Beware of the Leaven of the World

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 8:1) In those days the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, (2) "I have compassion on the multitude because they have now been with me three days and have nothing to eat."

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had gone from the borders of Tyre and Sidon back to the Sea of Galilee through the borders of Decapolis.  It was in the days He was there that a great multitude of people were with Him and had apparently been listening to Him teach for three days.  He called His disciples to Him and told them that He had compassion on the multitude of people because they had been with Him so long and had nothing to eat.

(3) "And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint on the way, for some of them came from far."

Jesus told His disciples He did not want to send the people away back to their houses being so hungry as they might faint on the way, as some of them had come quite far.

(4) And His disciples answered Him, "From where can a man satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"

Remarkably, the disciples asked where they could get bread enough to satisfy the multitude out there in the wilderness.  Had they not remembered how Jesus had fed so recently the five thousand?  And even if this event had actually happened chronologically before the other, then they had forgotten at that time how Jesus fed the multitude.

(5) And He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven."

Jesus asked them how many loaves they had, and they answered they had seven.  For the first time I see significance in the number of loaves, seven.  Seven has a spiritual meaning in the Bible; it represents completeness and fullness, even perfection.  Even in the feeding of the five thousand, they had five loaves and two fishes equaling seven.  In both instances, they had the perfect number to feed the multitudes.

(6) And He commanded the people to sit down on the ground, and He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, and broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

Jesus instructed the people to sit on the ground.  He took the seven loaves of bread and gave thanks for them.  He then broke the bread and gave it to the disciples to set before the people, which they did.

(7) And they had a few small fish; and He blessed and commanded to set them also before them.

The disciples also had a few small fish, and Jesus took those, blessed them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people.

(8) So they ate and were filled, and they took up of what was left seven baskets.

The people ate and were filled, and when the disciples took up the leftovers, there were seven baskets full.  Again that number of perfection.  At the feeding of the five thousand, they had twelve baskets remaining.  Twelve, of course, represents the twelve tribes of Israel and also means perfection and completeness.

(9) And those who had eaten were about four thousand; and He sent them away.

This time Jesus had miraculously fed four thousand.  After they had eaten and were filled, He sent them away.

(10) And immediately He entered in a ship with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

After the multitude left, Jesus got onboard a ship, as they had been on the seashore.  He and His disciples sailed to the region of Dalmanutha which was a city in the coasts of Magdala, which is where Matthew said they had sailed to in his account.

(11) And the Pharisees came forth and began to question Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.

The Pharisees there came to Jesus to question and test Him.  They asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.

(12) And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek after a sign? Verily, I say to you there shall be no sign given to this generation."

Jesus sighed deeply in His soul, saddened by the hardness of the Pharisees' hearts, knowing they only sought to test Him, as they had already seen so many signs.  He told them there would be no sign given to them.  In Matthew's account, Jesus had added except for the sign of Jonah, which referred to His being in the tomb three days and then rising.

(13) And He left them, and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side.

Jesus left the Pharisees and returned to the ship and sailed toward the other side of the sea.

(14) Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they more than one loaf in the ship with them.

The disciples had forgotten to take bread with them on the ship, which apparently was their usual practice, as they might be at sea for days.

(15) And He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."

Jesus spoke to the disciples, having just left the Pharisees, telling them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.  In Matthew's account, Jesus had said the Pharisees and the Saducees.  It is very probable He had said to beware of them all.

(16) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "Because we have no bread."

The disciples reasoned among themselves that it was because they had forgotten bread that Jesus was talking about food.

(17) And when Jesus knew it, He said to them, "Why do you reason, because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive, neither understand? Is your heart yet hardened?"

Jesus knew what they were saying and asked why they reasoned that He was talking about food.  He asked if they still didn't understand and if their hearts were still too hard to perceive what He was talking about.

(18) "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?"

Jesus seemed quite exasperated with His disciples and continued, asking if they had eyes but could not see; they had eyes to see physically, but failed to see with their spirits and understand.  He asked if they had ears but could not hear, meaning their spiritual ears that failed to hear.  Jesus asked them if they didn't remember; they had seen and heard countless things from Him and should have been able to comprehend the spiritual things.

(19) "When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve."

Jesus then questioned the disciples about the recent miracles they had just witnessed.  He asked about the time He broke five loaves of bread and fed five thousand with it.  He asked how many baskets of leftovers they took up after the people had eaten their fill.  They answered twelve.

(20) "And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."

Jesus then asked them about the most recent time He had just fed four thousand with seven loaves; how many baskets of leftovers had they taken up then?  They answered seven.

(21) And He said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"

Jesus asked His disciples how it was that they did not understand.  His point was, of course, that they had no need to be worried about bread, and He certainly wouldn't be concerned about bread, the food, so why was it they had reasoned among themselves that He would be talking about food?  How was it they couldn't understand He was talking about spiritual bread?  The leaven He had been talking about was the false spiritual leaven of the hypocrites which like leaven would spread throughout the heart and soul and even a population.

(22) And He came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man to Him and beseeched Him to touch him.

Jesus came to Bethsaida, a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee.  The account in John tells us it was the city of Peter, Andrew, and Philip.  Some people brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch the man.

(23) And He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town, and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of town.  He was either avoiding vain praise and glory, or perhaps because of the unbelief and hardened hearts of the people in this place, He did not wish to perform a miracle in their presence.  Jesus was not about vain show, but did have mercy on and wish to heal this man.  When they were out of town, Jesus spit on the blind man's eyes and put His hands on him and asked if he saw anything.

(24) And he looked up and said, "I see men as trees, walking."

The blind man told Jesus he could see men who looked like trees walking.  From a distance, they all looked the same, but because of their motion, he was able to distinguish the men from the trees.

(25) After that He put His hands again on his eyes, and made him look up; and he was restored and saw every man clearly.

Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes again, and this time when the man looked up, his vision was perfectly restored and he could see every man clearly.  Once again, we see Jesus heal in a different way.  He could have merely spoken and the man would have been healed.  He could have been healed the moment Jesus touched him.  Why was this done in stages?  I believe it was to show us there was no magic formula; we do not have to have Jesus physically touching us to heal us.  Sometimes Jesus might use doctors to heal, and it might be a gradual healing, but the same miraculous result may occur.  In addition, it was an illustration of spiritual blindness.  A sinner is blind to the truth, and through the effects of religion and the Holy Spirit, begins to see, but at first not clearly.  At first doctrines may seem mysterious and he cannot totally comprehend them.  However, as he is converted and becomes a new man and has the Holy Spirit to guide him in all truth, he soon can see distinctly.

(26) And He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town nor tell anyone in the town."

Once again Jesus charged a recipient of His miraculous healing not to tell anyone about it, to go to his house and not to go into town.  Once again we can assume that Jesus did not wish to give more fuel to the fire of the Pharisees' jealousy and bring their action before its time.

(27) And Jesus went out and His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi, and by the way He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Whom do men say that I am?"

Then Jesus and His disciples went into the towns of Caesarea Philippi, so called because it was ruled by Philip the Tetrarch.  On the way He asked His disciples whom men said that He was.

(28) And they answered, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah, and others, one of the prophets."

They answered by saying some said He was John the Baptist, others thought He was Elijah, as they were expecting Elijah to come before the Messiah, and still others thought He was one of God's prophets, either one of the past come again, or a new prophet raised up by God.

(29) And He said to them, "But whom do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."

Jesus then asked His disciples who they thought He was.  Peter answered that He was the Christ.  In the account in Matthew, Jesus told Peter that he was blessed to know that because he could not have known by "flesh and blood," but only by Father God in heaven.

(30) And He charged them that they should tell no man about Him.

Jesus commanded His disciples not to tell anyone that fact, at least for the time being.  He didn't want the people trying to set Him up as a king which was what many were expecting the coming Messiah to be, and He didn't want to provoke the anger of the scribes and Pharisees to try to destroy Him before His time.

(31) And He began to teach them that the Son must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Jesus then began to teach His disciples about what was to happen to Him on earth.  He was going to have to suffer at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He would be killed, but after three days, He would rise again.

(32) And He spoke that word openly. And Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him.

Jesus spoke very openly and honestly to His disciples about what was to happen to Him.  However, Peter, not liking what he was hearing about Jesus's suffering and death, took Him aside and began to argue that fact with Him.  The account in Matthew told us Peter said that it would not happen that way to Him.

(33) But when He had turned about and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you don't savor the things that are of God, but the things that are of men."

I'm sure, as quite a surprise to Peter, Jesus turned and rebuked him, even seemingly called him Satan.  In fact, Jesus was speaking to Satan who must have prompted Peter to say what he did.  He told him he didn't speak the things of God, but only the selfish feelings of man; for, of course, we know God had a much greater purpose in mind.

(34) And when He had called the people to Him, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me."

Jesus then called the people to Him that had been close by as they always seemed to be around Jesus.  He also called His disciples to Him to hear this truth, that whoever desired to follow Him must be prepared to deny themselves of their worldly and selfish desires.  They must deny their own wills and embrace the will of God, no matter what the painful consequences.

(35) "For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, he shall save it."

