Introduction
‘After this, Jesus travelled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.’ Luke 8:1-3
As Jesus travelled from town and village to another, He preached the good news concerning the kingdom of God as He went. He had the twelve with Him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.
Mary called Magdalene, was from Magdala, Jesus had driven seven demons from her, Mark 16:9. We know nothing about Joanna and Susanna except for what is written here but it does appear they were wealthy as they used their own resources to support Jesus and His disciples. They would go on to become great witnesses for Christ, Matthew 28:10 / Mark 16:1.
The Parable Of The Sower
‘While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.’ Luke 8:4-15
Notice how Jesus starts the parable and how He ends the parable. He starts by saying, “Listen”, Mark 4:1, and ends by saying, “He, who has ears to hear, let him hear,” Mark 4:9. It didn’t just mean listen to what I’ve just said, it means to think about it, and paying attention to what I’ve just said.
Although this is called ‘the parable of the sower’, the key to understanding this parable is understanding that the seed is the Word of God and so maybe it should be called ‘the parable of the soil’.
What is a parable? The word ‘Parable’ comes from the Greek word ‘Parabole’, which literally means a placing beside, a comparison, equivalent to or to compare. Some say that a parable is ‘an earthly story with a heavenly meaning’ but a parable is more than that.
The dictionary defines a parable as ‘a short figurative story, designed to convey some truth or moral lesson.’ Or ‘a brief story using events or facts of everyday life to illustrate a moral or spiritual truth.’
But parables come in many different styles and forms. In Luke 4:22-23, we have an example of a parable in the form of a ‘Proverb’. Again in Luke 5:36-39, we find Jesus sharing a parable in the form of a ‘metaphor’ to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.
And there are many other forms of parables that Jesus used too. But the point is that Jesus used parables as a form of teaching. It wasn’t the only form of teaching He used but it was certainly a form He liked to use a lot.
Throughout the gospels there are over thirty parables of Jesus recorded in some style or another. Most of them are well known to many people but all of them are classics and Jesus was the Master teacher when it came to parables.
In this parable we find the folowing, which Jesus will explain later. We have a farmer who sowing seed, Mark 4:3 and four different kinds of soil.
1. The first type is like hard-packed soil, Mark 4:4.
These hard-hearted people do not let the word penetrate their life, they reject it immediately because they have closed their minds.
2. The second type is like seed sown in rocky places, Mark 4:5-6.
The idea here is of a thin layer of topsoil covering a large rock. When the seed is sown in such a place, it will germinate and grow in the shallow soil, but it will not develop deep roots.
When the sun comes out and it doesn’t rain for a few days, the plant will wither and die. This represents a person who eagerly receives the word, but doesn’t develop roots through faith and Bible study. This person will not have the ability to withstand the temptations and persecutions that come along in life.
3. The thorny soil, Mark 4:7.
In this ground, the plant is overshadowed by taller weeds which suffocate fruit production. This soil symbolizes people who receive the word and although they allow it to continue in their lives, permit competing interests to dwarf it.
These other influences may not be bad things in themselves, but they dominate the person’s life so much that the seed can’t bear fruit.
4. The good soil, Mark 4:8.
This is the good soil in which plants bear abundant fruit. This soil represents Christians who are diligent in the service of God.
The seed fell on three different places, without any lasting success. 1. On the path. 2. On rocky ground. 3. On rocky places. 4. On the thorny ground. However, some of the seed fell on good ground. The seed fell onto different types of ground and the harvest depended on the kind of soil where the seed fell.
Its clear that His disciples and others didn’t understand the parable, Mark 4:10 / Mark 4:13 / Mark 4:33-34, and so, Jesus said He speaks in parables so that He can reveal secrets about the kingdom of heaven, Mark 4:11.
Why did Jesus speak in parables? Mark 4:10-13. His parables were designed to test His hearers, not an intelligence test but rather a spiritual responsiveness test.
Jesus shares the parable with the people and says, ‘Do you want to know a secret?’ ‘I’ve shared a secret with you about the kingdom of heaven,’ Mark 4:11.
And the parable He shared did exactly what the parable was designed to do. They were designed to get a response, Mark 4:10-12 / Luke 8:9-10. It split the people into two groups, those who were interested in truth and those who weren’t, Mark 4:12 / Isaiah 6:9-10.
Morgan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Jesus didn’t use parables to blind people, but because they were blind. ‘Therefore Jesus used the parabolic method, not in order to blind them, but in order to make them look again; not in order to prevent them from coming to forgiveness, but in order to lure them toward a new attention.’
Jesus is saying ‘My people can see and perceive, My people can hear and understand but they just don’t want to,’ Isaiah 6:9-10. He’s saying they don’t want to turn to God and be forgiven because their hearts are so far away from Me.
He says My people have always seen, they’ve always heard but My people don’t want to listen and understand, because they are too stubborn, Isaiah 29:13.
A couple of chapters later Jesus says that the religious people were hypocrites who were more interested in the traditions of men rather than the commands of God, Mark 7:6-8.
And it’s then, that Jesus asks those who are listening, if they can’t understand this parable, how will they understand any other parable that He will share, Mark 4:13.
Jesus is saying this secret about the kingdom of heaven is so easy to understand, Mark 4:11. He says it’s so plain and obvious and yet none of you can understand it!
He’s telling them that they need to be able to understand this parable so that they can go on and understand other parables He will teach them.
It’s much the same as what Paul says to the church in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 3:1-2. The great call of Scripture is for growth, for us to grow spiritually.
The minute we were born again in the waters of baptism, John 3:3 / Acts 2:38, we should be starting to grow spiritually. And the more we study the Word of God, the more we understand and grow, but we need to grow, 2 Peter 3:18.
A lot of kids in the world today are born with a disease that stops them from growing both physically and mentally. But sadly, the same goes for some Christians, not physically or mentally but spiritually, Hebrews 5:11-14. Notice how the Hebrew writer describes how we become mature, “By constant use and training”.
Studying isn’t easy sometimes, but it’s something that all Christians need to do, they need to train themselves to do it. The desire for understanding the Bible will drive us forward to understand even more of the Bible.
That’s what Jesus’ disciples did, they wanted to understand more and so, Jesus gave them even more solid food, Matthew 5:6 / Luke 24:27.
So we find that these few people who were listening to Jesus didn’t understand what the parable of The Sower meant, but they had the desire to know and so Jesus explains it to them. He says, ‘Here’s a secret about the kingdom of God’, Mark 4:11.
Matthew records in Matthew 13:16-17, that the disciples were blessed because they used their eyes to see and their ears to hear, that is, they were open to Jesus’ teaching and as a result were blessed, Matthew 16:17 / John 20:29.
