From a storm on a lake (Mark 4:35-41) we shift to a storm within a man. When Jesus and His disciples landed on the southeast shore of the Sea of Galilee, they were in Gentile territory (Jews don’t keep pigs). A man with an unclean spirit confronted them there.
How does Mark describe this Gentile (5:1-6)?
How does Jesus deal with him (5:7-20)?
Why does Jesus tell the man he cannot come with Him?
Read Mark 5:21-43. After healing the demon-possessed man, Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee again. In the crowd that greets him is Jairus, a synagogue president. What does Jairus do (5:22-23)?
How might Jairus’s actions affect him politically, socially, and religiously?
While Jesus is walking to Jairus’s house, a woman with internal bleeding touches Jesus’ clothes (5:25-32). Why does she do that instead of speaking directly to Him?
As this woman is healed, someone arrives from Jairus’s house to tell him his daughter has died. How does Jesus respond to this news (5:35-42)?
Why does Jesus command the girl’s parents and his companions not to tell anyone about this miracle, whereas he told the demon-possessed man in 5:19 to tell everyone about his healing?
Perhaps the story of the woman with chronic bleeding and the story of Jairus’s daughter are together purposefully. How are both stories about fear and faith?
Consider the same concluding thought as last week. Life is going to produce its storms and pressures. That is a given. We must not listen to modern American propaganda and think that we are our own heroes. That we are the saviors. That we can dig down deep and save ourselves. Instead, we must condition ourselves to go directly to Jesus, reach out to Him in whatever mixture of fear and faith that we possess and allow Him to save us. For truly, Jesus is our Savior.
Trent Dean
dean008@gmail.com