Jesus went on to tell them that whoever tried to save his own life by his own means would lose it.  However, whoever gave up his life and his will for the sake of Christ and the gospel, he would save his life, even have an eternal life.

(36) "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Jesus then asked rhetorically what good was it if a man had all the money and power and means to gain the entire world, but lost his soul in the process.

(37) "Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Jesus then posed another question, just what would a man give in exchange for his soul?  All the riches and power in the world would only be a temporary thing, a blip in eternity.  Was man willing to give his eternal soul in exchange for a brief worldly gain?

(38) "Whoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

One of the reasons that the Jews rejected Jesus was that they were expecting a king to come save them in the traditional sense.  Had He indeed come clothed in royal robes, He would probably have had a huge following, but most of them would have been hypocrites.  Jesus came to the world in a lowly manner that the world might be saved by receiving His message and accepting His gift of redemption, not by adoration to a worldly king.  If any man was ashamed of Him and His words because He was not a rich and beautiful worldly king, then he would be lost and condemned when the Lord returned to gather His saints.  Jesus came in opposition to the ruler of the darkness of this world who deceives with worldly riches and power, so why would He have come in worldly riches and power?  Salvation is in Him and His words alone, not in any worldly riches, power, or fame.  Anyone who rejected that seemingly lowly person and message would be eternally lost.  And should He die a lowly miserable death, words Peter had rejected, it did not diminish Him and His word; in fact, as Peter and all the disciples would learn, it is what brought salvation and victory over death when Jesus would triumphantly rise again.

The Heart of the Law Vs. Traditions of Man

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 7:1) Then came together to Him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes, who came from Jerusalem.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had come into the land of Gennesaret.  It seems that the Pharisees and some scribes heard He was there and decided to go from Jerusalem to see Him there.

(2) And when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

When the scribes and Pharisees saw some of Jesus's disciples eating bread with unwashed hands, they immediately found fault, for which they were probably looking when they decided to come to Gennesaret to observe Jesus.

(3) For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands scrubbing, holding the tradition of the elders. (4) And when they come from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received to hold, the washing of cups, pots, copper vessels, and tables.

It was a tradition handed down by the elders that the Jews must scrub their hands well before eating.  When they came from the marketplace perhaps having bought food, they were not to eat it until they had washed.  There were many other things that the Jews held as tradition that had been passed down from the elders, like the washing of utensils and tables, etc.

(5) Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"

Having seen some of the disciples eating with unwashed hands against their tradition, the scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him why they did not walk according to those traditions and ate with unwashed hands.

(6) He answered and said to them, "Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.'"

Jesus answered the scribes and Pharisees, first by saying that Isaiah had pegged them well when he prophesied of such hypocrites, and then He quoted Isaiah 29:13 which spoke of the people honoring the Lord with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him.

(7) "'How in vain they do worship Me teaching doctrines the commandments of men.'"

Jesus continued quoting Isaiah in a paraphrase of Isaiah 29:13 that spoke of the people teaching as doctrine the precepts of men.

(8) "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and cups, and many other such things you do."

Jesus accused them of setting aside the commandments of God, and holding to their own traditions of men, such as the washing of utensils, the ritual washing of hands, and many other such things.

(9) And He said to them, "Full well you reject the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition. (10) For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him die the death.'"

Jesus reiterated how the scribes and Pharisees rejected the commandment of God in order to keep their own traditions.  He went on to quote Moses on the commandment to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12), and the law's penalty for cursing father or mother, death (Exodus 21:17).

(11) "But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "It is Corban," that is to say, a gift, "by whatever you might have received from me."' (12) And you allow him to do no more for his father or his mother."

Rather than obeying Moses's commandment of God, Jesus said that the Pharisees had made their own law of man that said a man was allowed to call whatever gift he would have supposedly given to his father and mother "Corban," meaning a gift offered to God.  Then he was released from doing any more for his parents.  It's as if he said that he had given an offering to the synagogue in their name, rather than giving them the offering to help in their need.  It was an offering that he should have given the synagogue anyway, and also he should have supported his parents.  However, by telling his parents that he had devoted their portion to God, he got away with not supporting them, thus not honoring them as the commandment instructed.

(13) "Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have delivered; and many such like things you do."

With the tradition in Jesus's example to the scribes and Pharisees, He told them they had subverted the word of God and had made it of no effect through their tradition of men.  That was one example of how they did it, but He said they did it with many other things in that manner.

(14) And when He had called all the people to Him, He said to them, "Hearken to Me, everyone, and understand."

Jesus then called all the people to Him to hear Him continue with the teaching He had begun in His answer to the scribes and Pharisees.  He urged them all to listen to Him and to understand.

(15) There is nothing from outside a man that entering into him can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.

By saying that nothing from outside a man going into him could defile him, Jesus was further answering the question about why the disciples ate with unwashed hands.  Eating food with dirty hands, suggesting that dirty food went into a man, did not defile a man.  It's the things that came out of him that defiled him.  As Jesus had said in Matthew 12:34, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  It's those things from his heart that he spoke that defiled him.

(16) "If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus had called the people to Him, urging them to listen and understand.  He now reiterated that sentiment by adding that anyone who had ears to hear Him, let him truly hear, inferring his understanding.

(17) And when He had entered into the house from the people, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.

When Jesus had gone into a house away from the crowd of people, His disciples asked Him about what He had previously said.  It seems to me it hardly qualified as a parable, but the disciples hadn't been able to understand Jesus's meaning, so it seemed a parable with hidden meaning to them. 

(18) And He said to them, "Are you so without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever thing from outside enters into the man cannot defile him? (19) Because it does not enter into his heart, but into the belly and goes out into the privy, purging all foods."

Jesus seemed a bit exasperated with His disciples.  He asked if they were also with no understanding as the people He had spoken to outside.  After all, they had been with Him all this time, being taught by Him, and it had been given them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:11).  Jesus asked His disciples if they could not understand that what entered into a man could not defile him, because what went in went to the belly and not the heart, and it further went out into the toilet, purifying all foods.  The body took what was nutritious and used it, and eliminated the rest as waste; therefore it had been purified by the body and could not defile him.

(20) And He said, "That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. (21) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, (22) Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. (23) All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

Jesus went on to explain the rest of the "parable."  It's what came out of the man that defiled him, for those things came from his heart.  All evil thoughts and plans for evil deeds start with feelings embedded in the heart.  Jesus then went on to name a long list of evil intentions that came from the heart of man, coming from within and defiling the man.

Sometimes I am struck by the slowness of the disciples to grasp what seems so obvious.  However, I have had the benefit of much more learning than they had had at that point.  We have the entire Biblical manual, including the New Testament, with all the mistakes of human beings, including the disciples, from which to learn.  It should give us great hope and inspiration to know that such flawed and seemingly intellectually dull people could do such great things with God.  After all, God used even a donkey (Numbers 22:28)!

(24) And from there He arose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and wanted no man to know but He could not be hidden.

Jesus then went from Gennesaret to the borders of Tyre and Sidon, two cities in Phoenicia.  It seems He did not go into those cities but was on the outskirts in those areas of Galilee that bordered on Phoenicia.  He went into a house there desiring no one to know He was there, but Jesus had become too famous to be hidden.

(25) For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard of Him and came and fell at His feet.

A woman who had a daughter with an unclean spirit indeed heard Jesus was there and came to Him and fell down at His feet.

(26) The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by nation; and she begged Him to cast the devil out of her daughter.

The woman was Greek, a Gentile, not a Jew.  She was a Syro-Phoenician or a Canaanite, as it seems Canaan was sometimes called Syro-Phoenicia as it lay between Syria and Phoenicia.  She came to Jesus and begged Him to cast the devil out of her daughter.  According to the account in Matthew, she repeatedly begged, having received no answer at first.

(27) But Jesus said to her, "Let the children first be filled, for it is not good to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs."

Jesus finally did answer her and told her that the children of Israel were to be filled first, for He had come to save the lost sheep of Israel.  He said it was not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs, meaning it was not the time and not proper to give the Gentiles what was meant for the Jews.

(28) And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."

The woman did not deny that what Jesus said was true.  She agreed but pointed out that even the dogs under the table were able to eat the crumbs that the children dropped.  I am struck by the ability of this woman to understand Jesus's analogy when even His disciples did not understand some of the simplest analogies.

(29) And He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the devil is gone out of your daughter."

Jesus was evidently also struck by her understanding and faith in Him that even the crumbs of His greatness could cure her daughter.  He told her that because she had said what she did, her daughter was healed and she should go her way.

(30) And when she had come to her house, she found the devil gone out and her daughter lying on the bed.

Indeed, when the woman went to her house, she found her daughter lying peacefully on the bed and the devil was gone out of her.

(31) And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came to the Sea of Galilee through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

Jesus then went back from the borders of Tyre and Sidon and headed back to the Sea of Galilee through the midst of the region of Decapolis.  The verse said He came to the Sea of Galilee, but I believe the point is that He probably neared it but was still on the edge of the borders of Decapolis.

(32) And they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they beseeched Him to put His hand upon him.

While in this region, some people brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech.  They begged Him to lay His hand upon him, obviously knowing that would heal the man.

(33) And He took him aside from the multitude and put His fingers into his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.