Many of the Old Testament prophets and righteous people who lived by faith longed to see what the disciples were now seeing, they longed to hear the teachings Christ was teaching His disciples.
In other words, they longed to hear the wonderful things which Jesus was revealing to His disciples, John 8:56 / Galatians 4:4-5 / Hebrews 11:13 / Hebrews 11:25-26 / Hebrews 11:39-40 / 1 Peter 1:10-12.
Jesus taught and explained the parable using an everyday life event, He uses the illustration of a farmer sowing his seed. Have you ever wondered why some people become Christians and then a little later they fall away? Have you ever wondered why some people aren’t Christians?
We have people who come into our assemblies, they hear the Gospel of Christ being preached, they know what they need to do to become obedient to the Gospel, and yet, nothing ever seems to happen.
How come we don’t get people coming to Christ when the Gospel is preached as it was during Biblical times? Well, maybe the best way to answer that question is by letting Jesus ask the question He was asking. How could the scribes and Pharisees misrepresent God the way they did? Isaiah 6:9-10 / Mark 4:12.
How could the disciples and those listening not totally understand what Jesus was teaching? The way the Word is being sown or being preached isn’t the problem, the problem is the way people receive it. In other words, those people who are honestly searching for the truth, it’s those people whom the truth will become much clearer.
We need to remember whom the Word of God is being preached to, it’s being preached to sinners. People whose hearts have been hardened with sin over the years.
Jesus says that people are like the place where the seed lands, Mark 4:3-8. He’s talking about four different soils, which represent four different reactions or responses when people hear the Word of God.
1. Jesus said that the birds mentioned in Mark 4:4, are a picture of the devil himself, who comes down and takes the seed away, Mark 4:15.
But the reason the devil can so easily take it away is because the Word of God has no impression on these people at all. They’re so hardened in sin, they don’t even understand the significance of the words being said. In other words, the path is hard, Mark 4:4, the seed has got nowhere to plant its roots, Jeremiah 4:3 / Hosea 10:12.
They hear the gospel but don’t hang around long enough to find out what it means to them. Because when people are hardened with sin, they always think that whatever’s being said doesn’t apply to them.
2. Jesus goes on to describe another reaction to the Gospel.
People who hear the Word of God, accept it with gladness and joy, Mark 4:5, but they have no root in themselves, Mark 4:16-17. Jesus says these people are OK for a while but as soon as any persecution or worry comes along from being a follower of God, they just give up.
So the Word that was planted in them at the start, just springs up very quickly but the soil was lacking, Mark 4:5. And so when the sun comes out, it’s quickly burnt up because it has no root and lacks moisture, Luke 8:6.
Jesus is saying there are hearts out there that will receive the truth with great readiness and joy, Luke 8:13. And He says it’s not until the heat gets turned up, that these people fall away.
Spurgeon, in his commentary, says the folowing.
‘Then there are many more, whose religion must be sustained by enthusiastic surroundings. They seem to have been baptized in boiling water; and unless the temperature around them is kept up to that point, they wither away, the religion that is born of mere excitement will die when the excitement is over.’
It worries me when people become Christians without even studying the Word of God first. People need to know and understand Who and what they are committing to, Luke 14:26-35.
Jesus says whenever the heat of tribulation or persecution comes along because of the Word of God, their delight in the truth just withers away and dries up.
3. Jesus goes on to describe another type of response to the Gospel.
In the case of the seed that fell among the thorns, Mark 4:4 / Mark 4:18-19, we must note that there was nothing wrong with the soil. It’s not too hard like the seed that fell along the path, there’s enough soil for the seed to take root, unlike the seed that fell on a rocky place.
It’s not the soil that’s the problem, it’s what is in the soil around it. It’s the environment in which it’s living is the problem. One of the ways that Satan likes to attack God’s people is with worry, worry is the greatest joy stealer there is.
Jesus says there are three things that steal our joy as a Christian. He says there are three things that can stop us from becoming a fruitful follower of the Word.
1. The cares of this world, Mark 4:19.
People are so caught up in this life that they forget about the next. They worry about their jobs, they worry about their homes, and they worry about having enough money to get by.
Jesus says we shouldn’t be getting distracted by anything, He’ll take care of all your worries, Matthew 6:25-34 / Matthew 6:33. He says, listen, we’re Christians, we don’t need to worry about these things, 1 Peter 5:7, just leave the worrying to the unbelievers.
2. The deceitfulness of riches, Mark 4:19.
The world’s biggest con these days is this, ‘get rich fast and you’ll be happy’. Whether that comes in the form of a new car or a new home, it doesn’t matter.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but over the past few years, the ‘National Lottery’ has now got even more chances for you to win every day of the week. They now have a daily ‘National Lottery’ draw.
And that’s because they realise that in a world that’s so commercial, people are lusting after the quick fix answer to their problems or a get me rich fast answer to your problems.
But Jesus tells us that, that’s not the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. He says that those riches are the fruit of the world. He says people are being deceived into thinking that material goods are the answer to life.
The only answer to this life is Jesus Christ Himself and if we want answers about this life then we need to look to Jesus, John 14:6. Because He’s the only one who has the answers for this life.
3. The pleasures of this life, Mark 4:19.
Everyone likes to have fun and there’s nothing wrong with that but the problem comes when the fun becomes more important than godly living.
There’s nothing wrong with playing cards but the problem comes when we start gambling and our gambling habit takes over our life. There’s nothing wrong with having a drink, but the problem comes when the drink comes more important than God himself.
God has given us the gift of pleasure, which in itself can be innocent. But we need to remember that the world’s idea of enjoyment is totally opposite to God’s idea of enjoyment.
These three things or these three thorns, that we have just mentioned are constantly in the environment that we live in every day. And what they do is smother and choke the Word of God, Mark 4:18-19. And Jesus says, the reason that these people don’t bear any fruit is because of these thorns.
He says, they look promising, they look like they’re going to bear fruit but they never do and so they end up choking to death. He says the thorns soak up all the moisture and riches that are in the soil and so the world ends up with all their attention and God just gets the dregs of whatever is left, Matthew 22:37. They are starved of the truth, which is found in the word of God.
4. Jesus speaks about the good soil, Mark 4:8 / Mark 4:19-20. Jesus says, ‘this is the soil I’m looking for, this is the kind of response to My words that I’m looking for.’
This soil is the total opposite from the three other soils mentioned. These are the people whose hearts are soft and tender, they received and cherished the seed, when it was planted.
These people soak up the Word of God and gain strength from it and go on to produce a crop of ‘thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown,’ Mark 4:20 / Luke 8:15.
