request after a long day. They were probably tired too, but they had set sail anyway. Then, of all things, a storm blew in—one that was threatening to sink the boat and drown them. And Jesus was sleeping through it! They woke him and asked, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?” Their words were more of a criticism than a call for help. How easy it is for us to complain and criticize God for not coming to our aid, rather than making our request and then trusting him to answer.

Although the disciples had witnessed many miracles, they panicked in this storm. Added to that, they revealed that they completely misunderstood their teacher. They had seen Jesus perform great miracles of compassion, but they dared to ask if he cared about them at all. Their question was rude; their misunderstanding was deep.

4:39 Jesus, abruptly awakened from a deep sleep, arose and without speaking to the disciples spoke instead to the elements. Standing in the stern of the rocking ship, Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!” The disciples’ were shocked at the power of their teacher to speak and control the ocean waves. But they should not have been surprised. The storm was out of control, their fears were out of control, but Jesus was never out of control. He has power over all the forces of nature, and he listens to the appeals of those who love him.

4:40 The disciples had seen Jesus do incredible miracles, but they hadn’t taken their knowledge of his power and carried it to its logical conclusion. Jesus responded, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?” They wanted him to do something; he wanted them to trust him! Despite all that the disciples had seen and heard so far, and despite their belief in Jesus as the Messiah, they still had not grasped that Jesus was himself God, given God’s power and authority over all of creation.

4:41 But the disciples still didn’t understand, as betrayed by their question, “Who is this man?” They should have known because this miracle clearly displayed the truth of Jesus’ divine identity. Being with the human, compassionate Jesus was fine; being with the powerful and supernatural Son of God was terrifying.

When we become followers of Chirst, we enter a cosmic struggle because Satan hates people to believe in Jesus. Satan’s limited power is launched against believers individually and the church in general, hoping to sink us to the depths of the sea. But we have the ultimate power on our side, and the final victory is assured. Jesus should be our Savior, to whom we turn with all our needs and fears, knowing that he does care and will help.

 Tomorrow we’ll check out chapter 5.  I am praying that you will continue to GROW in Christ.

 Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Sources:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

Life Application Bible Notes

New American Commentary

Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

Preaching the Word Commentary