Jesus took the man aside away from the multitude.  He put His fingers into the man's ears, then spat probably on His finger and then touched the man's tongue with it.

(34) And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."

Jesus then looked up to heaven and sighed, pitying the sufferings of the man before Him, and then said, "Ephphatha," which literally meant "be opened."  It was an emphatic statement; He was not asking His Father God in heaven to open the ears of the man, for He had all the power to do that Himself.  I believe in this action He demonstrated that healing came from God in heaven above.  I also believe that in the way He healed the man in this situation, He sought to teach that there was no magic formula to receive healing.  Jesus had power over all and could heal with just His word, but the people who brought the man to Jesus asked that He put His hand on him.  I believe Jesus wanted to demonstrate that the healing came from God in heaven above and took a few more steps this time to prove that.  After all, Jesus would not always be there with the people to lay His hands on them; they needed to understand just where His power came from.

(35) And immediately his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed and he spoke plainly.

Immediately the man's ears were opened and he could hear, and his tongue was freed so that he could speak plainly.  I love the double meaning of the original word used for "bond," that is, "desmos."  It meant "band" as in the ligament in the man's tongue that was loosened, and it also meant "bond" as in shackled or bound, as the man surely was in bondage to his disability.

(36) And He charged them that they should tell no man, but the more He charged them, so much the more they published a great deal.

Once again Jesus commanded that the man and the people who witnessed his healing not to tell anyone about it.  Once again He was desirous to keep the scribes and Pharisees from adding fuel to their fire, so to speak, as it was not yet time.  And once again the people just could not contain their joy and awe at the healing.  Mark went as far to say that the more Jesus charged people not to tell of their healing, the more they proclaimed it.  I'm sure it wasn't that they wanted to disobey; it was just too good to keep to themselves.

(37) And were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak."

The deaf man, the people who witnessed the healing, and perhaps also meaning the people who were told of the miraculous healing, were amazed beyond measure at all the ways Jesus healed completely and perfectly.  They referred to the healings they could see, but Jesus also perfectly and completely redeemed men's souls, saving the entire lost world if its inhabitants just accept His offering.

In this chapter, we saw Jesus teaching the heart of the law, not the legalistic tradition of man it had become.  You could also see the heart of the law in His healing of the Syro-Phoenician woman's daughter.  Although He had come to save His own people, the heart in the law was to save all people who would have faith in Him.  His heart was demonstrated in the healing of the deaf man when He sighed and looked up to heaven to show all where their hope and healing came from.  Truly God loves all His creation and meets us where we are to give us just what we need to receive His mercy and grace.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand and Walks on Water

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 6:30) And the apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.

In the last post, Jesus had sent His disciples out two by two to preach the Gospel.  They now had come back to Jesus and reported all they had taught and done.

(31) And He said to them, "Come yourselves apart to a desert place and rest awhile," for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Jesus told His disciples to go out to a deserted place to rest, for where they were, so many people were constantly coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat.  Jesus knew that rest was necessary, and it is the reason that God rested the seventh day of creation, to show us the need for rest.

(32) And they departed to a desert place by ship privately.

Jesus and the disciples were able to separate themselves from the people by taking a ship to a deserted location.

(33) And the people saw them departing and many knew Him and ran afoot there out of all the cities, and outran them, and came together to Him.

Although they had separated themselves from the people by boarding the ship, the people saw them departing and many ran by foot and outran the boat, and came together to Jesus when He arrived at His destination.

(34) And Jesus, when He came out, saw many people and was moved with compassion toward them because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things.

When Jesus came out of the boat and saw the many people who had run ahead to meet Him, He had compassion on them.  They were as lost sheep without a shepherd.  They were hungering to be taught by Jesus because they had no good teachers in the scribes and Pharisees.  Therefore, Jesus began to teach them many things.

(35) And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a desert place and now the time is far passed. (36) Send them away that they may go into the surrounding country and into the villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat."

It appears Jesus taught the people most of the day.  When it was late in the day, His disciples came to Him suggesting that it was getting quite late and since they were in a deserted place, He should send the people away so that they might go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves something to eat.

(37) He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii's worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"

Jesus told His disciples that they should give the people something to eat instead of sending them out to get it themselves.  This brings to mind something that happened to me once.  My husband and I were getting out of the car at church one Sunday morning when a young lady approached us.  She had just been released from the jail across the street and had no money and no ride.  My first impulse was to run inside the church to get her some help.  I was even on my way when I stopped and turned around and said, "I guess we can help her."  My husband nodded knowingly as he usually did know the right thing to do in these type situations.  She just needed a lunch at Burger King, a ride to the bus station, and a ticket home.  Of course, we were able to do that!  But like the disciples, my first thought was to send her away to someone else to help.  

Back to Jesus and His disciples--when Jesus directed the disciples to feed the people themselves, they asked if they should go buy bread to feed the people.  In the account in John, Philip suggested that two hundred denarii's worth of bread wasn't even enough to give every single one of the people there just a little bread.  The disciples were limiting Jesus to what they themselves might be able to do without Him.  We humans do seem to want to put God in a little human box and limit Him to our understanding.  2 Timothy 3:5 talks about people who have a form of godliness but deny its power.  Paul told Timothy to turn away from such people!  That is like the scribes and Pharisees were; they had a form of godliness in religion, but denied the power of the true all-powerful God.  Our one true God and Jesus in the flesh could do all things!  The disciples should have realized that by now.

(38) He said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." And when they knew, they said, "Five and two fish."

Jesus asked the disciples to go and see how many loaves of bread they had.  They came to Him and reported they had five loaves of bread and two fish.

(39) And He commanded them to make all sit down in groups on the green grass.

Then Jesus instructed the disciples to have all the people sit down on the grass in groups.

(40) And they sat down in groups, in hundreds and in fifties.

Indeed, the disciples had the people sit down in groups of one hundred and groups of fifty.

(41) And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to the heaven and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.

Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, and looked up to heaven and blessed the food.  Our food and all provisions are surely blessed by God in that He provided them to us, and we should always be mindful to thank Him for these blessings.  Jesus then broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people.  He also divided the two fish.

(42) And they all ate and were filled.

Miraculously all the people were able to eat their fill!

(43) And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments and of the fish.

When the people were full, the disciples picked up the leftovers in baskets and filled twelve of them, much more than when they started.

(44) And those who ate of the loaves were about five thousand men.

Jesus had fed five thousand men, not including women and children, according to the account in Matthew, with what began as five loaves of bread and two fish.

(45) And immediately He compelled His disciples to get into the ship and to go to the other side over against Bethsaida while He sent away the people.

Immediately after they ate, Jesus instructed His disciples to get into the ship and go to the other side of the sea across from Bethsaida while He sent the multitudes away.

(46) And when He had sent them away, He departed to a mountain to pray.

When Jesus had sent His disciples away in the ship and had sent the multitude of people away, He was alone to depart into a mountain to pray.  It is interesting that Jesus being God, prayed to God in heaven as often as He did.  Did He need to pray in order to continue to have power on earth?  I don't think so.  As completely human, He did have a need for prayer, but not because it would give Him the innate godly power He already had on earth.  Rather it was a need for spiritual support, and a desire to be in communion with God in heaven, and prayer is the only way we here on earth can communicate with God in heaven.

(47) And when evening had come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land.

By the time evening had come, Jesus was alone on the shore as He had sent all the people away, and the ship with His disciples was in the midst of the sea.

(48) And He saw them toiling in rowing for the wind was contrary to them; and about the fourth watch of the night He came to them walking on the sea, and would have passed by them.

Jesus saw the disciples in their ship in the midst of the sea struggling to row against the wind.  It was in the fourth watch of the night, which would have been after 3:00 in the morning, when He came to them walking on water, and it seemed as though He would have walked right past them.  Why was that part significant enough to be added to the scripture?  I think it was meant to give a visual of how Jesus appeared on the water.  By the direct line in which He appeared to be going, and perhaps with the swiftness and determination with which He walked, it seemed as if He would walk right past them.

(49) But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a spirit and cried out.

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they assumed it was a ghost and cried out in fear.

(50) For they all saw Him and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

All the disciples had seen what they thought to be a ghost walking on the water and were afraid.  However, Jesus spoke to them, telling them to be of good cheer, for it was Him and they had no need to be afraid.

(51) And He went up to them in the ship, and the wind ceased; and they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure and wondered.

Jesus went up into the ship with the disciples and the wind ceased and the sea was calm.  Amazingly, the disciples were so amazed beyond measure and marveled at what they had seen Jesus do.  They had seen countless miracles, even the raising of the dead, and so recently the feeding of the more than five thousand, yet this miracle of walking on water amazed them beyond measure?

It is also interesting to note that although Mark was said to be Peter's scribe, he did not write about Peter's walking on water to meet Jesus as Matthew had written.  It seems that Matthew often elevated Peter to a position greater than the other disciples, as if he were the head of their group.  I would imagine Peter, in turn, would not want to boast about himself, but rather concentrate on the greatness of his Master.

(52) For they considered not the loaves, for their hearts were hardened.

Indeed, the scripture points out that the disciples should have considered the miracle of the loaves they had just witnessed, as well as countless other miracles, and known in their hearts that Jesus was perfectly capable of any such miracle.  However, their hearts and minds were still hard and slow to understand.

