Today, we cover
passages from chapters 5 and 6. Here, Jesus begins his journey to Caesarea
Philippi (5:1-8:26). This part of Mark is given structure by its series of
doublets.
The story line,
however, is carried by the various responses to Jesus’ wonderworking. As
intimated in the stilling of the storm, the positive response is faith; the
negative, disbelief.[1] Mark established a
connection between healing, the forgiveness of sins, and faith (see 2:5). The
connection is now more explicit (5:21-43). One either believes (5:36) in Jesus’
power to heal (5:34) or is faithless (6:5-6).
Today, we will
cover the following sections:
5:21-43 Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter
6:1-56 Rejection, Sending 12, Death of Baptist,
Feeding 5,000
Jesus
Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter (5:21-43)
21And
when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd
gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22Then came one of
the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his
feet 23and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at
the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made
well and live.” 24And he went with him.
And a great
crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was a woman
who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26and who had
suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no
better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about
Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For
she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29And
immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was
healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power
had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who
touched my garments?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the
crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32And
he looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing
what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him
and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith
has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While
he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your
daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36But
overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not
fear, only believe.” 37And he allowed no one to follow him except
Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38They came to the
house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping
and wailing loudly. 39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why
are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And
they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father
and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41Taking
her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I
say to you, arise.” 42And immediately the girl got up and began
walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome
with amazement. 43And he strictly charged them that no one should
know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Following his
control over demons and the sea, it seems that nothing is impossible for Jesus.[2]
Here, we see Jesus had power over sickness, death and social and religious
barriers that kept individuals from socializing with family and friend. Numbers
5:1-4 details those who are considered unclean – lepers, people with discharges
of bodily fluids, and the dead. Jesus in Mark’s Gospel overcame each in turn:
the leper (1:40-45), the woman with bleeding (5:24b-34), and a dead person
(5:35-43).[3]
The delay caused
by the healing of the woman is integral to the Jairus story,[4] but
I will deal with the raising of the dead girl before discussing the healing of
the woman.
Jairus was a
synagogue president or elder, but not the chief official. Nevertheless, he was
a man of consequence, and it shows us that not all Jewish authorities were
hostile to Jesus. Yet, it was unusual for a Jewish official to have substantial
faith in Jesus.[5]
Jairus’
deferential approach to Jesus, a recent arrival in town, is meant to be
noticed. Jairus forgot his position and pride, and fell on his knees before
Jesus not only because his daughter’s condition was at the point of death, but
also because he recognized Jesus as a respected teacher with a reputation for
miraculous healing powers. He saw Jesus not as a trained doctor but as a
traditional healer.
The story
brackets the healing of a woman suffering from 12 years of internal bleeding.
After she was healed, Jesus overheard the comment to Jairus that his daughter
was dead. Jesus sought to allay his fears to prevent him from despairing.
Despite the
derisive laughter of the mourners, Mark recorded that Jesus expelled the
faithless and took three apostles into the room with him. These witnesses were
important in an environment where Jesus could be accused of necromancy, having
already been accused of being in league with Satan (Mk 3).[6]
Mark recorded unique
details based on the reminiscences of Peter, James and John.[7]
That Jesus took the young girl by the hand, like Peter’s mother-in-law, and
that the fact that Aramaic is recorded, the language Jesus and his people spoke
but the New Testament authors rarely used, suggests Peter’s recollection.
Sandwiched into the raising of the little girl from the dead is Mark’s account
of the woman who suffered from internal bleeding for 12 years.
The woman has
been suffering for 12 years. Her vaginal bleeding has made her a social and
religious outcast (Lev 15:25-30). Since one could be defiled through contact
with a normally menstruant woman, physical contact must be scrupulously
avoided.
