One of the things that struck me in this reading is how often the crowds and their affect on Jesus are mentioned. In the story of the healing of the paralytic whom Jesus forgives of his sins (chapter 2), Mark notes that the crowds are so great that the friends of the afflicted man "stripped off the roof over the place where Jesus was" in order to get to him. In the next chapter, He removes Himself from the crowds in order that He will not be crushed (3:9-10) A few verses later, His relatives become concerned that he's mad because of the crowds attending him (3:20-21). It is a bit difficult to understand the nature of their suspicions, but I imagine that they saw a fanatical throng and assume their leader must be a madman. And, of course, the beautiful story of the healing of the woman with an issue of blood occurs in the midst of a pressing crowd. Something in Jesus drew these people to Him. I expect that beyond the fish and barley loaves, the emotional healings or the spectacular exorcisms, these crowds at least vaguely suspected that the Hope for humanity, the One for Whom and through Whom we exist was in their presence. At the heart of it, that was what all the fuss was about.
Mark gives fuller and more personal anecdotes surrounding the miracles of Christ than does Matthew. My favorite Marcan miracle account from these passages is the story of the Geresene demoniac. At the end of the accout, after Jesus has banished the evil spirits into the pigs, and the pigs have drowned in the lake, the former demoniac "begged to be allowed to stay with [Jesus]" (5:18). Instead of allowing him to join his disciples, Jesus sends him into the city to proclaim "all that the Lord in his mercy has done for [him]" (5:19). I hope I'm not reading too much into the story to suggest that if these people had pigs, they probably were not Jews. I think this story beautifully compliments the story of the Canaanite woman and her daughter (who was also afflicted by devils) which Matthew relates between the two miracles of the loaves. Instead of speaking of throwing the children's food to the dogs (Mt. 15:27), He sends this man out as a witness to the non-Jews. The placement of the harsh-sounding story of the Canaanite woman and use of food imagery in the surrounding chapters should largely dispel qualms that might arise from Jesus' words in Mt. 15. If not, Marks account of Jesus' compassion for the Gerasene demoniac and His insistance that the Lord's mercy be proclaimed through their land reveals His compassion for those people.
4 comments:
What is most striking to me about the Gospel of Mark is that he jumps right into the ministry of Jesus without giving the traditional family lineage or even the story of the virgin birth. He focuses directly on what Jesus DID.
I think it is important to note that the "he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" (Mark 3:29). Any thoughts on this passage, anyone?
Great post, Gabe. I don't think that you are reading anything into the story of the healed demoniac. Mark 5:20 says,
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
The Decapolis was a group of non-Jewish cities. Your reading is spot-on.
Caddy, I think that 3:29 can be understood in by its context:
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons." Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
The footnote in my edition of the Bible says, "this sin is called an everlasting sin because it attributes to Satan, who is the power of evil, what is actually the work of the Holy Spirit, namely, victory over demons."
I am not sure why this sin is especially noted by Christ to be of everlasting consequence. Perhaps when perception is so skewed as to see and credit the devil in God's work, it is a sign that the heart is hardened into a permanent adversial attitude toward God.
Here's a psalm for the day. I hope it will be complimentary to our gospel readings.
Psalm 71 (72)
The Messiah's royal power
Give the king your judgement, O God,
give the king’s son your righteousness.
Let him judge your people with justice
and your poor ones with wisdom.
Let the mountains bring peace to your people,
let the hills bring righteousness.
He will give his judgement to the poor among the people,
he will rescue the children of the destitute,
he will lay low the false accuser.
He will endure with the sun, beneath the moon,
from generation to generation.
He will come down like rain on the pasture,
like a shower that waters the earth.
In his time, righteousness will flourish
and abundance of peace,
until the moon itself is no more.
He will rule from coast to coast,
from the world’s centre to its farthest edge.
The desert-dwellers will cast themselves down before him;
his enemies will eat dust at his feet.
The kings of Tharsis and the islands will bring tribute,
the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring gifts.
All the kings will worship him,
all nations will serve him.
Ah, I just commented about that elsewhere.
The idea that the people in the Decapolis heard the miracle and wondered at it showed that they, too, were hungry . . . it would be so easy to deny the event because it seems implausible.
The most startling image to me came from 3:15, where the madman becomes sane . . .
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