These are the people who plant good seed in people’s hearts and are rewarded with a good crop, that is a good number of people responding to the Gospel message, 1 Corinthians 3:6.
They can see the world’s riches for what they really are, they guard themselves against worldly pleasures, Proverbs 21:17. And they cast all their anxieties onto Him because they know He cares for them, 1 Peter 5:7. They produce much fruit and it’s these people who are the long-distance faith runners, who are faithful to the end.
And it’s to those people who Jesus says, “Do you want to know a secret?” Mark 4:11. Don’t be surprised when people don’t want to hear about Me.
Don’t be surprised when people become Christians and only last a short time. Don’t be surprised when people look like they’re going to be great ambassadors for Christ but they fall away.
Everyone has a place in the parable of the sower. Jesus wants us to evaluate which type of soil we are.
1. Hopefully, we won’t be the hardened, wayside soil.
If we are, we will close our minds to the truth and refuse to allow the Gospel to penetrate our hearts and change our life.
2. Perhaps we’ll be the rocky soil.
On the surface, we appear to be growing and serving the Lord enthusiastically. But we aren’t deepening our roots through faith, study and a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When times become tough, we will fall away, and others will marvel because on the surface it looked like we were doing so well.
3. If we end up being the thorny soil, we will continue to ‘be a Christian,’ but our life will be dominated by other activities and we will never have much time or attention to share with spiritual concerns.
This is probably the most subtle danger because the plant in thorny soil never completely falls away. As a result, we can soothe our conscience and believe that we are still doing OK, when in fact, we aren’t bearing fruit.
4. Ideally, we will be the good soil that bears the fruit of righteousness for the Lord.
God’s Word doesn’t vary but man’s heart does. The nature of the response is dictated by the nature of the heart that receives it. The secret is this, don’t give up planting the seed, but persevere, Galatians 6:9. We never know what kind of response you’re going to get.
Jesus explained that the seed represents the word of God, Luke 8:11. There are many lessons that can be learned by the analogy between seed and the word.
For example, a seed always produces after its kind. That is, rice seed always produces rice plants, corn seed produces corn plants and pumpkin seed pumpkin plants. There are no exceptions.
By the plant results, one can determine what seed was planted. So it is in the spiritual realm. When the pure word of God is planted, the resulting plants are Christians.
It would be theoretically possible to eliminate pumpkin plants from the face of the earth. Yet if pumpkin seeds were preserved, someone many years later could plant them, and again produce pumpkins. So also in Christ. The seed is the word of God, 1 Peter 1:23-25.
Even if there had not been servants of Christ on the earth for a long time, when people returned to following the Bible only, they would become Christians. Our goal should be to reproduce pure disciples of Christ in the twentieth century, just like they were in the first.
The biggest mistake we can make as Christians after studying this is to look around us and say, ‘Yes, I know people who fall into one of those categories’. ‘I know someone who didn’t last long as a Christian’, that’s not the point of the parable.
The point of the parable is to get you to look at yourself, is your heartfelt response to the Gospel described in this parable? And let me just say that it would be very foolish for anyone to stand and say, ‘Yes, when the seed fell on me, it fell on the good soil.’ Because you can’t answer that question until the day Jesus returns or the day you die, 1 Corinthians 10:12.
Let’s not judge each other with this parable. But let’s continue to encourage each other to remain faithful to the end and trust in God to help us produce the fruit He requires.
A Lamp On A Stand
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” Luke 8:16-18
Luke isn’t the only one who recorded this teaching of Christ, Mark does too, Mark 4:21-25. Jesus had just emphasised the concealment of His teachings using parables, Mark 4:11-12, but this reference to the lamp shows that the concealment will end.
Our Lord has just been speaking the Parable of the Sower and the disciples ask Him for an explanation, which He gives point by point.
I’m pretty sure the disciples were feeling pretty good about themselves after hearing Him tell them that He was hiding His truth from the masses while privately helping them to understand it, Matthew 11:16-17 / Mark 4:11.
‘Inside information’ can be a powerful thing, but it can also be dangerous, 1 Corinthians 8:1, more importantly, knowledge brings with it responsibility, and this is what Jesus is dealing with in these verses.
Jesus is talking to His disciples, and it’s an everyday illustration He uses. Night is coming, and the small house is in getting dark, and then the master of the house takes and trims the lamp and brings it in.
What do we do with the lamp? Does we put it under a bowl, which would hide the light? Do we hide it under the bed, which would dim the light? Or do we put it on the lampstand, which would display the light for all? We could do any of these, but the real purpose is to light the house.
It is very important that we understand what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is the light, John 8:12, and His word of the kingdom is light. And because Jesus is the Word, John 1:1 / John 1:14, I think we can safely say that the lamp here is the Word of God, just like the seed in the previous parable, Psalm 119:105.
Jesus is saying you don’t take a lamp and light it and put it under the bed or put it under a bowl. The whole purpose of having the lamp is to put it on the lampstand and let it shine. He’s saying that God hasn’t revealed to them these incredible truths about Himself in order for them to hide them.
Just as natural light illuminates the darkness and enables us to see visually, so the light of Christ shines in the hearts of believers and enables us to see the heavenly reality of God’s kingdom. In fact, our mission is to be light-bearers of Christ so that others may see the truth of the Gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
The whole purpose of a lamp is simply to produce light and so obviously it’s always placed in a position which helps it accomplish its purpose. In other words, placing a lamp under a bowl or under a bed defeats the purpose of the lamp in the first place. They exist simply to bring light, in this case, light to men.
Jesus taught and warned against hiding a lit lamp on many occasions but notice how many different places He mentions where a lit lamp shouldn’t be put in a jar, under a bed, Luke 8:16, under a bowl, Mark 4:21 / Matthew 5:15, in a cellar, Luke 11:33.
It’s clear that Jesus is making an application to the Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:1-22 / Mark 4:1-20, and He’s saying that the preaching of the Gospel will bring to light the true nature of the hearts of everyone who hears it, Mark 4:19.
Some commentators believe there is a connection between the things which hide the light and the thorns which choke out the word. They believe that the clay jar stands for the worries of this world. The bowl stands for wealth, and the bed and a place, which is the cellar, stand for desires.
According to all those references the lamp shouldn’t be hidden but placed on a stand, but who or what is the stand? The lamp which is lit is the Christian and their lamp should be displayed on the stand, which is in the church, Revelation 1:20. But we’ve not just to be lights in our meeting place, we need to be lights of the world, Matthew 5:14-16.
The purpose of light is to reveal everything which is present in the house. It’s the light that both enlightens and brings to light, John 3:17-18 / John 5:34 / John 6:40 / John 12:48. Those who hear will be revealed to have open hearts and those who reject the word of God will be revealed to have hardened hearts.