She probably had
a primitive and magical understanding of Jesus’ healing, as she only wanted to
touch the tassels on Jesus’ garment (vv. 28, 56). When she touched Jesus, she
was instantly aware that something happened. The effect of the cure was recognized
immediately by the woman and Jesus, which adds to the humanness and strangeness
of the situation.[8]
While Jesus was
spirituality aware that something happened beyond a simple jostling by the
crowd, he is unaware of who has touched him in a special way. His disciples,
however, were not as spiritually perceptive as Jesus was, for they appeared
stunned. Again, Mark stressed Jesus’ supernatural power.[9]
The woman was
afraid for she might be condemned or further ostracized. So she approached
Jesus in fear and trembling. The woman was healed not by mere physical contact,
but by faith. This was Jesus’ statement to her: Your FAITH has made you well.
Her faith saved her, and to be saved means to be healed – a reference to the
eschatological deliverance from the powers of darkness.
Though we are
primarily concerned with the Christological and soteriological meanings (Jesus
and salvation) of this story, we should not overlook its social significance. In
terms of salvation, Mark teaches us that the Gospel reaches both those at the
bottom of the social scale and those at the top. Despite the marked contrast
between Jairus and the woman, they are both true disciples with insight and
faith. It also shows that Jesus was prepared to help anyone, and was especially
concerned for the vulnerable.[10]
Jesus’
statements at the end of each healing episode are telling for us. Many times a
person who has become physically well still carries mental and emotional scars.
Perhaps Jesus was suggesting that the family of the little girl and the woman need
to know and accept that they are now whole again. They are no longer unclean
for uncleanness is a matter of the heart, not a matter of the physical
condition, and this means that even corpses are not untouchables as far as
Jesus is concerned.[11]
To be healed of a disease and to eat with family means a new normal, one that
calls for celebration and fellowship with other believers and the Lord who has
called us to be His disciples.
Jesus
Rejected at Nazareth
1He
went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2And
on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were
astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom
given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3Is not
this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas
and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in
his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5And
he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick
people and healed them. 6And he marveled because of their unbelief. And
he went about among the villages teaching.
If
faith has been the key to at least some of the preceding miracles of
deliverance (4:40; 5:34, 36), what is to be expected where it is absent?[12]
This
text is a rather classic example of a chreia,
a short narrative about an historical figure climaxing with a memorable saying
(6:4).[13] The
invitation to teach in the synagogue reveals at first a degree of goodwill, or
at least the recognition that Jesus is now a person of significance.[14]
But note that this will be the last time Jesus will be depicted as welcome in a
synagogue.
It
is particularly hard to imagine the early church inventing the statement in v.
5 regarding Jesus’ inability to perform miracles, or the one in v. 4 regarding
his relatives. The family is either not present or only his sisters were.
Hometown
literally means “fatherland” and refers to the specific region where his family
lived, i.e., Nazareth and its surrounding area.
The
result of Jesus teaching literally means that they were “knocked out” by what
he said and did. They dispute neither that he has wisdom nor that he performs
mighty works; they are just dumb-founded that it comes from a hometown boy like
Jesus.[15]
The
term carpenter predominantly meant a worker in wood, but could have been an
artisan of some sort, e.g., mason or sculptor, and one who was versatile.
How
could a child of undistinguished or even dubious origins (was Joseph really his father?) be able to
interpret the Torah like this? Since it was Jewish practice to identify someone
by the name of one’s father even if the father was deceased, the phrase “son of
Mary” may reveal one reason why Jesus’ words were not immediately received by
the audience. The phrase may be intended as a slur for if we read Judges
11:1-2, we see that referring to a man, as “son of the mother” was indeed a
slur.
Now
Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a
prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. And Gilead’s wife also bore him
sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to
him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the
son of another woman.”
The
listing of Jesus’ family reminds us how small a role most of them came to play
in later Christianity.[16] Only
in Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55 are Jesus’ brothers referred to by name. Refer to
the handout from the LCMS website regarding our position on this. Some believe
James was the one who wrote the Letter of James or the Letter of Jude, but the
name James is too common to allow certainty. There are references, however, to
Jesus’ brothers in Acts 1:14 and 1 Cor 9:5, suggesting that the family did join
the church. The point is that Jesus’ audience was scandalized by his remarks.
