Mark 5

  5:1-20.  What is the relationship of insanity to demon possession?  In Dan.4, King Nebuchadnezzar was struck with madness, but was not possessed.  Satan himself entered into Judas (John 13:27), yet he remained responsibly rational.  But this man was clearly out of his mind until the “legion” was driven out.  Then he was “in his right mind,” (15).  Clearly demons can drive even a pig mad, but insanity is not the same thing as demon possession.

     V.7.  While demons acknowledge God, and are sincere and earnest in their desire not to be tormented, this is not the same thing as saving faith.  Even being in the presence of Christ’s holiness was a torment to them.  The damned actually choose Hell as an escape (Rev.6:16).

     V.19.  Jesus orders some to tell no one (Mark 1:43-44; 7:36), but this Gentile is told to go report to his people.  His witness would not add to the impossible press of people Jesus was encountering.

     5:21-43.  V.23.  Luke adds that this was the man’s only child.

     Vv.27-28.  Mt.9:20 and Luke 8:44 add that she touched “the fringe” of his cloak.  This is the same word translated “tassel” in Mt.23:5 (cf. Mark 6:56).  The four tassels of blue on the four corners of the cloak were to remind Israel of the commandments, which were to guide their feet along right paths.  See Nu.15:37-41.

     See the rules of uncleanness that applied to her, Lev.15:25-26 (and Lev.15:1-12, for men with a discharge).  Such an unclean person should have warned others away (cf. Lam.4:13-15).  Yet Jesus came for this very purpose – to take away the uncleanness of all who would come to him in faith.  His alone is the cleanness that can make the clean out of the unclean, which neither doctor nor priest could do (26, and Hag.2:11-15).

     V.34,36.  Once again, we see that faith is not the power of positive thinking.  True faith reaches out to Christ, and trusts in him.

     V.39.  The children who die of those who trust in Christ are asleep in him, though the world may scoff.  See 1 Cor.15:20; 1 Thess.4:13-14; Ro.13:11-12.  (This last cited may not seem to speak of the resurrection, but it does.  It is the soon awakening to judgment of which Paul speaks.)

     V.43.  Those mockers outside had no right to this moment of joy.  They will soon be put to shame when they see his little one playing in her father’s garden.