The secrets of all people shall be made evident on judgement day. People must understand and respond to what they hear, they must be like the good soil, Mark 4:8, that grew and produced a multiplying crop.
Where does the moon get it’s light from? How does it shine? The moon doesn’t give off any light in and of itself, it simply reflects the light from the sun. We know that Jesus is the light of the world, John 8:12, and as Christians, our light is a reflection of His light, John 1:4-5.
Jesus Christ is the light and He revealed God and made Him known. He brought the character and the truth of God to all who believed in Him, John 1:9.
It’s through Jesus Christ that the true knowledge of God is made known. He brought the light and revealed the character and person of God. Jesus, Himself is the light of the world, John 8:12.
Christians don’t produce the light, but like the moon that reflects the light of the sun, we too reflect the light of His indwelling life, Revelation 21:23. Christians are supposed to display the character of God, that’s why we were called in the first place, 1 Peter 2:9 / Ephesians 5:8.
While Christians are light, the world is darkness. This is the term used to describe the lost condition. John tells us that there is no darkness in God, 1 John 1:5, which means that there is no sin, no moral question marks, and no blame in even the slightest degree. He uses the word ‘darkness’ as an alternative word for the world and the unregenerate condition, 1 John 2:8-9.
Our Lord uses the same word to describe the whole world in rebellion against God, John 3:19. His saving work is the only way to be delivered from this darkness. John 12:46.
What does darkness do? Darkness impairs vision, we can’t see clearly. In a spiritual sense, the kind of darkness that the Bible speaks of impairs a person morally. They cannot see, they don’t understand the effects of sin or even the root of it in the corruption of the human heart.
Their entire way of thinking is warped by the darkness. Their understanding has been switched off when it comes to grasping moral issues related to his own life.
But Christians are the light, and our purpose is to make God known. If an unbeliever comes in contact with us, they ought to see in our lives the reflection of the character of God. They ought to hear from our lips truth and that which is good. We are to be proclaiming the truth of His salvation, Mark 4:24-25.
Inherent in the purpose of a lamp is that it produces light. It’s therefore placed in a position to accomplish its purpose. Lamps exist for the very purpose of bringing light to men, Matthew 5:15-16.
The function of light is to reveal that which is present in the house. There is nothing hidden that will not be manifested. In reference to the preceding parable of the sower, the preaching of the Gospel will bring to light the true nature of the hearts of everyone who hears it.
It’s the light that both enlightens and brings to light, John 3:17-18 / John 5:34 / John 6:40 / John 12:48. Those who hear will be revealed to have open hearts.
Those who reject the word of God will be revealed to have hardened hearts. They must understand and respond to what they hear. They must be as the good soil, Mark 4:8, that brought forth abundantly.
Jesus has just finished saying, ‘if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear,’ Mark 4:23, then He goes on and warns His disciples to take great care with how they listen.
We have to remember that the Gospel is so precious, because the Gospel contains the message of eternal life and the message of eternal death, depending on how a person responds to it.
The words, ‘it will be measured to you,’, Mark 4:24, mean those who are of a humble nature are receptive to the teachings of Jesus. They hear with the intention of producing.
As a result of their willingness to hear, they will grow. To the ones who grow, therefore, more will be given in the sense that the righteous will receive far more in eternal glory than they expect, Romans 8:18.
The words, ‘whoever does not have,’ Mark 4:25, mean those who aren’t of the nature of the good soil will not produce. They will thus not receive the bounty of more. That which unrighteous hearts possess will be lost in the final reckoning of all things.
Their good works will be in vain because they aren’t in Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:58. The unrighteous will lose whatever they had. These measures are the kind of judgments people give of others, resulting always in their being judged in the same fashion, Matthew 7:1-2 / Luke 6:37-38.
If people listen to the Gospel carelessly, then they will find that they don’t have what it takes to remain faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10. If we take the Gospel lightly, even what little we have gained will be taken from us. But if we receive the whole Gospel and obey it, then we will gain more than we can imagine.
And so, Jesus is saying, the more the Christian studies God’s Word, the more they will learn as it’s revealed to them through His Word but those Christians who don’t study God’s Word, will not learn anything new and what they do already know will be taken away from them.
We see this in action when Jesus shares the Parable of the Talents, where the one-talent man buried his talent, instead of putting it to good use, then it was taken from him and given to the man who had ten talents, Matthew 25:19-28.
The Christian needs to shine whenever they find themselves, they need to continually grow, through studying God’s Word, 2 Peter 3:18.
The Bible is a light, but it’s useless if it remains closed on the bookshelf. In order to receive profit, we must open it up and read it. Although studying the Scriptures is essential, many read the Bible in vain, because they don’t read it correctly.
It’s significant that in the middle of a text stressing the importance of hearing the word, Jesus emphasised the need to be careful how we hear, Mark 4:24.
The fact that people who read the Bible come to markedly different conclusions about what it means demonstrates that many are not understanding it properly. Some are careless and simply don’t put much effort into their study.
Others twist the Scriptures intentionally, misinterpreting them to try to confirm the beliefs and practices they have already determined to follow.
How to study the Bible? Some common-sense principles can help us understand the Scriptures as we study.
First, learn to study in context.
The Bible has two main divisions. The Old Testament, the first 39 books, and the New Testament, the last 27 books.
The New Testament is the part that directly relates to us today since it contains the teachings of Christ and the apostles. The Old Testament gives the background of God’s preparation of the Jewish nation for the coming of Christ.
These Testaments are subdivided into books, 66 in all. It is probably best to study book by book. This study was designed to take a person through the gospel of Mark step-by-step.
We need to concentrate on what we read in the Bible to be able to understand it. Since each book is divided into chapters, it is helpful to approach our Bible study by working with a chapter at a time. Read through the chapter two or three times.
On the first reading, work to simply discover what the chapter contains, but on the second reading, we can begin to try to analyse the main points. Keep a notebook handy. Jot down a note or two about the main ideas or events of the chapter.
A notebook is a good place to write down questions that arise as we study. Writing them down so that we won’t forget them allows us to progress in our study without getting side-tracked.
Later, we can search for the answers to these questions ourself, or we can ask someone else to help us.
Jesus’ Mother And Brothers
‘Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” Luke 8:19-21
Matthew records that Jesus had four brothers, Matthew 13:55-56, and Mark records that Jesus had at least two sisters, Mark 6:3. As there is no mention of Joseph here, this could signify that he had died, Matthew 13:55 / Mark 6:3 / John 2:12 / John 7:3 / John 7:5 / John 7:10.
It’s clear that Jesus’ physical family have heard a lot about what has been going on but it’s also clear that Jesus’ family didn’t understand Him. They came to try to talk to Him, perhaps to persuade Him to take a break, Mark 3:31-35.