They found Jesus to be a stumbling block.
In
an honor and shame culture, it is very important for family members to honor
you. Here, the very persons who should honor Jesus give him the least honor.
This must have cast a considerable cloud over Jesus’ ministry in a culture
where kinship ties and affirmations by one’s kin were considered all-important,
and where honoring parents involved accepting their evaluations of one’s self
and work.[17]
V.
5 stresses that the unbelief in Jesus’ hometown was so great that he was unable
to do any mighty work there. The focus is on the amazing lack of faith, but
Mark clearly sees a connection between faith and healing, or lack of faith
limits reception of help readily available from Jesus. The reaction to Jesus in
Nazareth was more hostile than even Mark suggests.
The
phrase Jesus states in v. 5 is a proverbial maxim similar to our “Familiarity
breeds contempt.” The statement that Jesus was unable to work miracles is
Christological striking. The mention of Jesus’ surprise underlines the human
character of Mark’s portrait of him. He did not stay long in Nazareth, and this
advice is given to his apostles in v. 11.
Did
Jesus Have Siblings?
Question:
My husband and I recently went to see the movie, "The Passion." I was
wondering who the man was with Mary and Mary Magdalene. My husband believes it
was Jesus' brother, James. My mother and I were unaware that Jesus had a brother.
Why isn't there more talk about Jesus' entire family, if it is true that James
was his brother?
Answer:
Perhaps a couple of comments in response to your letter will be helpful. Based
on my own viewing of "The Passion of the Christ," it is my understanding
that the young man present on numerous occasions with Mary and Mary Magdalene
was the disciple John, the Beloved-who became the "son" of the Mother
of Jesus, and she his "Mother."
There
are a number of "James" referred to in the New Testament, including
one called "brother of the Lord." He is listed first among the
brothers of Jesus, presumably as the oldest of them (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3).
Most scholars think that he is the same person as the one simply referred to as
James in the book of Acts (12:17; 15:13; 21:18; 1 Cor. 15:7) and in Galatians
(2:9, 12). There has been some dispute regarding the relationship between Jesus
and James, the natural interpretation being that James was the son of Mary and
Joseph (thus a "half-brother" to Jesus). In the history of the
Christian church, some believing in the perpetual virginity of Mary developed
the view that Jesus and James were foster brothers, while others conjectured
that they were cousins. LCMS theologians have found no difficulty with the view
that Mary and Joseph themselves together had other children, including James.
Source:
http://www.lcms.org/faqs/thebible
Jesus
Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
7And
he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them
authority over the unclean spirits. 8He charged them to take nothing
for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9but
to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10And he said to them,
“Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11And
if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you
leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12So
they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13And they
cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Notice
that 3:1-6 parallels 6:1-6 in speaking about the rejection of Jesus, and in
both cases, this is followed up by a statement about ministry to a wide variety
of people.[18]
The
term apostle is not used here but the verbal equivalent is (v 7). These are his
authorized agents. In 6:7-13 the disciples are sent out, and in 6:30, they
report to Jesus. Their activity raises the public profile of Jesus, and Mark
takes the opportunity to record people’s reaction to his mission.[19]
It
brackets the story of the death of John the Baptist. The beheading inserted as
a memorable narrative or in some way does this gruesome episode throw light on
the developing situation of Jesus’ ministry and his disciples?
The
execution is a sign of what the mission of the kingdom of God can expect from
the kingdoms of this world. In 9:12-13, Jesus will spell out what ‘they’ have
done to Elijah.[20]
This
is the only place in Mark where the 12 operate away from Jesus. It is typical
of a repeated mission rather than the recording of one unique occasion. The
advice given here to the Twelve is not unique to this mission or this group of
missionaries.[21] It is interesting that authority
over unclean spirits is mentioned first, but perhaps the reason is that this,
more than the preaching, manifested that the kingdom had come in power, and
Mark’s concept of the inbreaking of the eschatological time is dynamic, not
merely a matter of proclamation. The control of demons was to be central to
both Jesus’ and his agents’ ministries.[22]
That the mission involved preaching, exorcism and healing is confirmed by v.
