Deliverance & Sandwiches: Mark 5

  Before reading and discussing Mark 5, be sure to pray. Prayer opens our minds and hearts to the move of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspired the books of the Bible and the Holy Spirit inspires our meditative study and reading of these sacred texts. When prayer is shaped by the Word of God and the teachings of the Church, our lives become mirrors of God’s presence and power in the world. 

Reflection Questions:

1. In Mk. 1:44, Jesus says to the former leper: “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest…” Jesus’ response to the former demoniac of the Gerasenes is markedly different, see Mk. 5:19. Why might Jesus give such a different response to this mighty deed on Gentile soil?
2. The woman who suffered for 12 years and spent all her money on physicians approaches Jesus in the crowd with faith. “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well” (Mk. 5:28). What happens when she touches his garment with faith (which verses describe it)? To what does Jesus attribute her healing in verse 34? If the garment of Jesus touched with faith can unleash the power of Christ for healing, how about the Sacraments?
3. When Jesus and Jairus’ approach the house they receive tragic news. What does Jesus do with that bad news (see verse 36)? How do both the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead and the woman’s healing in verses 24-34 connect?

     Food for Thought:
     Mark typically “gets to the point” when describing the life of Jesus. “This happened. Then this happened. Then this happened and immediately this other thing happened.” And so on. When Mark retells the story of the Gersene demoniac, the pace slows down. In place of the grainy downloads of many other miracle accounts, Mark focuses on granular HD details. He describes the man who’s possessed like a novelist who really desires us to understand the torment he’s been through. We realize that Jesus had already been saying prayers of command while the demons react to Jesus (v. 8). We realize that the prayers of command met great resistance. Jesus needed to gain further knowledge about the demon(s) before the deliverance took place, so he asked the demon(s) its name: Legion (v. 9). Instead of getting nervous, Jesus “tricks” the demons, “lets them” go into a herd of swine, and then destroys the swineherd. All of this points to the importance Mark places on this particular deliverance story. We presume the gentleman is a Gentile (because Jesus crossed over to Gentile territory to meet him). And, Jesus seems to expand the reach of his ministry to Gentiles through this man who’s been delivered of evil spirits. The man’s testimony of deliverance (being saved from the demonic) becomes the Good News Jesus calls him to proclaim to his household. Jesus’ new disciple does not remain in his home, but travels throughout the Decapolis (literally “Ten Cities”) and proclaims “how much Jesus had done for him” (v. 20). 
     The Catholic Church does believe that angels and demons exist. Revelation 12 offers some insight into the ongoing conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Darkness. Paul wrote about our spiritual battle drawing us into conflict not with worldly powers, but with ranks of fallen angels (i.e. demons); see Ephesians 6:10-13. Some speculate that because the authors of the New Testament did not understand mental illness, they mistook neurological disorders for demons. Although the advance of science and technology can help tremendously in assisting those struggling both physically and emotionally, the Church maintains that demons do exist. Exorcists still function within the Catholic Church. Deliverance ministry remains a powerful means of healing and inner freedom for the faithful. Jesus did not speak to a disease, but to some-thing that spoke back through the voicebox of the possessed man in Mark 5:1-20. What Jesus reveals in this section is his mastery over the forces of darkness. Jesus gives us authority, too. Jesus’ name is powerful and effective. Take a moment to read Luke 10:1, 17-20. God’s response to our spiritual battles is to empower us through the Holy Spirit and give us authority through the Name of Jesus. Be not afraid! We keep our eyes on Jesus, turn away from sin, give to those in need, fast and pray; these are tremendously powerful weapons that help us advance the Kingdom of God.
     In Mark’s gospel we see certain patterns that help us understand what Mark wants us to see about the life of Jesus. Verses 21-43 give us what scholars call “A Markan Sandwich.” What’s the sandwich? Well, between the two slices of the Jairus’ story we have the woman of faith being healed by the power of Jesus that coursed through his garments. What’s the point of the sandwich? When we get a Markan Sandwich, we want to keep in mind the main story (the bread) and the point the middle story highlights. The woman of faith remains tenacious before the crowd and her faith propels her forward. When we return to the Jairus story we get bad news, the girl is dead. Will we allow the bad news to crowd us out and away from faith in Jesus? Will we have faith like the healed woman and press forward? Jesus summons his disciples to press forward, “Do not fear, only believe” (v. 36). And what is the result of that persevering faith that presses forward through the crowd of bad news and fear: “immediately the girl got up and walked” (v. 42).