(53) And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret and drew to the shore.

When Jesus and His disciples had completely crossed over the sea, they came to the land of Gennesaret and brought their boat to shore.

(54) And when they had come out of the ship, immediately they knew Him.

When Jesus and the disciples came out of the ship, the people there immediately recognized Jesus.

(55) And ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about in beds those who were sick to where they heard He was.

The people ran through the whole region scrambling to bring to Jesus those who were sick wherever they heard He might be.

(56) And wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch if it were only the border of His garment; and as many as touched Him were made whole.

Wherever in that region that Jesus went, whether in the villages, the cities, or even in the country, people brought their sick to Him and laid them in the streets, beseeching Him that they be allowed to merely touch the hem of His garment.  It seems as though the news of that such miracle as with the woman with the issue of blood had reached them, and they desired merely to be able to touch His hem.  All those who touched Him were indeed made whole.  We aren't told that the people desired to hear Jesus's teaching, only to be healed, but just as Jesus had compassion on the sick in Nazareth where it was said He could do no mighty work because of their unbelief, He had compassion on these sick people.

Jesus Is Rejected in Nazareth, Then Sends His Twelve Disciples Out to Preach; Beheading of John the Baptist

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 6:1) And He went out from there and came into His own country, and His disciples followed Him.

At the end of the last chapter Jesus had just healed the daughter of a ruler of the synagogue at the ruler's house in Capernaum.  He now went from Capernaum to His own land around Nazareth.  Nazareth was said to be Jesus's own city because He had been conceived there and had been educated there.  He had regard for it as His hometown.  His disciples followed Him there.

(2) And when the Sabbath day had come, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands?"

When the Sabbath day had come, Jesus began teaching at the synagogue in Nazareth.  Many of the people hearing Him teach marveled and were astonished at His teaching.  They wondered where He had gotten such ideas and wisdom.  They recognized that He had some power to perform miracles and wondered what gave Him such power and wisdom.

(3) "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him.

Although the people marveled, they recognized that Jesus was the carpenter, the son of Mary, who had grown up with them.  Matthew had stated in his account that Jesus was the carpenter's Son, but it is perfectly reasonable to believe that Jesus had worked in His earthly father's trade in His younger years.  The fact that Mary was mentioned and not Joseph, might mean that Mary was a widow by then.  James, Joses, Judah, and Simon might have been the half-brothers of Jesus, sons of Mary and Joseph, but they might also have been close kinsmen, close enough to be called brothers.  The point is that these people knew Jesus's roots and His family.  They knew His sisters who were still among them.  They became offended that "one of them" should now claim this apparent spiritual superiority over them.  At least that is the way they probably saw it.  Seeing Him grow up with them and knowing His family, they could not or would not believe who He truly was, and by what power and wisdom He did the things He did.

(4) But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and among his own kin and in his own house."

Jesus somewhat pardoned their ignorance.  He recognized that the primary place a prophet was without honor and respect as a prophet was among the people with whom he had grown up and his own family and household.  However, that did not completely excuse them.  Jesus recognized that it might be harder for them to believe and be saved, just as it is harder for a rich man to be saved (Matthew 19:24) or for a good man (1 Peter 4:18).  His own people find it hard to believe, a rich man finds it hard to give up his money, and a "good" man doesn't see his need as a sinner.  It might be harder, but not impossible, and it is necessary to be saved only through the saving grace of Jesus Christ's sacrifice.  

(5) And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick folk and healed them.

It's not that Jesus was unable to do mighty miracles because of the people's unbelief, but the purpose of miracles is to bring people to a saving belief in Christ.  If people were not receptive to His message, then Jesus was not about vain show.  He knew the hearts and minds of those people before He spoke and knew whether or not they would be receptive of His teaching.  He concluded it was useless to perform a mighty work there.  However, Jesus did have mercy on a few sick people and healed them.

(6) And He marveled because of their unbelief.  And He went round about the villages, teaching.

Jesus the man could not help but be amazed at the unbelief of His very own people.  There He was offering grace and eternal life, and the people were too stubborn to even listen.  So Jesus went around to the surrounding villages and taught.  

(7) And He called the twelve and began to send them forth two by two and gave them power over unclean spirits.

Jesus called His twelve disciples to Himself and sent them out in pairs to preach and teach the Gospel.  By sending out two together, they would be able to support and encourage each other.  Besides, there was that scriptural adage that a thing was established if out of the mouth of two or three.  Jesus gave His disciples the power over unclean spirits.  In the last chapter, we were told of Jesus's innate nature to heal and drive out evil spirits.  The disciples were not able to drive out spirits of their own power, but Jesus gave them that power.  That squashes the notion of faith teachers that we can all heal and exorcise demons if we have enough faith.  It is only if it is within God's will and He gives us that power, and the Holy Spirit so directs us; then it is actually Him doing the healing or exorcism.

This reminds me of something I personally witnessed.  I was in a women's mentoring group, and prayer was asked for a sick member.  One woman prayed humbly that if it was in God's will, would He please heal that woman.  Another woman, apparently not pleased with the path of her prayer, interrupted and began praying that she knew God wanted that woman healed and therefore she demanded that sickness leave that woman's body.  She presumed to know the mind of God!  I've been in Word of Faith groups before, and they take scripture and claim every one as a promise for us all, and therefore think they know what God wants at any given moment.  As a result, they think they have the right to demand it.  What they fail to realize is that God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9).  There may be a greater purpose in allowing a person to suffer with an illness.  There may be countless people saved because they see the faith and joy and peace of Christians regardless of their apparent hopeless situations.  I have a personal testimony regarding my husband that attests to that.  My husband was blind; he actually regained slight vision and then lost it totally again.  He had a weak heart and countless other medical problems resulting from a terrible car crash when he was younger.  His parents had been told on countless occasions that he would not make it through the night.  He was always in a lot of pain and normal daily activities seemed a struggle.  His heart finally did give out and he is no longer with me, but I cannot tell you how many people he touched just by his humble life and soft-spoken words.  And he always gave glory to God for all the little things.  People saw that and continue to tell me what an inspiration he was.  Just by living with all his infirmities and continuing in faith and love, he was an inspiration!  If countless more people were saved observing his life than would have been if he had not gone through it all, then which is the good thing?  Our selfish afraid of adversity selves would say the good thing would be to be immediately healed!  But what if it is God's purpose for our lives that we persevere in adversity so that others may see the hope within us and be saved?  We can't all be preachers and missionaries.  But if we perform our purposes with willing and glad hearts, there is great reward in heaven.  And this life on earth is just a blip in the whole of eternity.  As it says in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

(8) And commanded them to take nothing for their journey except a staff only, no bag, no bread, no money.

Jesus commanded His disciples to take nothing with them as they went forth two by two, except for a staff, which probably served as a walking aid.  They were to be about their work and not concerned with their "things."  God would provide.

(9) But be shod with sandals and not put on two coats.

They were to wear sandals but were not to take extra clothes.  Again, all their needs would be provided.  

(10) And He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, abide there till you depart from that place."

Jesus further instructed His disciples.  In whatever city or town they went to, when they were invited in to stay at a house, they were to stay there until they left that city or town.  That was to be their headquarters, so to speak.  They weren't to go from house to house throughout the town spending the nights in different places.  There was wisdom in that command, as there always is with Christ's commands.  Once they were welcomed into a place, it should only increase the pleasure of their hosts to be a small part of their great work; and the time it would take to find another place to stay and settle into there would only take away from their work.  Jesus would make sure they were welcomed into the right place in the beginning!

(11) "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city."

If the disciples came to a city where no one would receive them into their houses or even listen to them, Jesus told them that when they left that city, they were to shake off the dust of that city's ground as a testimony against them.  They had been in that city's ground but now shook it off, leaving that city completely behind that had rejected the Gospel.  Jesus went on to say that in the day of judgment still to come, judgment on the city that rejected the disciples and their gospel message would be more severe than it would be for even Sodom and Gomorrah.

(12) And they went out and preached that men should repent.

The disciples went out as Jesus sent them forth, two by two, preaching that men should repent of their sinful ways.

(13) And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

The disciples were able to cast out devils with the power Jesus had given them.  They anointed the sick with oil which was a common custom among the Jews as it might have a soothing effect on the body.  In the case of the disciples, they also healed the sick by the power given them by Jesus.

(14) And King Herod heard of Him (for His name was spread abroad), and he said, "That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him."

King Herod began to hear of Jesus and the fame of His works.  He thought that it must have been John the Baptist risen from the dead.  I suppose his reasoning was that if John had the power to rise from the dead, he would have the power to do miracles.

(15) Others said, "That is Elijah." And others said, "That is a prophet or like one of the prophets."

Other people thought it was Elijah whom the Jews did expect to come before the Messiah.  Still others said it was one of the old prophets risen up, or a new prophet who had been raised up with the same power as the old prophets.

(16) But when Herod heard, he said, "It is John whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead."

When Herod heard the opinions of others, he rejected them.  He was sure it was John the Baptist whom he had had beheaded.  Obviously, his conscience was bothering him for having so good a man beheaded, and he was sure John had come back from the dead.