He refused to give them a private hearing, explaining that His family no longer had a special claim on His attention. Jesus’ true family consists of those who hear and do His will, 1 Timothy 5:1-2. This incident shows that Mary had no special influence or privilege, Jesus treats all of His obedient followers equally, John 1:12-13.
Jesus Calms The Storm
‘One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25
One of the reasons Jesus chose fishermen was because of their easy access to boats, they may even used a specific boat for Jesus’ ministry. Now, remember that most of the disciples were hardened fishermen and they would be used to being in storms.
Jesus consistently demonstrated His authority by doing things that were totally beyond human capacity. In this case, while the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee by boat, Jesus fell asleep on a cushion. A great storm arose, and the disciples panicked, these hardened fishermen were scared, this must have been some storm!
In desperation, they awoke Jesus saying, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He got up and calmly rebuked the wind and the sea, the word, ‘quiet’ means to muzzle. The storm ceased.
Matthew also recorded that Jesus made this statement before the work of the miracle. This is the point that Jesus wanted the disciples to understand. At this time, all things were under the care and control of Jesus because He was head over all things, John 13:3 / John 17:2.
Jesus then turned to the disciples and reproved them for their lack of faith. Though they had seen Jesus perform many miracles, they were always amazed by each new one. They said, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’
Once we recognise that Jesus is God and the Creator of all that exists, Colossians 1:16, then we will realise that nothing is outside the power of Jesus to control. For this reason, it is faith in Jesus that brings peace of mind, Philippians 4:7.
How Well Do We Sleep?
Considering the things that the disciples had already seen Jesus do, their doubts about His ability to quiet the storm are astonishing. They had seen Him heal multitudes of people, cast out demons and prove Himself equal to any task at hand.
Suddenly, they despaired because of a storm on the sea. Obviously, they didn’t really think Jesus could solve this problem because they were amazed when He did.
How could they have been so slow and so distrustful? What about us? Do we not believe that Jesus can handle any situation if we trust and obey His will? Have we not seen in the Scriptures how Jesus can solve every problem?
How do we react when we confront a fresh crisis in our lives–do we trustingly and confidently turn to Jesus, or do we throw up our hands in despair? How well do we sleep?
In the presence of Jesus, there should be a great emotional calm in our lives, Psalm 65:7 / Psalm 89:9 / Luke 4:39.
Jesus Restores A Demon-Possessed Man
‘They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.’ Luke 8:26-39
Jesus and His disciples went to the eastern shore of Galilee, a place called Gerasenes, Mark 5:1 / Matthew 8:28 / Luke 8:26. This must have been a Gentile area as there were many pigs around and we know that the Jews saw pigs as unclean animals, Leviticus 11:7 / Deuteronomy 14:8. It’s here Jesus meets two men who are demon-possessed who lived in tombs, Mark 5:3 / Luke 8:27.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Mark and Luke mention only one of these people, Mark 5:2 / Luke 8:27, the principal one. Note that neither Mark nor Luke states that there was ‘only one’ of these men. The fact of demon possession is plain here. These were possessed not merely with one, but with many, demons.’
Gill, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Mark and Luke mention only one demoniac, probably the fiercer of the two.’
There are many views today concerning demonic possession, some argue that it still exists whilst others don’t. It’s generally supposed that no such thing as demon possession exists on earth today.
If that supposition is correct, it would simply mean that the power of Jesus Christ in destroying the works of the devil, which was His purpose in coming into this world, 1 John 3:8, was effective and that Satan’s demonic followers are not able to work the havoc upon the human personality in this age, as formerly.
The multiplication of such disorders in the times of Christ should in such a view, have been expected as the demons recognised the holy Saviour and His purpose of destroying them.
Mark stressed the unnatural strength of this caveman, using two entire verses to stress it, Mark 5:3-4, but Matthew supplied the significant fact that his wildness had closed the area to human traffic, Matthew 8:28, and Luke, the equally significant fact that he was naked, Luke 8:27.
Luke also adds that the man was seized by the demons many times despite being chained and guarded, Luke 8:29. Such a person had no doubt cast a terror over the entire village, Zechariah 13:1-2.
Night and day, he would cut himself, which shows us how much self-harm this demon was causing him, Mark 5:5. The demon-possessed appear always to have been able to recognise Christ. The man’s worshipping of Jesus is a reference to his falling down before Him, Mark 5:6.
In view of the man’s behaviour, after he was healed, it must also have included on the man’s part, if not the demon’s, an adoration of the Lord spiritually.
The effect of his possession was that of splitting the personality, making it impossible in each instance to distinguish between what was done by the demon and what was done by the man.
The demon-possessed men recognised Christ as the Son of God and so, they ask, ‘what do you want with us, Son of God?’ Matthew 8:29 / Mark 5:7 / Luke 8:28. He asks Jesus a question but in doing so, he revealed He knew Jesus and His power and authority.
This name of God, ‘Most High’, Mark 5:7, is very ancient, appearing in connection with Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18, Balaam, Numbers 24:16, and in the Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 32:8. The Hebrews didn’t invent or evolve monotheism, that being the original view of the Father, even prior to Abraham.
Notice the words, ‘us’ and ‘they, Matthew 8:29, which implies there is more than one demon addressing Jesus. This is seen when Jesus asks their name and they reply, ‘legion’, for there were many demons who went into the man, Mark 5:9 / Luke 8:30. After Jesus commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man, Mark 5:8.
Notice the word ‘my’, Mark 5:9, is singular and ‘we’, is plural, Matthew 8:29. This is a further indication of the separation that the demon had inflicted upon the man.
A legion was four or five thousand men and, although no truth may be certain in such a reply from such a source. It’s at least in harmony with the idea of multiple possessions in some cases, Mary Magdalene being another example, Mark 16:9.
Christ asked, ‘the man’ his name, not because the Lord didn’t know it, but because He sought to bring the man back to a sense of his own identity, and the identity the demon had taken as shown in the reply.
Notice again in Mark 5:10, the confusion with the words, ‘he’ and ‘them’. It’s as if he cannot make up his mind where he is one or a Legion!
It has been suggested that the speaker was the leading demon speaking for all the rest, but the view is precarious. Of course, we don’t have the exact words of the petition, only Mark’s account which gives it indefinitely.
Notice also that these demons appear to know their destiny, ‘have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’ Matthew 8:29 / Luke 8:28 / Matthew 25:41 / Acts 16:16-17 / James 2:19 / 2 Peter 2:4 / Jude 6.
They knew that Jesus had absolute power over them, and they are well aware that their destiny is destruction, Matthew 25:41 / Luke 8:32.
