Daily Bible Reading (Wednesday, February 14th)
13Mark 5 (ESV)
Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 And when Jesus[b] had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed[c] man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus[d] to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus's Daughter
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing[e]what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus[f] saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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13 Comments
Tommy Hard Feb 15, 2018 @ 7:56 am
Theme Summary: Jesus casts out a legion of demons from a tormented man, who then proclaims how much Jesus has done for him. The people of the area ask Jesus to leave, however, because they would rather have a demon possessed man and their uncleanness than to have the man made well. Jesus cleanses a woman of her uncleanness as well, because she had faith, and demonstrates his power over death in raising a synagogue ruler's daughter.
Arturo Feb 14, 2018 @ 11:01 am
Amen Sarah, Kelly, and Lorrae.
Camacho Family Feb 14, 2018 @ 9:39 am
“Only believe” (v. 36), Mmmm, how many times I believe and I fear, I believe and I am worry, I believe and I am sad, the Lord Jesus Christ says “Only believe”, when everything looks lost (v.35), when people don’t believe (v. 38), when everybody mocks our faith (v. 40), only believe on him, our lord and savior (v. 42), what a wonderful and important lesson.
Lorrae Feb 14, 2018 @ 9:30 am
The man who had been demon possessed was told by Jesus to “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.” This reminds me of the ladies bible study of 1 Peter 2:9&10– as the demon possessed man was taken out of darkness and brought into the marvelous light of Jesus, having not received mercy, but now he has received mercy. Jesus told him to go and tell what the Lord has done for him just like we’re told to go and proclaim His excellencies. Praise God for His light & mercy He has shown me.
Kelly Bellinger Feb 14, 2018 @ 9:18 am
I've read this passage many times, and often read through the man with the demons in the graves and it occurs to me today that I never considered if I have anything in common with him. Not in being possessed, but in being ruled by forces opposed to Christ. Do we not so often fight within ourselves with desires that draw us away from God and into the dark places we don't really want to go? How often do I choose scripture over cable, or prayer over lunch out? We can have a good deal of spiritual pride around being Christians who do pray and read the Word, but how fully are we actually controlled by the Holy Spirit and not things of the world? I can say for myself, not nearly as much as I would like...Father fan the flames of desire for you in my heart!
Art Wachdorf Feb 14, 2018 @ 8:31 am
"Do not fear, only believe." Those are the words of our Savior. Those are the words He used to comfort Jairus when he heard the news his daughter had died. As Bruce noted, Jesus, the hope for the hopeless. In this case, Jesus even conquered death and raised he daughter. Those same words can comfort us in our most severe trials, do not fear, only believe.
Bruce Blakey Feb 14, 2018 @ 8:08 am
This is one of my favorite chapters in the Gospels. I see Jesus portrayed the Hope for the Hopeless. You have a demon possessed man whom the people had given up on and banished to the graveyard. You see the woman with the issue of blood that no physician could help. And you see the dead daughter of Jairus. These are all hopeless situations that Jesus is able to transform. We need to believe like the woman and listen to Jesus say to Jairus, "Do not fear, only believe." We need to believe what we believe about Jesus and place our hope in Him.
Andrew - It all depends on the situation. Jesus told some to keep it quiet because He didn't want people coming around just for the miracles. The demon possessed man, once he was delivered by Jesus, just wanted to hang with Jesus but the Lord sent him to tell others what the Lord had done.
Andrew Robinson Feb 14, 2018 @ 7:23 am
I find it strange that Jesus asks the demon possessed man to tell the people in the town about “how much The Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you,” yet he tells everyone else to not tell anyone about the miracle. Does anyone know why?
Sarah Birch Feb 14, 2018 @ 7:23 am
Wow! Today's passage highlights Christ's deity and makes us marvel at His power! Verses 1 - 20 really highlight Christ's supreme power, because here a demon who is in rebellion to Christ recognizes that Christ is God and has the power to do whatever He would like with the demon. This response is so different from our world who is in rebellion to Christ but denies His deity and His power. Soften their hearts Lord and give them ears to hear... And give me the boldness to proclaim you at all times.
Tyler T. Bull Feb 14, 2018 @ 6:50 am
Lots of falling down before Christ in this chapter. Demons cast themselves down before Him, a leader of the synagogue (Jairus), a perpetually unclean woman.
I suppose you could say these all received merciful and kind treatment from Christ. Each one was in a position of helplessness before Him. The demons helpless before His authority, the woman helpless to stop her bleeding, Jairus helpless to save His daughter. And Jesus deals kindly with all of them (even the demons).
A position a humility, desperation, and faith in Christ is always well received by Him. Praise God, and I pray we always find ourselves in such a place.
Jason Adam Feb 14, 2018 @ 6:49 am
The ferocity of the woman with the discharge of blood caught my attention today. All she was after was a piece of Jesus’ garment to reach out to in order to cure a physical sickness. We have his perfect, complete, and inerrant word that we can seeek after every day and it will heal our spiritual sickness. I pray that I will be as ferocious in my seeking after His Word as she was in seeking after an opportunity to touch His garment.
Colin Bradley Feb 14, 2018 @ 5:53 am
Verse 20 says, “And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” Father I pray this would motivate me to tell others about Jesus your son. I ask that you would forgive me of my narrow perspective because I often do not marvel at my salvation. I pray for courage to share the gospel with others so that they too can marvel at His great love for us!
Keagan McLeese Feb 14, 2018 @ 5:18 am
What a rich chapter! 3 things stood out to me this morning: #1) v. 19 - The man who had the Legion cast out of him had a testimony Jesus wanted him to tell, and I do too. #2) v. 34 - Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. #3) v. 36 - Don’t fear this world; fear God, and believe in His Son.