(17) For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold of John and bound him in prison for Herodias's sake, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her. (18) For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

More detail is given about how Herod came to have John beheaded, and why his conscience might be bothering him.  Herod had taken his brother's wife, Herodias, as his own.  John had told Herod that it was unlawful for him to do so, so he had had John seized and bound in prison for Herodias's sake, and honor, as I suppose he would have thought it.

(19) Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him, but she could not.

Prison for John was not good enough for Herodias.  She wanted him killed, but it was not in her power to do so.

(20) For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, and observed him, and when he heard him, he did many things and heard him gladly.

Herodias had surely petitioned Herod to have John killed, but Herod feared John because he knew he was a just and holy man.  He kept him in prison, but observed him, listening to what he had to say.  He did many things and listened to John gladly.  We aren't told what many things he did, but it seems to be in reference to the things John was telling him that he received gladly.  However, we know that he did not fully embrace John's message as he continued to keep his brother's wife as his own.

(21) And when a convenient day had come when Herod on his birthday made a supper for his lords, high captains, and chiefs of Galilee; (22) And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the damsel, "Ask of me whatever you will and I will give it to you."

An opportune time came for Herodias when it was Herod's birthday and he held a supper for all his nobles and chief officers.  The daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and the men who sat with him.  He was so pleased with her performance that he told her he would grant her whatever she wished; she needed merely to ask.

(23) And he swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

Herod went all out and swore an oath to Herodias's daughter that whatever she asked, he would give her, up to half his kingdom.  That's quite a reward for a dance!

(24) And she went forth and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."

Herodias's daughter asked her mother what she should ask for, and she told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist.  That woman could surely hold a grudge, for John had been in prison for almost two years, say Biblical scholars.  She probably didn't like the fact that Herod seemed to enjoy listening to John.

(25) And she came in right away with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want that you give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

Indeed, Herodias's daughter went immediately in to King Herod and asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

(26) And the king was exceedingly sorry, but for his oath's sake, and for their sakes who sat with him, he would not reject her.

King Herod was very sorry he had opened his big mouth, so to speak, to offer the girl anything she desired.  However, because he had sworn an oath, and because he had done it in front of all his guests, he would not refuse the girl her request.

(27) And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought; and he went and beheaded him in prison.

The king sent an executioner to the imprisoned John, and commanded that he bring John's head to him.  The executioner indeed beheaded John in his prison.

(28) And brought his head on a platter and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother.

The executioner brought John's head on a platter and gave it to Herodias's daughter, and she, in turn, gave it to her mother.  And that explained why Herod was haunted by his killing of a good and holy man for a dance!

(29) And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

When John's disciples heard about what had happened to him, they came to the prison and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

As this is a rather long chapter with rather long commentary, I will end this post here and continue Mark 6 in the next.

Christ's Innate Nature to Heal and Restore Life

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 5:21) And when Jesus had passed over again by ship to the other side, many people gathered to Him, and He was near to the sea.

Jesus left the Gadarenes as He had been asked to do and sailed by ship back to the other side again, to Capernaum.  He came onto the shore and many people gathered around Him.  

(22) And behold, there came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet.

From among the crowd that gathered around Jesus, there came to Him one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus.  When he saw Jesus, he fell down at His feet.

(23) And beseeched Him greatly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death; I pray You, come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she shall live."

Jairus begged Jesus to come with him.  His daughter was at the point of death, and he begged Jesus to come with him to lay His healing hands on her, that she might be healed and live.

(24) And Jesus went with him, and many people followed Him and thronged Him.

Jesus indeed went with the man, and a multitude of people followed after Him and crowded Him.

(25) And there was a certain woman who had had an issue of blood for twelve years.

Among the people who crowded around Jesus was a woman who had had an issue with bleeding for twelve years.  This issue of blood would have made her unclean in the eyes of the Jewish law for twelve years.  That is a perfect example of what sin does to a person.  Our sin makes us constantly and indefinitely unclean in the presence of God.

(26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and nothing was bettered but rather grew worse.

The woman had sought treatment from many doctors, spending all the money she had to be cured, but nothing had made her condition better; it had only worsened.

(27) When she had heard of Jesus, she came in the crowd behind and touched His garment.

When the woman had heard of the fame of Jesus and the miracles He wrought, she worked herself up through the crowd from behind to merely touch His garment.  She, perhaps, having spent twelve years being shunned, considered unclean, did not dare confront Him face to face, or perhaps she was just grabbing at Him the best she could from within the crowd.

(28) For she said, "If I may touch only His clothes, I shall be whole."

Regardless of what reason it was that brought her to touch only Jesus's clothes, the woman had faith that the mere touch to His garments would make her whole again.

(29) And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

Immediately upon touching Jesus's garment, the woman's issue of blood was dried up, and she indeed felt whole and well again.  That is remarkable.  There was no conscious effort of Jesus to heal the woman, although we know that Jesus knew what was happening.  Just touching what was touching Him was enough to completely heal the woman on the spot!  I think that shows us that no matter how unworthy we feel we are in His presence, whatever move we make toward Jesus, if done with a faithful heart, Jesus will respond willingly to save us.

(30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"

Jesus, of course, knew immediately that the woman had touched His garments and had been healed.  It was not from some diminishing of His virtue or strength that He knew.  He knew a healing had taken place and that had been from His very essence, an internal omnipresent virtue in Him to cure diseases.  He turned around in the crowd and asked who had touched His clothes, knowing full well who had touched them, but doing this for the witnesses to the miracle.

(31) And His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, "Who touched Me?'"

Jesus's disciples incredulously replied to Him that there was a whole crowd of people pressing against Him; how could He ask who it was who touched Him?

(32) And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. (33) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth.

Jesus looked around and spotted the woman who had touched Him and had been healed.  She was very afraid and trembling.  She knew she had been healed, and she, in her unclean self, had dared to touch Jesus's garment to get that healing.  However, she came forth to Jesus, fell down before Him, and confessed all she had done and what was done for her.

(34) And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace and be whole from your plague."

Jesus told the woman that her faith had healed her.  Of course, that meant faith in the One who could heal, not faith in itself.  I can't help but think that is where some Word of Faith believers miss the point.  They seem to act as though it is the faith itself that produces results.  "If only I had faith enough, it would have happened..."  I've got news for them.  If it is God's will, it will happen with or without your faith!  Likewise, if it is not in God's will, it will not happen, faith that it will happen or not!  Our faith is in Christ alone!  That woman had great faith in Him, yes, knowing He would heal, and that was fully within His will to do so.  He told her to go in peace, and not be afraid, and be whole and enjoy her healing from her plague.

(35) While He was still speaking, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain ones who said, "Your daughter is dead! Why trouble the Master any further?"

Jesus had been on His way to heal Jairus's daughter when He was interrupted by this woman with the blood issue.  He had been delayed, and now came word that Jairus's daughter had died and therefore, there was no further need to inconvenience Jesus.

(36) As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Be not afraid, only believe."

Jesus heard the message that was sent that Jairus's daughter had died, but He told him not to be afraid, but keep the faith, so to speak.  You can bet Jesus's delay was purposeful to demonstrate His power.

(37) And He permitted no man to follow Him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

Jesus would not allow anyone to accompany Him to the ruler's house, except Peter, James, and John.  It was probably much easier than normal to disperse the crowd because they had likely heard the word that the little girl was already dead.  Probably Jesus did not want a huge crowd because He was humble and did not desire the applause of men; however, He took enough witnesses to make what would happen next "truth."  "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established." (Matthew 18:16)

(38) And He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw the tumult and those who wept and wailed greatly.

Jesus came into Jairus's house and saw all the people within the house, friends and relatives, weeping and wailing over the passing of the little girl.

(39) And when He had come in, He said to them, "Why make this ado and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleeping."

When Jesus came into the house, he asked the crowd why they were making such a fuss and weeping and wailing.  He told them the little girl was not dead, but only sleeping.

(40) And they laughed at Him in scorn. But when He had put them all out, He took the father and the mother of the damsel, and those who were with Him, and entered in where the damsel was lying.

Not realizing just who had addressed them, the people laughed and ridiculed Jesus for saying the girl was only sleeping.  Jesus, in turn, turned them out of the house.  I do believe there is a good lesson in this and also when Jesus dispersed the crowd from following Him to Jairus's house.  We don't need to have a group of naysayers and non-believers around us in such a moment.  We want believers and God-fearing folk with faith to support and uplift us.  We don't want to be drug down and have our faith diminished by those who don't believe.  A good model of this in the Old Testament was the Shunammite woman in Kings 4.  Elisha, through the power of God, had given her a son, but her son died.  She went straight to Elisha to deal with her problem.  Her husband and the servant of Elisha both asked about her concerns, and she told them both she was fine, even though she surely was not fine, but there was no need to tell her problems to those people who could not help her, and especially in the case of her husband, might even try to stop her.  

After Jesus had put all the naysayers out of Jairus's house, He, the parents of the girl, and the three disciples with Him went into where the girl lay.

(41) And He took the damsel by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cumi," which being interpreted is, "Damsel, I say to you, arise."