The demons were fearful of having to depart the dwelling they had seized in the poor man and they pleaded not to be sent away. They begged Jesus repeatedly to send them away but not into the Abyss, which is described as a bottomless pit, a dwelling of place for demons until Judgment Day, Mark 5:10 / Luke 8:31 / Revelation 9:1-2 / Revelation 11:7 / Revelation 17:8 / Revelation 20:1 / Revelation 20:3.
Notice again, ‘he’ begged the Lord in Mark 5:10, but it’s ‘they’ who do the pleading, Mark 5:12, making it sure that the demons were the ones pleading.
The request of the demon appeared to have been predicated upon God’s prior promise that the demonic world would be vanquished at some time certain in the future, hence, his invoking God’s name in the request, Mark 5:7 / Zechariah 13:1-2.
A glimpse of God’s ultimate plan of destroying evil surfaces here in the demonic knowledge that such destruction is in store for them and that an appointed time, Matthew 8:29, for it has already been determined, Acts 17:31 / Zechariah 13:1-2.
There was a large herd of pigs were feeding, Matthew 8:30. Around two thousand pigs were feeding on the side of the mountain according to Mark 5:11-13.
And so, after requesting permission to embody the pigs, Matthew 8:31 / Mark 5:12 / Luke 8:32, Jesus sends them into the herd of pigs, Matthew 8:32 / Mark 5:13 / Luke 8:33.
Of all the lower creation, only the serpent, Genesis 3:1, and swine are revealed in Scripture as possessed of an evil spirit. The serpent is a symbol of intellectual cunning and the pigs of gross uncleanness, suggesting that in both categories there is a great temptation to the human family.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This shows that the emissaries of Satan are restricted and may not enter even a herd of swine without the Lord’s permission. Other restrictions of Satan are given in 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Matthew 13:25.’
The pigs then rushed into the sea and drowned, Matthew 8:32 / Mark 5:13 / Luke 8:33 / Job 1:12-22. Notice that Christ didn’t destroy the pigs, the demons did.
Christ’s permission of such a thing is no more than God’s permission of all-natural disorders like earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, droughts, tornadoes, etc., which kill millions of people, not pigs alone, and yet all thoughtful persons find no difficulty reconciling this with God’s love and justice.
The pigs roamed the countryside as the result of a great multitude of people who gathered around the Lord, His disciples, and the man from whom the legion of demons was cast out.
Notice the contrast in the man, he was naked, bleeding, furtive, dwelling in tombs, constantly crying out, etc., but notice the change, he is now clothed and in his right mind, sitting at the feet of Jesus! Mark 5:15. This shows what Christ does, He really can transform lives.
Despite Jesus healing the man and finding him sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind. Despite these two men’s lives being transformed, the crowd appear to be scared, Matthew 8:33 / Mark 5:14-15 / Luke 8:34-35.
Why were they scared? Possibly because they did not want Jesus’ kind of power in their midst. Possibly because they thought Jesus was going to wipe out every pig in the region which would mean a loss of property and revenue.
At first, it may seem incredible that the people of the town did not want Jesus to stay, Matthew 8:34 / Luke 8:37. But think about what they had just lost, they just lost two thousand pigs. Some people owned them, some people were planning to make money slaughtering, processing, and selling them. He had hurt the town’s economy.
They evidently loved material possessions more than they loved Jesus, and because of that, they missed out on the supreme privilege. They asked Him to leave, Mark 5:16-17 / Luke 8:37.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear they were so blinded by their physical loss, that they ask Jesus to leave the area. Jesus listened to them, left and would never set foot in the area again.
How sad to see Jesus being rejected once again, despite doing a wonderful thing, not only for the men who were possessed but for those who lived in the area.
One can appreciate the feelings of the man whose life had been so distraught by the powers of darkness, and whose feelings of love and gratitude toward Jesus caused him to desire constant fellowship with the Lord, Mark 5:18. Those who have tasted the blessing of the Lord desire to be ever in His company and partakers of His companionship.
Luke and Mark record that one of the men who was possessed was commanded by Jesus to tell others what God had done for him, which he proceeded to do, Mark 5:18-20 / Luke 8:38-39.
On some occasions, Jesus prohibited the beneficiaries of His miracles to speak of them, Mark 1:40-45, but here, it was commanded, why?
Simply because this was a Gentile area, He was on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus didn’t want to be crowded by spectators in the Capernaum area, west of the Sea, but in this wicked town, He was in no danger of becoming too popular.
The people in this place needed someone to report the miracle. It’s of the greatest significance that Jesus here referred to Himself as ‘the Lord’ who had done for the man ‘great things’ and ‘had mercy upon’ him, Mark 5:19. Attempts to get rid of Jesus in all ages have generally been as futile and ineffective as were those of the village of the Gerasenes.
The word, ‘Decapolis’, Mark 5:20, means ‘the ten cities’ which lay in the area, nine of them east of lake Galilee. It must have been a very effective witness indeed which was provided by that previous terror of the tombs who went up and down the area extolling the power and mercy of Jesus, whom he also, no doubt, identified as ‘Lord’. No wonder it is said that ‘all the people were amazed,’ Mark 5:20.
Do we ever invite the Lord to leave our lives because we love material things more than we love Him? Luke 8:36-37.
Jesus Raises A Dead Girl and Heals A Sick Woman
‘Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.’ Luke 8:40-42
Mark and Luke’s accounts again give us a little more detail about this event, Mark 5:35-43 / Luke 8:49-56.
Jesus and His disciples went on to the western shore of Galilee, Mark 5:21, and the view would have been amazing, and the pulpit was the boat, which wasn’t far from the city of Capernaum.
As we’ve already looked at, Capernaum was Jesus’ hometown. Matthew 9:1 calls Capernaum His own city. Matthew 4:13 tells us that He had left Nazareth, and was now dwelling at Capernaum, thus fulfilling the prophecy with regard to Zebulun and Naphthalin, Luke 4:16-31.
Christ ennobled Bethlehem by His birth, Nazareth by His education, Jerusalem by His death, and Capernaum by making it His home town.
Jairus was a ruler of the Jewish synagogue in Capernaum, a prominent and respected leader of the people, Matthew 9:19 / Mark 5:22 / Luke 8:41. His willingness to fall upon his knees before the Son of God emphasises the heartbreak which was crushing his soul, Matthew 9:18 / Mark 5:22 / Luke 8:41.
Think about his situation for a moment, here is a man who sits in the synagogue and hears all the plans and plots to kill this same Jesus, but he comes to Jesus because he obviously believes in who Jesus claims to be and can do.
There can be no doubt that many of his peers despised him for humbling himself before the Lord, but what a blessing he is going to receive.