30.
The
disciples were to travel light and be mobile. Two witnesses established legal
testimony (Dt 17:6). It is possible that early Christianity saw itself as
competing with other movements and here distinguished itself from them.
Itinerant
ministry and hospitality, evangelism and fellowship are crucial to the survival
of the community as a social entity.[23] Food
will be provided on basis of hospitality extended. Hospitality for visiting
teachers is no surprise; they ought to be able to take it for granted.[24]
While the disciples were to rely on the standing system of ancient Near Eastern
hospitality, we do not find a call to ascetical lifestyle.[25] In
v. 30, the disciples report to Jesus.
There
is a centrifugal (v centripetal) principle at work here (see Isa 60:17).
Sandals
describes more elaborate footwear. Two tunics meant a style of dress adopted by
persons of distinction.[26] Move
on within 3 days meant either the disciples would encounter households and even
whole communities where the message is unwelcome or that this was common
practice among early missionaries.
Finally,
echoing Jesus’ call, people are to repent – now!
The
Death of John the Baptist
14King
Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the
Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are
at work in him.” 15But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said,
“He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod
heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17For
it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake
of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18For
John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s
wife.” 19And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him
to death. But she could not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing that
he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he
was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
21But
an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles
and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22For when
Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And
the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to
you.” 23And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you,
up to half of my kingdom.” 24And she went out and said to her
mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25And
she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you
to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26And
the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did
not want to break his word to her. 27And immediately the king sent
an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in
the prison 28and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the
girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard
of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Jesus
Feeds the Five Thousand
30The
apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31And
he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a
while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And
they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33Now
many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all
the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When he went ashore he saw
a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35And
when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate
place, and the hour is now late. 36Send them away to go into the
surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But
he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him,
“Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to
eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and
see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then
he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So
they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41And taking
the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and
broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And
he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate and were
satisfied. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces
and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand
men.
Jesus
Walks on the Water
45Immediately
he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to
Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46And after he had taken
leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47And when
evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48And
he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.
And about the fourth watch of the nightg he came to them, walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them, 49but when they saw him walking on the sea
they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50for they all saw him
and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it
is I. Do not be afraid.” 51And he got into the boat with them, and
the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52for they did not
understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Jesus
Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
53When
they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore.
54And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately
recognized him 55and ran about the whole region and began to bring
the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56And
wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in
the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his
garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
of the Twelve
Discussion and Reflection Questions
While Jesus is walking to Jairus’
house, a woman with internal bleeding touches Jesus’ clothes (5:25-32). Why
does she do that instead of speaking directly to Jesus?
Mark places the story of the
woman with internal bleeding (5:21-32) inside the story of Jairus’ daughter, an
obvious sign for us to consider them together. How do they prompt us to believe
more deeply in God’s power?
To multiply his ministry, Jesus
sent out his 12 apostles in pairs. What is significant about the instructions
(6:7-10) he gave them?
Why did Mark place the story of
John the Baptist right after the episode of Jesus sending the Twelve?
[1]
Luke Timothy Johnson, The Writings of the New Testament, 3rd
edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press (2010). 156f.
[2] R.
T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2002), 234.
[3] James
Voelz, Mark 1:1 – 8:26 St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (2013), 377.
[4] Ben
Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Social-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2001), 184.
[5] Ibid,
185.
[6] Ibid,
189.
[7] Ibid,
185.
[8] Voelz,
372.
[9] Witherington,
187.
[10] Ibid,
185.
[11] Ibid,
190.
[12] France,
241.
[13] Witherington,
191.
[14] F
rance, 242.
[15] Witherington,
192.
[16] France,
243.
[17] Witherington,
195.
[18] Ibid,
208.
[19] France,
245.
[20] France,
246.
[21] Witherington,
209.
[22] Ibid,
210.
[23] Ibid,
209
[24] France,
250.
[25] Witherington,
211.
[26] Voelz,
393.
No comments:
Post a Comment