Jesus took the little girl's hand and told her to arise.  "Talitha cumi," Jesus's actual words are written here, and they literally mean, "Damsel, arise."  "I say to you" was a parenthetical phrase added by Mark to show it was by Jesus's own authority and power over death that He told her to rise up.

(42) And immediately the damsel arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Indeed, the little girl got up and walked.  Mark made it a point to say that she could indeed walk because she was, after all, twelve years old.  Of course, all who witnessed this miracle were utterly amazed.

(43) And He charged them strictly that no man should know it, and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Once again, Jesus commanded that they not tell anyone of the miracle.  Once again, I say that would be a hard thing to obey, when so many had seen the little girl dead.  However, Jesus did not want it spread far and wide as it was not the time to further enrage the scribes and Pharisees against Him.  He additionally commanded them to get the girl something to eat.  In this, He was letting the parents know that she was restored completely to human life with all the needs of it.  

With these two miracles, we see the innate nature of Christ to heal and to restore life.  He had power over sickness and even death.  Sin is a sickness with which we all suffer and the consequence of that is death, but Jesus came to conquer that death and to give us an abundant life:

"The thief comes not, but to steal and to kill and to destroy; I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." (Jesus's words in John 10:10)

Jesus Heals the Man with a Legion of Demons

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 5:1) And they came over to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had suggested to His disciples that they leave the shore at Capernaum and go across the Sea of Galilee to the other side.  That is what they did, and they now arrived at the shore in the country of the Gadarenes.  This appears to be the same country as of the Gergesenes and the Gerasenes.  Whether these are misspellings of the same country or whether more than one tribe of people lived within the country, I don't know, but that is not what is important.  The basic fact is that they left Capernaum and sailed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

(2) And when He had come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) Who had his dwelling among the tombs, and no man could bind him, not even with chains.

As soon as Jesus had landed and came out of the ship, He was met by a man who came from among tombs who had an unclean or evil spirit.  He apparently lived among the tombs, and no one was able to bind him.  John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, made an interesting point.  Did the man get the unclean spirit because he lived among the tombs, or did he live among the tombs because he had an unclean spirit?  If it was the first, then there lies a good lesson in why we should not involve ourselves in rituals with the spirits of the dead.

(4) Because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces.  Neither could any man tame him.

It appears that efforts had been made to bind the man but to no avail.  He could break any chains or shackles and no man could tame him.

(5) And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

The man wandered among the mountains and the tombs, crying out, and cutting himself with stones.  I can't help but notice that it took four verses to describe this poor Satan-possessed man, an illustration of just what Satan can do to a soul if allowed.  

(6) But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped Him.

When the man saw Jesus, he ran to Him and worshiped Him.  Think about that!  He was so powerfully controlled by Satan and demons, but when he saw Jesus, he was compelled to fall down and worship Him.  Isaiah 45:23 says, "...unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

(7) And cried with a loud voice, and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me."

At the same time the man was compelled to bow down to Jesus, he cried out by the spirit within him to Jesus, recognizing Him for who He was, and begging Him not to torment him.

(8) For He said to him, "Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!"

Apparently, Jesus had at the same time commanded that the evil spirit come out of the man, and the spirit begged that He not torment him.

(9) And He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

Of course, Jesus would have known the name of the spirit, but for the learning of His disciples, witnesses, and even for us reading about this incident, He asked the name of the spirit.  His name was Legion, for actually he was the head of many spirits within that poor man.  Imagine that for a minute.  The evil spirits of Satan have names; they are evidently known entities in the spirit world.  There was a wonderful novel by Frank Peretti, This Present Darkness, about spiritual warfare.  Although it was fiction, it will open your eyes as to the spiritual warfare that goes on in the world.  It may also allow you to see people differently, when you are able to see that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against...spiritual wickedness..." (Ephesians 6:12).

(10) And he beseeched Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.

The spirit continued to beg Jesus, this time that He would not send them out of the country.  It seems odd that demon spirits would presume to ask Jesus to be permitted to stay in their present country.  Perhaps this was a heathen district where demon spirits could act with less restraint than in other places.  Still!  To be so presumptuous as to ask Jesus to allow them to stay!

(11) Now there was near to the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

Near to the mountains where this confrontation was taking place, there was a large herd of swine feeding.

(12) And all the devils beseeched Him, saying, "Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them."

Then the whole legion of demon spirits begged Jesus to be sent into the herd of swine.  They longed to be anywhere rather than be expelled from the country.

(13) And immediately Jesus gave them permission. And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea (there were about two thousand) and was drowned in the sea.

Jesus at once gave them permission.  We learned from Job and even from Peter, that Satan must get permission from God to do anything to the bodies and souls of men.  But why does God allow it when He could easily say no.  God does not force us to do anything.  He gives us a choice.  He allows us to see what choosing the ways of Satan will bring.  Sometimes we must reach the very bottom before we realize our need for Jesus.  It's in His mercy that He gives us whatever we need to come to Him for salvation and eternal life.  

As Jesus gave them permission, the demon spirits went out of the man into the two thousand head of swine, and the herd ran violently off a cliff into the sea and drowned.  Again, one might question this.  After all, two thousand swine were obviously someone's property and living.  They had nothing to do with the legion of spirits within that man Jesus healed.  However, these were Jews living in this area, who should have had nothing to do with unclean animals like swine.  Destroying their livelihood could be what brought them to Jesus, and additionally allowed people throughout the ages to see the violence that demonic spirits could exercise within us.  All is God's and He may do with any of it as He pleases, but what He pleases is always for our ultimate good.

(14) And they who fed the swine fled and told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.

Those who were tending and feeding the swine fled after the swine went over the cliff, and told what had happened to people in the city and throughout the country.  People went out to see for themselves what it was that had taken place.

(15) And they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been possessed with the devil and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

People came out to see Jesus and the man who had been so demon-possessed.  The man no man could bind or tame was sitting clothed and in his right mind, and that terrified them.

(16) And they who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been possessed with the devil and concerning the swine.

Those who had been witnesses to the incident told the people who came just what had happened concerning the demon-possessed man and the herd of swine.

(17) And they began to call on Him to depart out of their borders.

The people were so fearful of what had happened that they implored Jesus to leave their region.  Rather than see the good Jesus did in healing the demon-possessed man, they feared that something bad might befall them as had happened with the herd of swine.

(18) And when He had come into the ship, he who had been possessed with the devil begged Him that he might be with Him.

Jesus was leaving as He had been asked to do and went onto the ship.  The man who had been demon-possessed begged Jesus to go along with Him.

(19) However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and has had compassion on you."

However, Jesus told the man to stay where he was, to go home, and tell all his friends what the Lord had done for him.  Rather than being called as a disciple, this man's purpose was to give his testimony of what the Lord had done for him.  We are not all called to be preachers, but some are called to witness right where they are planted.

(20) And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him, and all marveled.

The man departed Jesus and did just as Jesus had asked him.  He proclaimed throughout his country what Jesus had done for him.  Although Jesus was asked to leave and did not teach in that country, that man witnessed to its people, and all the people marveled at what they had been told.  That man did more good for his region staying planted where he was than he would have done going with Jesus.  What a beautiful example of what we can all do right where we are if God doesn't call us to some "greater" mission.  I put the word greater in quotes because who is to say what is greater?  That man may have brought more people to Christ, certainly in his region, than Christ Himself personally did, since He had been asked to leave.  All parts of the body of Christ are important; we don't all have the same purpose.  

This seems a good place to end this post and continue the chapter in the next.

Jesus Teaches in Parables and Calms the Sea

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 4:1) And He began again to teach by the seaside; and there was gathered to Him a great multitude, so that He entered onto a ship, and sat in the sea, and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

At the end of the last chapter Jesus had been teaching in Peter's house in Capernaum.  He then removed to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, but as a great multitude thronged Him, He moved onto a ship where He could preach from the sea to the multitude of people who sat on the shore.

(2) And He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His doctrine, (3) "Hearken, behold, there went out a sower to sow."

From His boat in the sea, Jesus taught the people many things by parables.  In His teaching of His doctrine, He began to tell them a parable about a sower of seeds who went out to sow.  He began with an exhortation to really listen.

(4) "And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the birds of the air came and devoured it up."

As the man was sowing seed, some of it fell by the wayside, and therefore was not planted, and the birds came quickly to devour it.  As already studied in Matthew, we know Jesus spoke about the sowing of the word of God.  Sometimes the word is spoken but makes no impression on its recipient; it is not planted in his soul and it does not take root, but the prince of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and his demons come and gobble it up so there is nothing lasting in the recipient.

(5) "And some fell on stony ground where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. (6) But when the sun was up, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away."

Some of the sower's seed fell on stony ground that did not have much dirt, so it sprang up immediately.  This is the word that falls on willing ears, but is only superficial.  There might have been a hasty profession of the word, but because there was no depth to it, no powerful heart experience in it, nothing rooted in the soul, that profession of the word quickly died.

(7) "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit."

Some of the seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up among the sprouting seeds and choked them so that they did not yield any fruit.  This represents the word that is readily received and planted within the recipient, but other desires and lusts of the world grow with it, and they eventually choke the seed of the word and it never produces fruit.

(8) "And other fell on good ground and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred."