Matthew uses the phrase, ‘my daughter’, Matthew 9:18, and Luke uses the phrase, ‘my only daughter’, Luke 8:42 whilst Mark uses the phrase, ‘my little daughter’, Mark 5:23. This tells us that this was not only his only daughter but his only child.
Notice Mark and Luke says she is ‘dying’, Mark 5:23 / Luke 8:42. Matthew quoted Jairus as saying, ‘she is even now dead.’ Matthew 9:18.
A Useful Timeline
When the father left the child, she was at her latest gasp, and he didn’t know whether to regard her now as dead or alive and, because he didn’t receive any certain knowledge of her death, he was perplexed whether to speak of her as departed or not, expressing himself one moment in one language, and at the next in another.
Jesus agrees to go with him, but it seems a large crowd had got in Jesus’ way.
Jesus Heals A Woman With Bleeding Issues
‘As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Luke 8:40-48
On the way to Jairus’ home, Jesus heals a woman with bleeding issues, Matthew 9:20-22 / Mark 5:25-34 / Luke 8:43-48. Mark and Luke’s account gives us a lot more detail concerning this woman, Mark 5:25-34 / Luke 8:43-48.
As Jesus was journeying to Jairus’ house, a desperate woman in the multitude touched the Lord, Matthew 9:20 / Mark 5:27 / Luke 8:43. She had been bleeding for 12 years, Matthew 9:20 / Mark 5:25 / Luke 8:43 / Leviticus 15:25, had gone to many doctors, and spent all of her money, Mark 5:26, but had only worsened.
She’s a nobody at this moment in time but when she heard that Jesus was back in Capernaum, this appeared to her, to be her only hope of a cure and she is determined to reach him.
Mark 5:27-28, in the Greek says, ‘if she could get to ‘The Jesus’. As Jesus was a common name, she knew ‘the Jesus’ she was seeking, the Jesus who had the power to cure her.
Of course, the problem she faced was immense! Weak and frail and fragile as she was, what chance of reaching Him did she stand, when faced with such a crowd of pushing, jostling, excited, noisy healthy people, milling around Jesus? Mark 5:21 / Mark 5:24 / Mark 5:27 / Luke 8:42.
But she persisted and somehow managed to reach Jesus and she touched Him, and immediately she was healed, Matthew 9:22 / Mark 9:29 / Luke 8:44. She not only knew it, but she felt it and so did Jesus, Mark 5:30 / Luke 8:46.
I don’t think that she expected to be able to have a conversation or a consultation with the great Teacher. Sure enough, when she touched Jesus’ coat, she could sense that the flow of blood immediately dried up and she was well, Matthew 9:22 / Mark 5:29 / Luke 8:44.
Like all male Jews, the outer garment of Jesus, something like a shawl, it had tassels of Blue on its corners. They were there to serve to remind the wearer to keep the Law, and they were regarded as holy.
Not surprisingly, this poor woman thought that, with such a holy person as the Teacher, they would be especially holy, if only she could manage to reach Him.
She would then have quietly gone away, but Jesus stopped and said, ‘who touched me?’ Mark 5:30 / Luke 8:45. Not surprisingly His disciples were astonished! ‘Master, you see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ Mark 5:31.
I believe that Jesus already knew who touched Him, and He was giving this poor woman the opportunity of coming forward and declaring herself! In any case, Jesus knew the difference between the touch of the jostling crowd and the touch of faith, and He said, ‘somebody touched me,’ Luke 8:46.
The woman came forward and told Him everything, Mark 5:33 / Luke 8:47. No doubt she was apprehensive as she had broken the law by deliberately touching Jesus and furthermore, in Jewish society of that time, you didn’t touch such people as Priests or any religious leader! They were looked upon as holy men, and they liked it that way!
She probably expected a rebuke from Jesus, but there was no rebuke, there was the compassion about which Jesus knew that the heart of that woman was beating fast. She was afraid of the consequences and she may even have feared that Jairus, the ruler, would speak sharply to her for having touched the Teacher.
Mark and Luke record that Jesus insisted on being told who touched Him, Mark 5:30 / Luke 8:45. The woman subsequently came forward in fear and trembling, Mark 5:33.
But Jesus looked at her and gently spoke some of the tender words of His ministry record, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering!’ Matthew 9:22 / Mark 5:44 / Luke 8:48 / Luke 7:50 / Luke 17:19 / Luke 18:42.
Do you see what has happened? The ‘nobody’ has become a ‘somebody’! She’s gone from being a nobody, ‘who’ to a ‘someone’, to a ‘daughter’.
Notice again what Jesus called her, ‘daughter’! Matthew 9:22 / Mark 5:34 / Luke 8:48. She came to Jesus a ‘nobody’, for whom nobody cared. She heard Jesus refer to her as a ‘somebody’, but her status has now changed and now she hears Jesus call her ‘daughter’, she is everybody.
1. Physically she has suffered from a debilitating haemorrhage for 12 years, as long as the daughter of Jairus has been alive, Mark 5:42, and all the doctors have been unable to help her, Mark 5:26, she was physically exhausted.
No doubt the doctors tried all they knew, which by our standards wasn’t very much, but they had done their best. They had probably recommended such medication as ‘locust eggs’, ‘powdered eggs of grasshoppers’ or ‘the fingernail of a man who had been hanged’.
All of which were expensive medicines in those days! Indeed, she had spent all the money she possessed, and Mark doesn’t speak very flatteringly of the doctors when he says, ‘instead of getting better she grew worse’, Mark 5:24-34.
2. That wasn’t the only effect of her illness. According to Jewish Law, this illness rendered her unclean so that she was banned from entering the temple or the synagogue, Leviticus 15:25.
She was cut off from her religion and the support it should have given her.
3. And it didn’t stop there, there would have been a domestic consequence, maybe she was now divorced, Deuteronomy 24:1.
At some point in those twelve years, she would have lost her husband and according to Jewish Law, her husband had the right to divorce her and considering the fact that if he had continued to live with her, he would also have contracted uncleanness and the consequences of it, I have no doubt this is what had happened.
4. Think about the social consequences. She had lost all her friends and relatives, because they also wouldn’t dare to associate with her lest they became unclean.
According to Leviticus 15, anything with which the woman came into contact with was unclean, and anyone who had contact with her also became unclean. Indeed, they wouldn’t sit on a chair that she had sat on.
Think about this woman for a moment, she’s a widow, a woman with an incurable disease.
1. She was unclean.
2. This would give her husband the right to divorce her.
3. She was penniless. Spent all she had on doctors looking for a cure.
Locust eggs were given, powdered eggs of grasshoppers and the nail of a dead thief was another remedy but these all cost lots of money.