Finally, some seed fell on good ground where it was well-rooted, and it sprang up and yielded fruit some thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times more than the seed that was planted.  That is the seed of the word that is planted into the heart and takes root and grows strong within the soul and yields much fruit and usefulness in God's kingdom.  It touches many more souls than the original one seed did.

(9) And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

As Jesus had initially exhorted the listeners on the shore to really listen to His parable, He now said to them that the ones who had the ears to really hear and understand what He was saying, to do just that.  There were surely all types of listeners as He had just described, and He exhorted the recipients with good ground and a willing heart to truly understand.

(10) And when He was alone, they who were around Him with the twelve, asked Him about the parable.

The multitude appears to have left Jesus, but as Mark did not always tell things in chronological order, we can't be certain exactly when He was asked to explain the parable.  He was not entirely alone, as He still had His twelve disciples and others who followed Him closely, as well.  It was they who asked Jesus about the parable of the sower.

(11) And He said to them, "To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to them who are outside, all things are done in parables." 

Jesus said to His disciples, the twelve plus the other followers asking the question, that it was given to them to understand the mystery of the kingdom of God.  However, to those outside their circle, those who had not the heart or willingness to understand, but perhaps had only come to amuse themselves by seeing the person of such fame and witnessing His miracles, He taught all things in parables which would be pleasant to hear, but would require spiritual understanding to completely comprehend the meaning.  

(12) "That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."

Jesus then paraphrased a quote from Isaiah 6:9-10.  He taught in parables so that those who did not have the spiritual desire to understand, would see and hear what He did and said, but would not understand.  It's not that God did not want some people to be converted and their sins forgiven, but if they were unwilling to really see and hear and understand, then the mysteries of the kingdom of God were clothed in parables so that they could not easily understand.  However, to the willing heart that wants to understand, understanding will be given; we need only ask as these disciples asked.  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).

(13) And He said to them, "Do you not know this parable? And how then will you know all parables?"

In His questions to them, Jesus made His disciples understand their need to be attentive to the word and to the basics of His doctrine, lest they be unable to understand anything that followed.  After all, it was given to them to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but they had a responsibility to be really attentive and understand.  "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required..." (Luke 12:48).  Pity the poor souls to whom it had not been given!  The disciples did ask, and they did receive an answer from Jesus.  He went on to explain the parable: 

(14) "The sower sows the word."

Jesus explained that the sower was actually sowing the word of God.

(15) "And these are they by the wayside where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts."

Jesus explained that the word that fell on those by the wayside never got a chance to grow within the hearts of the recipients; it was immediately snatched away by Satan, and therefore made no lasting impression on the recipients.

(16) "And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, (17) And have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time; afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

Likewise the word does not last in the hearts of the ones signified by the stony ground.  They do receive the word with gladness, but because it is not rooted within their hearts, they are only able to endure for a short time.  As soon as affliction or persecution comes because of the word, they readily relinquish their profession of it rather than suffer.

(18) "And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the word, (19) And the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."

The word that is sown among thorns is the word sown in the hearts of those who also receive the word gladly, but when the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and other worldly lusts grow within their hearts, those things choke out the word and it is therefore not fruitful.

(20) "And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

And finally, the seed that is sown in good ground is the word being sown among people who hear it, receive it completely, nurture it within their hearts, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and even a hundredfold.  One person with the word planted in a good heart can reach a hundred other souls, even more.

(21) And He said to them, "Is a candle brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick?"

Jesus further explained with another analogy.  Just as a candle is not brought out to be hidden under a basket or a bed, so the word is not given to be hidden in the heart and not shown to the world.  It is to be set on a candlestick as a light unto the world.  Furthermore, Jesus did not use parables only to have their meaning hidden, but to throw light on the truth.  Likewise, the disciples were not to keep the truth of them hidden, but were to impart the light to others.

(22) "For there is nothing hidden which shall not be manifested, neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come into the open."

Jesus said there was no secret mystery hidden in His parables or in the word that would not eventually be revealed.  He had come to fulfill and to proclaim the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven that were then manifested in salvation in Him.  Everything that had seemed hidden and not able to be understood up to that point, was then or soon to be revealed.  Indeed, at this present time, we have the benefit of knowing the truth of Jesus, and are now able to see how Jesus is proclaimed throughout the Old Testament.  Those mysteries of the Old Testament have come to light.

(23) "If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus exhorted those who could hear those important words He had spoken to them, to fully understand the meaning of His words.

(24) And He said to them, "Take heed what you hear; with the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given."

Jesus told His disciples to consider well what they heard and tend to it diligently, seeking to understand it.  With the same measure that they used to understand what was given them, they would be given even more understanding.

(25) "For he who has, to him shall be given; and he who has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has."

For the person who had Gospel light and understanding, and of course, made proper use of it, even more would be given to him.  However, to the person who had no real understanding of the word of truth, that person would lose even what he had been given.  Isn't that the way it is?  We've all seen so-called Christians who stumble and back-slide and even fall away.  It seems all they used to have is no longer within them.

(26) And He said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, (27) And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow up, he knows not how."

Jesus went back to the subject of the seed grown on good ground and likened it to the kingdom of God.  The sower representing a minister or disciple of God casts seed, the word of God, on the good ground of a willing heart.  He sleeps and rises day after day going about his daily routine.  In time that seed sprouts and grows up, and he can't really say how that happened.  He only planted the seed, and he may tend to it day after day, just as a minister or disciple might continue to tend to the teaching of the word of God, but he can't see into the heart of the recipient to know exactly how it grows.

(28) "For the earth brings forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."

The earth brings forth fruit by itself without any help from man pulling it up and out of the ground.  It comes up as a tender stalk and then begins to form the fruit that grows into full mature fruit; man certainly has no part in the shaping of that.

(29) "But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come."

When the fullness of the fruit is brought forth, man then can see it and goes to work bringing that harvest in.  So it is with the word of God and the kingdom of God.  It grows mysteriously within hearts, but once the fruit of a mature faith comes forth, it is immediately recognized and harvested for God.

(30) And He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it?"

Jesus introduced another parable, this time asking to what the kingdom of God should be likened or compared, rather than beginning his usual way of, "The kingdom of God is like..."

(31) "Like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is smaller than all the seeds that are in the earth."

Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a tiny mustard seed that starts out smaller than all the other seeds in the earth.  So the word of God working within the heart of man starts out so very tiny, just a word...

(32) "But when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs and shoots out great branches so that the birds of the air may lodge under its shadow."

The mustard seed and the small planted word of God grows and grows and becomes greater than everything else.  What other word sown into the heart has greater reaching branches throughout the earth?  The tiny mustard seed of faith sown into the heart of one, then many, grows throughout the entire world so that the people of the world may find rest and salvation for their weary souls.

(33) And with many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

Jesus spoke to His disciples in many such parables as the ones presented here, pairing the level of His teaching with their ability to understand.

(34) But without a parable He did not speak to them; and when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.

I believe the sense is that Jesus spoke only in parables about the kingdom of God, but when they were alone, He went further in explaining the details of the kingdom of God to His disciples.

(35) And the same day, when the evening was come, He said to them, "Let us pass over to the other side."

Later that day, in the evening, Jesus suggested to His disciples that they take the ship He was aboard while teaching the people, and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

(36) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships.

Once again, we see a little confusion on the order of things.  Was Jesus alone with His disciples and then the multitude came back?  Or perhaps more likely the explanation of the parable while they were alone happened after they sent the multitude away, and possibly while they were in the ship going to the other side of the sea.  Mark inserted it where he did to explain the parable Jesus had just told.  Regardless, the disciples now sent away the multitude of people, and took Jesus away in the ship.  Apparently, there were other little ships with Jesus's ship.  Either they were already also seeking to travel to the other side, or perhaps some of the multitude jumped in ships to follow Jesus.  The important point is that there were witnesses to what happened next.

(37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full.

While they were in the midst of the sea traveling to the other side, a great storm arose, and the winds beat the little ship with waves until it was full of water.

(38) And He was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow; and they awoke Him and said to Him, "Master, do you not care that we perish?"

Jesus was in the back of the boat sleeping, which was probably the reason He wanted to move to the other side of the sea, to get some rest.  The disciples woke Him up, and their tone seemed to be one of complaining, wondering how He could sleep and seemingly not care that they were in danger.

(39) And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and told the sea to be still, and those elements obeyed Him, and there was a great calm.

(40) And He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"

Jesus asked His disciples why they had been so fearful.  How could they, after witnessing His great power and miracles, ever doubt that they would survive this incident?

(41) And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

It seems the disciples really feared then!  It was an awestruck reverential type of fear, realizing that even the wind and the sea obeyed Him.  Jesus could be no mere man!  It was another step toward truly recognizing who Jesus really was.  What a beautiful picture of Jesus in our lives now!  We are certainly storm-tossed in this life, but we must always remember that He is with us always.  Though He may seem to be sleeping when the storm rages, nothing takes Him by surprise!  We are safe in Him and we trust in Him.  We pray in a faithful spirit, anxious for nothing, but trusting His guidance at the helm of the ship of life.  It was Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, who pointed out that "the hinder part of the ship" where Jesus slept, was the stern, the back of the boat, where the helm was located.