4. Ex-communicated from her religion.
5. Ex-communicated from society.
Put all this together and you see the terrible consequences of her sickness, we can understand how desperate she was. There was no one to help her, it seemed no one cared, nobody wanted to know her, she was a ‘nobody’.
This is the change that occurs when we come into faith in Jesus. This poor woman had been cut off from the Jewish faith, but she was received into the faith of heaven.
She was rejected by her family but was received into the family of the Son of God. She was excluded from the fellowship of human society but was received into the fellowship of those who believe. She was reconciled back into society and her religion.
And Jesus still changes people and many of those who have done the most good in the world started out as ‘nobodies’ but they learned through the Gospel of Christ that they really are a ‘somebody’ for whom God declares, that they realised that in the eyes of God they are ‘everybody’, the most important people on earth.
‘While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.’ Luke 8:49-56
Mark and Luke’s accounts again give us a little more detail about this event, Mark 5:35-43 / Luke 8:49-56.
It’s possible that some of Jairus’ fellow rulers of the synagogue had been embarrassed by one of themselves appealing to the humble Prophet of the poor and there seems to be a kind of calloused argument here to the effect that, ‘Look, she’s already dead, and we all know that this Teacher cannot raise the dead, why bother with him any further?’ Mark 5:35 / Luke 8:49.
Whether or not this was exactly what they had in mind, it was certainly the attitude of their class. It’s as though they had said, ‘we are already proceeding with the funeral,’ Matthew 9:23 / Luke 8:52, which from Mark 5:38, it is plain to see that is what they were actually doing!
When Jesus said, ‘don’t be afraid’, Luke 8:50, He means, don’t fear for your daughter’s life, don’t fear the scorn of your peers, don’t fear that our purpose has been upset by this delay in healing the woman. Jairus was instructed to retain his faith.
When Jesus arrived at the house, He allowed only Peter, James and John to follow Him into Jairus’ house, Mark 5:37 / Luke 8:51. This marked a new milestone in Jesus’ ministry as already the abilities of these three had earned them a closer relationship with the Lord.
That relationship, however, wasn’t predicated merely upon ability, but upon the role, each of these would have in the future spread of Christianity.
James would set the grand example by being the first of the apostles to die for the faith, Acts 12:1-2. Peter would preach the first sermon, Acts 2:4-39. John would be the last witness and write the fourth Gospel.
Other instances in which these three were singled out for greater intimacy with Jesus were in the transfiguration, Matthew 17:1-13 / Mark 9:2-12 / Luke 9:28-36, and the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36-46 / Mark 14:32-42 / Luke 22:39-46. The probable task assigned to the other apostles was that of controlling and dispersing the multitude, Matthew 9:25.
We are surprised to find so quickly the presence of the ‘hired mourners,’ Mark 5:38 / Luke 8:52, who were raising such a tumult in the house of Jairus, which might be explained by supposing some further delay necessitated by the dispersal of the multitude, during which Jairus had returned home and initiated this phase of the funeral himself, but this is denied by the fact that Jairus evidently remained with Jesus.
This leaves open the possibility that advance preparations had been made to become effective on the daughter’s death, or the additional possibility suggested under Mark 5:35, namely, that Jairus’ peers were proceeding with the customary funeral activities, the latter being the view accepted here, Matthew 9:23-26.
When Jesus says, ‘the child is not dead but asleep’, Matthew 9:24 / Mark 5:39 / Luke 8:52, He certainly didn’t mean these words as a denial that the daughter’s death had actually occurred, but it was His customary language regarding death, John 11:11.
In context, it also meant that He intended to raise her to life again. The attitude of the ‘professional mourners’ and the pipe players, Matthew 9:23 / Jeremiah 9:17 / Jeremiah 16:6 / Ezekiel 24:17 / Amos 5:16, shows conclusively that the girl’s death had indeed occurred and had been proven.
The scorners were put out by Jesus, the spiritual implications of this being profound and perpetual. Their conduct here denies any other status to them except that of hired performers at a funeral.
Scornful laughter is never the behaviour of broken-hearted friends and relatives, Matthew 9:24 / Mark 5:40 / Luke 8:53 / John 11:13 / Acts 20:10. Jesus’ questioning of the noise they were raising also supports the same conclusion.
Mark recorded the actual syllables that Jesus used in this calling of the little girl back to life, Mark 5:41. The words are Aramaic, supposed to have been the language Jesus used and from Peter who was present in that inner room, Mark remembered the very words that Christ used.
The words, ‘little girl’, Mark 5:41 / Luke 8:54, can also be translated as ‘little lamb’ which again shows the tenderness of Jesus’ voice to the young girl.
Jesus actually takes the young girl’s hand and tells her to get up, Matthew 9:25 / Mark 5:41 / Luke 8:54.
Both Mark and Luke record that Jesus didn’t want this miracle to be made known, Mark 5:43 / Luke 8:56. The reason for this was simply because He didn’t want the crowds to get excited, Matthew 4:24 / Matthew 14:1 / Mark 1:28 / Mark 1:45 / Luke 5:15 / Luke 7:17. Nevertheless, news about the event spread throughout that region, Matthew 9:26.
It is a strange coincidence that the age of this child, Mark 5:42, corresponded exactly with the twelve years of suffering endured by the woman, Matthew 9:20 / Mark 5:25 / Luke 8:43, suggesting some connection here that is not apparent to us. All commentators are intrigued by it, but none has a solution.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This miracle of raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead is the first resurrection recorded in the New Testament. There were three such wonders, forming a sequence.
1. Jairus’ daughter had been dead only a very short time.
2. The son of the widow of Nain had been dead longer and was being carried to the tomb.
3. Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days, Luke 7:12 / John 11. Christ considered raising the dead a part of his ministry, Matthew 11:5 / Luke 7:22, and he delegated the power to the apostles, Matthew 10:8. Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, acting under this commission, Acts 9:40.
Notice the theme that runs through the stories in Mark’s Gospel.
Jesus can do what is humanly impossible.
1. The storm.
The disciples were desperate, but Jesus calmed it with a mere word, Mark 4:35-41.
2. The demoniac.
Though many had tried, no one had been able to bind or subdue him. Jesus expelled the demons with a word and the man returned to normal, Mark 5:1-20.
3. The woman.
No physician had been able to heal her though she had spent all her money in the effort. With one touch, she was completely cured, Mark 5:25-34.
4. The daughter of Jairus.
When one dies, all attempts to cure the sickness end, because everyone knows you can’t raise the dead. Jesus did, Mark 5:32-43.
Four times in this part of Mark, Jesus entered situations that were humanly impossible and emerged victoriously.