Jesus's Twelve Apostles and His True Brothers and Sisters

Continuing a Bible study of the gospels:

(Mark 3:1) And He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.

In the last chapter of Mark, Jesus had come back into the city of Capernaum after a short stay in the wilderness, and He now went back into the synagogue there.  There was a man there who had a withered hand.

(2) And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day, that they might accuse Him.

The scribes and Pharisees who had been accusing Jesus's disciples of "work" on the Sabbath at the end of the last chapter, now watched Jesus closely to see if He would heal a man on the sabbath day.

(3) And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Stand forth."

Surely knowing what the scribes and Pharisees were thinking in their hearts, Jesus told the man with the withered hand to stand before them.

(4) And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life or to kill? But they held their peace.

Jesus asked the scribes and Pharisees whether it was lawful to do good on the sabbath days or to do evil.  Was it lawful to save a life or to kill?  They did not answer Him.

(5) And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch forth your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Jesus looked around at the scribes and Pharisees about Him, angry and distressed at them because they were so heartless they would not want to see a man healed just because it was on the Sabbath.  He then told the man with the withered hand to stretch it forth, and when he did, the hand was restored whole just as his other hand.

(6) And the Pharisees went forth, and immediately counseled with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

The Pharisees who were supposed to be the oracles of the church, went out of the synagogue and met and counseled with the Herodians, who were supporters of the government.  Even though these two groups were usually at odds with each other, they found common ground in their desire to get rid of Jesus, and that is what they plotted together to do.

(7) But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea, (8) And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond Jordan, and those around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came to Him.

Jesus, surely knowing the plotting against Him, withdrew from the city of Capernaum, and He and His disciples went to the seashore of the Sea of Galilee.  A great multitude of people followed Him from Galilee, from Jerusalem and Judea, from Idumea, which was Edom, and beyond the Jordan River, and from as far west as Tyre and Sidon.  When these people had heard what great things Jesus did, they came from far and wide to Him.

(9) And He spoke to His disciples that a small boat should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they crowd Him.

Jesus told His disciples to get a small boat ready for Him in case the crowd of people began to press in too hard on Him.

(10) For He had healed many, so that they pressed upon Him to touch Him, as many as had plagues.

Because Jesus had healed many people, crowds of people with plagues or diseases pressed upon Him just to touch Him in hopes they would be healed by just His touch.

(11) And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, "You are the Son of God!"

The unclean spirits that possessed people in the crowd recognized Him, and the bodies they possessed fell before Him when they saw Him, crying out that He was the Son of God.  Evil spirits cannot stand in the presence of God; they are in complete subjection to Him.

(12) And He sternly charged them that they should not make Him known.

The spirits could not help but fall before Jesus, but He once again silenced them so that they would not make Him known to the people.  Evil spirits were certainly not the best preachers!

(13) And He went up in a mountain and called whom He wanted, and they came to Him. (14) And He ordained twelve that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach. (15) And to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils.

The account in Luke states Jesus went to the mountain to pray and stayed there all night.  When it was day, He called His disciples to Him, which were probably many followers in the beginning, and He chose among them twelve to be His righthand men, so to speak, men He could send out to preach, to heal, and to cast out devils.  Note He chose twelve to have that power; they wouldn't have naturally had the power to do such things without Jesus giving it to them.  Of course, the significance of the number twelve can't be overstated.  It was obviously the number of the twelve tribes of Israel.

(16) And Simon He surnamed Peter.

The first of the twelve disciples was Simon whom Jesus surnamed Peter; He was called Simon Peter, but most often just Peter.

(17) And James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and He surnamed them Boanerges, which is "Sons of Thunder."

Then Jesus called James and John and gave them the surname of Boanerges which meant "Sons of Thunder."

(18) And Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite.

Jesus also called Andrew, who was Peter's brother, and Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, to distinguish him from James the brother of John.  Jesus also called Thaddeus and Simon the Canaanite, again an addition to distinguish him from Simon Peter.  He was also called Simon the Zealot.

(19) And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

Lastly, Jesus chose Judas Iscariot, who, of course, would betray Him.  Certainly Jesus knew that when He chose Him, even though Judas could not have known it at that point, but He chose him to fulfill the purposes of God.  Jesus and the twelve disciples then went into a house, probably the house of Peter and Andrew which seems to be the place Jesus stayed when He was in Capernaum.

(20) And the multitude came together again so that they could not so much as eat bread.

When Jesus came back into town into the house, a crowd of people came together again to the house, so as He and His disciples could not even eat.

(21) And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is beside Himself."

The word that was translated as "friends" meant a closer relationship than just a friend.  It meant those who were of Him, so either very close friends or more likely family and relatives, heard about what was going on with Jesus and went to get Him, for they said He must have been out of sorts, or out of His wits, as the word "existemi" more accurately meant.  Jesus's closest friends and relatives did not understand who He was at this point.

(22) And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils, He casts out devils."

The scribes from Jerusalem declared that Jesus had the spirit of Satan, and it was by his power that He was able to cast out demons.  That is the very reason that Jesus always made the evil spirits possessing people to be silent so as not to engender this belief, that they listened to Him because He was of them.  These last two verses illustrate what Jesus's own people thought of Him, that He was insane or possessed by demons.  John stated in John 1:11 that Jesus came into the world to His own, but they did not receive Him.

(23) And He called them and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?"

To the scribes who said that Jesus cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, He asked in parables, or metaphorically with illustrations, how it was that Satan could cast out himself.

(24) "And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."

Jesus continued with His illustration of that fact by comparing it to a kingdom that was divided against itself that could then not stand.

(25) "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

Likewise, Jesus told them a house divided against itself could not stand.

(26) "And if Satan rises up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end."

Jesus showed them the logical conclusion to their absurd argument that He cast out devils by the devil.  If the prince of the devils fought against his devils, and his kingdom was divided, he could not stand and would be soon destroyed.

(27) "No man can enter into a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house."

Having proven the point that He could not be casting out demons by the power of the prince of the demons because Satan would be undoing his own work, He went on to say that no man could enter into a strong man's house with the intention of seizing his goods without first binding the strong man.  The point was that Jesus could not use the strong man's own power to plunder the strong man (Satan); He must bind the strong man in order to free the one possessed by him.

(28) "Verily, I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men and whatever blasphemies with which they shall blaspheme."

Jesus said that all sins and even blasphemies against God would be forgiven a man, obviously being after he repented of those things and brought Jesus into his heart.

(29) "But he who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost never has forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation," (30) Because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Because the scribes had said that Jesus had an unclean spirit, He sternly warned them.  He said any sin against Him, even blasphemies against Him and Father God, could be forgiven, but they could never be forgiven for blaspheming the Holy Spirit.  I believe to blaspheme the Holy Spirit one has to know the Holy Spirit.  For instance, I believe a sinner could utter blasphemies against God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, railing against them all because he "knows not what he does" (Luke 23:34).  I certainly don't want to speak for Jesus something that is not true, but in my heart I truly believe this to be the case.  The reason Jesus was warning the scribes was that they were supposed to know the Holy Spirit of God.  Once a person has accepted Jesus into his heart and has the gift of the Holy Spirit, he intimately knows the Spirit, and at that point knows what he does when he blasphemes the Spirit of God.  Although the scribes did not yet have Jesus, they supposedly knew God and His word, and should have known the Spirit of God; therefore Jesus sternly warned them not to blaspheme the Spirit they should know and recognize in Him.

(31) There came then His brothers and His mother, and standing outside, sent to Him, calling Him.

It appears that at this point Jesus was still in Peter's house.  His mother and His brothers came to the house and from outside, they sent word calling Him to them.  Whether these were His blood brothers, or half-brothers as they could only be as sons of Mary and Joseph, or just relatives, they were certainly family accompanying His mother.  In verse 21 we were told Jesus's family was trying to take hold of Him because they thought He was "beside Himself," and that might have been the intention of His brothers at this point.

(32) And the multitude sat around Him, and they said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers outside are seeking You."

A multitude of people sat around Jesus listening to Him preach and teach.  The message came through that Jesus's mother and brothers were outside the house looking for Him.

(33) And He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" 

Jesus answered those who had sent Him the message asking the question just who were His mother and His brothers?

(34) And He looked around at them who sat around Him, and said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! (35) For whoever shall do the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and mother."

After He posed the question, Jesus looked around at the people sitting around Him, and declared that they were His mother and brothers, for whoever did the will of His Father in heaven were His brother, sister, or mother.  They were certainly His spiritual brothers and sisters, Christian brothers and sisters.  In declaring this, Jesus indicated that His true spiritual disciples were closer brothers and sisters than His fleshly family.  Furthermore, if it was His fleshly family's intention to take Him away at that point, they certainly were not doing the will of God.  I don't believe Jesus was being disrespectful to His mother, but was rather showering respect on His disciples and followers.  His mother did become a believer and follower, and therefore a spiritual sister, as well; but if she hadn't, Jesus had made it clear before that anyone who loved family more than Him (Matthew 10:37) was not worthy of Him.  Likewise, those who loved Him more than family who might oppose Him, were worthy to be called His true brothers and sisters.